2019 – 2021 Strategic Plan - US SIF: The Forum for ... SIF 2019-2021 Strategic Plan...

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INFORM EDUCATE TRANSFORM 2019 – 2021 Strategic Plan

Transcript of 2019 – 2021 Strategic Plan - US SIF: The Forum for ... SIF 2019-2021 Strategic Plan...

Page 1: 2019 – 2021 Strategic Plan - US SIF: The Forum for ... SIF 2019-2021 Strategic Plan FINAL.pdfDiederik Timmer US SIF Board Secretary Executive Vice President, Institutional Relations

INFORM EDUCATE

TRANSFORM2019 – 2021Strategic Plan

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4 | INTRODUCTION6 | WHO WE ARE8 | SUSTAINABLE INVESTING IN 201810 | AMPLIFYING OUR IMPACT12 | INFLUENCING STRATEGY13 | GOALS AND OBJECTIVES16 | INDICATORS OF SUCCESS19 | IMPLICATIONS FOR BUDGET, STAFF AND BOARD

Table of Contents

Cover photo is of US SIF members during Capitol Hill Day

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INTRODUCTIONUS SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is the leading voice in the United States advancing sustainable, responsible and impact investing across all asset classes. Our mission is to rapidly shift investment practices toward sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts.

US SIF is supported in its work by the US SIF Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization that undertakes educational, research and programmatic activities to advance the mission of US SIF.

Beginning in May 2018, the US SIF board and staff led a process to produce a strategic plan to guide our work for 2019 - 2021. As part of the process, US SIF engaged our membership through a mixed-method approach that included a member briefing and discussion at the 2018 annual US SIF conference, an online survey and a series of individual interviews.

Our influencing strategy builds upon the rapid momentum in our field and the strength of US SIF and our membership. The strategy is designed to advance how specific audiences are introduced to and educated about sustainable investing and to change investor behavior in order to deepen sustainable investing practice. Additionally, through regular engagement, we will endeavor to shift policymakers and media to be more supportive of sustainable investment.

Three cross-cutting goals will drive the work of US SIF and the US SIF Foundation over the next three years:

● Expand the number of firms and financial professionals practicing sustainable investment and expand the membership of US SIF;

● Broaden sustainable investment expertise and use of best practices by providing high quality information, education and other tools; and

● Educate and engage with federal and state policymakers and regulators to advance legislation and regulation that is supportive of sustainable investment.

We thank our members for their continued support of our mission and the US SIF Board of Directors for its commitment, feedback and assistance throughout this process. We would also like to acknowledge staff and the members of our Strategic Planning Committee who dedicated their time and effort to drive this process forward.

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Craig Metrick US SIF Board ChairManaging Director, Institutional Consulting and Research Cornerstone Capital Group

Justin Conway US SIF Board Vice Chair Vice President of Investment Partnerships Calvert Impact Capital

Diederik Timmer US SIF Board Secretary Executive Vice President, Institutional Relations Sustainalytics

Alyssa GreenspanUS SIF Board Treasurer President and Chief Operating Officer Community Capital Management

Steve FalciUS SIF Board DirectorChief Investment OfficerImpax Asset Management, LLCExecutive Vice PresidentPax World Funds

Michael Lent Former US SIF Board ChairChief Investment Officer Veris Wealth Partners

Lisa WollChief Executive OfficerUS SIF

Kim CobleChief Operating OfficerUS SIF

US SIF 2019 – 2021 STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE:

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WHO WE AREUS SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is the leading voice in the United States advancing sustainable, responsible and impact investing across all asset classes.

US SIF is fundamentally a field building institution. For several decades, we have focused on creating greater awareness about sustainable investment, enhancing sustainable investment practices and offering the tools and services to grow the field.

US SIF has played a critical role in growing the interest of investors and other stakeholders — such as the press, policymakers, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations — in sustainable investment strategies. We have also played an important role in bringing together our partner organizations around the globe.

Mission Rapidly shift investment practices towards sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts.

VisionEnvironmental, social and governance impacts are meaningfully assessed in all investment decisions resulting in a more sustainable and equitable society.

Values

Commitment: We are dedicated to our mission and achieving results.

Knowledge: We provide resources that allow investors and the public to develop sustainable, responsible and impact investing expertise.

Collaboration: We pursue robust relationships with our members and value other collaborations that advance our mission.

Inclusion: We actively seek and embrace diversity as a key component of our work.

Accountability: We commit ourselves to broad environmental and social sustainability, including transparent and high-quality governance practices.

Optimism: We pursue our strategic goals with a belief in our ability to advance systemic change.

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SERVING OUR MEMBERSUS SIF is a thriving membership organization, serving a broad mix of members by delivering meaningful benefits. We provide a place for practitioners to convene, learn and share information.

Our members represent more that $3 trillion in assets under management or advisement and include investment management and advisory firms, mutual fund companies, asset owners, research firms, financial planners and advisors, broker-dealers, community investing institutions and non-profit organizations.

US SIF offers opportunities for members to enhance their professional expertise by being part of an active community of practitioners, participating in programs including webinars and Member Day events at our conference and engaging in US SIF committees.

We produce cutting edge research and offer multiple opportunities for education including both a live and online course on the Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact Investment, fact sheets and “how to” guidebooks on sustainable investment.

Through outreach to both federal legislators and regulators, we advocate for better corporate reporting on environmental, social and governance indicators, shareholder rights, measures to address climate change and financial reform. We provide opportunities for members to communicate with their members of Congress through letters and through participation in Capitol Hill Advocacy Day.

Through focused media and public engagement, we increase public awareness of and demand for sustainable investing. Members benefit from increased public exposure to the field through press events, media and referrals. We also highlight our members’ work, research and sponsorship of US SIF initiatives.

We convene and provide networking opportunities for sustainable investment practitioners through our national conference and at events nationwide.

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According to the US SIF Foundation’s 2018 Report on US Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends, between 2016 and the start of 2018, US-based assets under management using sustainable investing

strategies grew an impressive 38 percent from $8.7 trillion to $12.0 trillion.

As shown below in Figure B, at the beginning of 2018 there was approximately $11.6 trillion in US-domiciled

assets whose managers incorporate various environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in their

investment analysis and portfolio selection. Another $1.8 trillion was held by institutional investors or money

managers that filed or co-filed shareholder resolutions on ESG issues at publicly traded companies from

2016 through 2018. After eliminating double counting for assets involved in both strategies, the net total of

sustainable and impact investment assets at the beginning of 2018 was $12.0 trillion.

Sustainable and Responsible Investing in the United States1995–2018 | Figure A

FIGURE A

Sustainable and Responsible Investing in the United States 1995–2018

ESG Incorporation Overlapping Strategies Shareholder Advocacy

$14,000

$12,000

$10,000

$8,000

$6,000

$4,000

$2,000

$0

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2001

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Overview

Since 1995, when the US SIF Foundation first measured the size of the US sustainable and responsible investment universe at $639 billion, these assets have increased more than 18-fold, a compound annual growth rate of 13.6 percent. (See Figure A.)

Through surveying and research undertaken in 2018, the US SIF Foundation identified, as shown in Figure B:

• $11.6 trillion in US-domiciled assets at the beginning of 2018 whose managers apply various environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in their investment analysis and portfolio selection, and

• $1.8 trillion in US-domiciled assets at the beginning of 2018 held by institutional investors or money managers that

filed or co-filed shareholder resolutions on ESG issues at publicly traded companies from 2016 through 2018.

After eliminating double counting for assets involved in both strategies, the net total of SRI assets at the beginning of 2018 was $12.0 trillion.

Executive Summary

Sustainable, responsible and impact (SRI) investing in the United States continues

to expand at a healthy pace. The total US-domiciled assets under management

using SRI strategies grew from $8.7 trillion at the start of 2016 to $12.0 trillion at

the start of 2018, an increase of 38 percent. This represents 26 percent—or 1 in 4

dollars—of the $46.6 trillion in total US assets under professional management.

FIGURE A

Sustainable and Responsible Investing in the United States 1995–2018

ESG Incorporation Overlapping Strategies Shareholder Advocacy

$14,000

$12,000

$10,000

$8,000

$6,000

$4,000

$2,000

$0

1995

2001

1997

2003

2007

1999

2005

2010

2018

2016

2014

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Report on US Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends 2018 1

FIG

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Su

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$14,000

$12,000

$10,000

$8,000

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Total Assets (in Billions)

SUSTAINABLE INVESTING IN 2018Since 1995, when US SIF first measured the size of the US sustainable and responsible investment field at $639 billion, these assets have increased more than 18-fold, a compound annual growth rate of 13.6 percent. (See Figure A.) At the beginning of our 2016 strategic plan, one-sixth of professionally managed assets used one or more sustainable investment strategies. As we begin this plan, those assets have increased to one-fourth of all professionally managed assets.

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Our research also indicated that asset management firms and institutional investors are addressing a diverse set of environmental, social and governance concerns across a broader span of asset classes than in 2016. Many of these money managers and institutions, concerned about racial and gender discrimination, gun violence and the federal government’s rollbacks of environmental protections, are using portfolio selection and shareowner engagement to address these important issues.

However, interest in sustainable investing is not limited to institutions. A number of surveys show that individual investors are also interested in investing for positive impact and to better align their financial decisions with their values and beliefs. As depicted above, $3.0 trillion of the $11.6 trillion in assets that incorporate ESG are managed on behalf of individual investors.

Sustainable and Responsible Investing Assets 2018 | Figure B

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AMPLIFYING OUR IMPACT As we pivot to our 2019-2021 Strategic Plan, US SIF will build upon the achievements of the 2016-2018 Strategic Plan. During that period, we accomplished the following:

● We differentiated US SIF as the most broadly-based organization in the sustainable investment field through our diverse membership, focus on all asset classes, involvement in many environmental, social and governance issues and deployment of a wide range of strategies to achieve our mission.

● We expanded the content delivered to our members, other financial services firms, policymakers and the media. This content included:

- The 2016 and 2018 editions of our biennial Report on US Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends, the field’s definitive research and data report, and one of our most important and enduring contributions to the field and to the public’s understanding of sustainable investment;

- The Global Sustainable Investment Review 2016, a collaboration with the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (GSIA).

- Adding Sustainable and Responsible Investing Options to Defined Contribution Plans: A Resource Guide for Plan Sponsors, a step-by-step guide released in 2017 for plan sponsors;

- Getting Started in Sustainable and Impact Investing: A Guide for Retail Investors, released in 2017 to aid retail, non-accredited investors;

- The three Roadmap guides--for financial advisors (2018), asset managers (2018) and asset owners (2019); - The online and in-person versions of our introductory course Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact

Investment.

- The launch of the first sustainable investment designation in the United States—the Chartered SRI Counselor—through our partnership with the College for Financial Planning (CFFP).

● Our national conference, inaugurated in 2011, continued to thrive—increasing from 367 attendees in 2016 to 450 in 2018—with our largest Member Day and our most widely attended Capitol Hill Advocacy Day in 2018. Highlights from our conferences included 2017 plenary speaker Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, as well as SEC Commissioner Rob Jackson in 2018.

● We provided meaningful member benefits including receptions and other networking events, opportunities to participate in substantive committee work, more than 30 webinars, special member pricing for the annual conference and opportunities to serve as media experts and engage in policy.

● We launched the Policy Leaders Program, an eight-month program to train US SIF members on how to effectively engage on public policy issues pertinent to sustainable investing. Policy Leaders participated in one-on-one coaching and collaborative opportunities including webinars, legislative visits and policy briefings.

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● We worked with US SIF members and our colleague organizations to voice opposition to proposals to roll back or eliminate climate regulations and to attempts to weaken the shareholder proposal process, among other critical issues. We also engaged with the Department of Labor after it produced a field assistance bulletin related to 2015 and 2016 guidance affecting ERISA governed pension plans.

● We hosted ongoing webinars for members on topics including Policy in the New Administration; Trends in Sustainable Food and Agriculture; The Financial CHOICE Act and What You Can Do About It; The Rise of ESG Criteria for Investment Managers; Blockchain 101 for Investors; The Role of Stock Exchanges in an ESG World; The Connection Between CEO Pay and Inequality; Human Rights Assessment Tools for Investors; and Robo Advisors:The State of the Industry and Impacts for the Future.

● We engaged and educated members of the media to influence how audiences understand the field of sustainable investment. Our efforts resulted in:

- The growth of our Twitter following by 94%;

- Increased media coverage from a range of outlets, including Bloomberg, The Boston Globe, CNBC, The Economist, The Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and numerous financial industry trade publications;

- Mention of US SIF in nine Barron’s articles in 2018 alone, including the naming of US SIF CEO Lisa Woll to their list of “The 20 Most Influential People in ESG Investing;”

- Recognition of the outstanding leadership of US SIF’s CEO Lisa Woll, who was the recipient of the 2018 Impact Award at the 2018 Forbes Women’s Summit, presented by Oppenheimer Funds, and of the SRI Service Award at the Annual SRI Conference;

- An increased broadcast presence, with US SIF staff appearing on the PBS TV show “Wealthtrack” and participating in a radio segment on American Public Media’s “Marketplace” and multiple podcast interviews including Bloomberg Finance and the Wharton Business School “Dollars & Change” podcast.

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US SIF is committed to influencing how key audiences are informed and educated about sustainable investment in order to transform investment practices. We aim to be the premier resource on issues related to sustainable investment for the audiences that define, shape and regulate the investment industry.

Our influencing strategy builds upon the rapid momentum in our field and the strength of US SIF and our membership. The strategy is designed to advance how specific audiences are introduced to and educated about sustainable investing and to change investor behavior in order to deepen sustainable investing practice. Additionally, through regular engagement with the media and policymakers, we will endeavor to make the media and regulatory environment more supportive of sustainable investment.

The strategy will help us to achieve large-scale impact that would be difficult for practitioners to achieve individually: expanding the field and raising the visibility of sustainable investment with key groups of investors and stakeholders as well the general public.

INFLUENCING STRATEGY Inform. Educate. Transform.

Asset Managers,Advisors/Advisor

Platforms andData andResearchProviders

Retail Investors

Asset Owners

Target Audiences for Influence

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To maximize impact, the US SIF Board and staff grouped audiences into three distinct categories. Our first category includes asset managers, advisors/advisor platforms, data and research providers. This group largely represents the historic core of US SIF’s membership. Their provision of sustainable investment products, strategies, services and information are critical to expanding the adoption and implementation of sustainable investment.

The second category includes asset owners. Asset owners drive the investment process and thus significantly influence whether asset managers, advisors and institutional consultants are focused on sustainable investment. The faster asset owners move to sustainable investment, the faster it will be “mainstreamed.” Asset owners are a diverse audience encompassing, among others, pension funds, foundations, university endowments and family offices. While US SIF does not intend to try to influence every type of asset owner within the next three years, we will annually evaluate and prioritize our focus based on opportunities to inform and educate.

Lastly, US SIF will engage with the third category of audiences—retail investors—as opportunities arise.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Our three strategic goals support our influencing strategy by creating a framework that will provide benefits to our members while also advancing the field generally.

To help guide the implementation of our plan, each of the three goals has specific objectives. These goals and objectives will drive our annual operating plan, with amendments along the way that respond to new challenges and opportunities.

Goal 1: Expand the number of firms and financial professionals practicing sustainable investment and expand the membership of US SIF.

Objectives:

● Enhance US SIF’s positioning as the leading resource for sustainable investment information for investors, social, print and broadcast media and other key stakeholders.

● Continue community building among US SIF members and offer benefits that allow members to gain expertise, connect with other investors and stakeholders and be highlighted as experts for policymakers and the media.

● Deploy US SIF staff, board and other key US SIF members to engage with prospective US SIF members around the country.

● Ensure that the US SIF website, external talking points and written materials provide a concise definition of sustainable investment to address the confusion about terminology.

● Speak at a broad range of conferences to motivate and educate attendees about the benefits of incorporating sustainable investment strategies and the value of membership in US SIF.

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Goal 2: Broaden sustainable investment expertise and use of best practices by providing high-quality information, education and other tools.

Objectives:

● Generate and deliver content that influences the investment practices of priority audiences.

● Identify and adopt effective strategies to distribute content to the targeted audiences, including through infographics and sharing key messaging points through social media.

● Use social, print and broadcast media to amplify the impact of US SIF’s content.

●Disseminate best practices including using US SIF member case studies.

● Discuss critical sustainable investment issues at US SIF events.

● Deliver training and educational resources to enable financial professionals to incorporate sustainable investment into investment portfolios and client conversations.

● Market and increase familiarity with the new CFFP/US SIF professional designation—the Chartered SRI Counselor—through social, print and broadcast media.

● Identify opportunities to incorporate data from the 2018 Report on US Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends into presentations, media publications and other reports and articles.

●Write and place opinion pieces in on-line and print media and work with high profile individuals to deliver key US SIF message points in the media.

● Provide opportunities for US SIF members to feature their research on the US SIF website.

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Goal 3: Educate and engage with federal and state policy makers and regulators to advance legislation and regulation that is supportive of sustainable investment.

Objectives:

● Provide US SIF members with in-depth analyses of the impact of relevant federal policies.

● Strengthen US SIF’s positioning as the premier resource for sustainable investment information for policymakers. Through active staff, board and member engagement, increase policymakers’ familiarity with sustainable investment.

● Use social, print and broadcast media to amplify US SIF’s policy goals.

● Expand US SIF member participation in advocacy that supports sustainable investment priorities, including Capitol Hill Day.

● Expand US SIF’s Policy Leaders Program to provide more US SIF members with the skills necessary to inform, monitor and engage directly on public policy issues of strategic importance to sustainable investors.

● Develop initiatives to educate state legislators and regulators about sustainable investment and to advance sustainable investing among state and local funds.

● Explore partnerships with other organizations in order to jointly influence policymakers and regulators.

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GOAL OBJECTIVES INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

1. Expand the number of firms and financial professionals practicing sustainable investment and expand the membership of US SIF.

Enhance US SIF’s positioning as the leading resource for sustainable investment information for investors, social, print and broadcast media and other key stakeholders.

Continue community building among US SIF members and offer benefits that allow members to gain expertise, connect with other investors and stakeholders and be highlighted as experts for policymakers and the media.

Deploy US SIF staff, board and other

key US SIF members to engage with prospective US SIF members around the country.

Ensure that US SIF website, external talking points and written materials provide a concise definition of sustainable investment to address the confusion about terminology.

Speak at a broad range of conferences to motivate and educate attendees about the benefits of incorporating sustainable investment strategies and the value of membership in US SIF.

Track numbers and significance of US SIF’s impressions for a range of digital and print media outlets such as Forbes, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and financial industry trade publications including the number of times:

• US SIF staff is quoted or mentioned.• US SIF connects reporters with its members as issue area experts. • US SIF serves as a resource for media.

The number of firms engaged in sustainable investment increases based on data in the 2018 Trends Report.

US SIF membership increases. US SIF’s annual conference attendance

increases by 5% each year.

US SIF events open to non-members have at least 15% attendance by non-members.

US SIF staff speak at at least two non ESG focused conferences/events a year.

The newsletter is leveraged to reach current and prospective members and other industry stakeholders and its distribution and open rates increase by at least 5% each year.

INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

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GOAL OBJECTIVES INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

2. Broaden sustainable investment expertise and use of best practices by providing high-quality information, education and other tools.

Generate and deliver content that influences the investment practices of priority audiences.

Identify and adopt effective strategies to distribute content to the targeted audiences, including through infographics and sharing key messaging points through social media.

Use social, print and broadcast media to amplify the impact of US SIF’s content.

Disseminate best practices including US SIF member case studies.

Discuss critical sustainable investment issues at US SIF events.

Deliver training and educational resources to enable financial professionals to incorporate sustainable investment into investment portfolios and client conversations.

Market and increase familiarity with the new CFFP/US SIF professional designation - the Chartered SRI Counselor - through social, print and broadcast media.

Identify opportunities to incorporate data from the 2018 Report on US Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends into presentations, media publications and other reports and articles.

Write and place opinion pieces in on-line and print media and work with high profile individuals to deliver key US SIF message points in the media.

Provide opportunities for US SIF members to feature their research on the US SIF website.

The 2020 US SIF Trends Report is released to the field and covered by several top-tier outlets. It is referenced widely in print and social media as a significant contribution to the public’s understanding of sustainable and responsible investment. Specific metrics to measure include the number of:

• Print and broadcast media outlets that report on the Trends Report.

• US SIF staff, board members and other US SIF members that are quoted in articles covering the report.

• Use of Trends hashtag and Trends website visits.

Grow participation in training programs by

at least 5% a year including:

• In-person attendees taking the Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact Investment.

• Online participants of the course.• Working with CFFP to help drive

uptake of the Chartered SRI Counselor designation.

Create and distribute discussion paper that speaks to the definitions used throughout the industry.

US SIF members’ best practices case studies are showcased on US SIF’s website, newsletter and in social media.

US SIF members increasingly share research for inclusion on US SIF website and newsletter.

INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

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GOAL OBJECTIVES INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

3. Educate and engage with federal and state policy makers and regulators to advance legislation and regulation that is supportive of sustainable investment.

Provide US SIF members with in-depth analyses of the impact of relevant federal policies.

Strengthen US SIF’s positioning as the premier resource for sustainable investment information for policymakers. Through active staff, board and member engagement increase policymakers’ familiarity with sustainable investment.

Use social, print and broadcast media to amplify US SIF’s policy goals.

Expand US SIF member participation in advocacy that supports sustainable investment priorities, including Capitol Hill Day.

Expand US SIF’s Policy Leaders Program to provide more US SIF members with the skills necessary to inform, monitor and engage directly on public policy issues of strategic importance to sustainable investors.

Develop initiatives to educate state legislators and regulators about sustainable investment and to advance sustainable investing among state and local funds.

Explore partnerships with other organizations in order to jointly influence policymakers and regulators.

Use social, print, and broadcast media to highlight policy initiatives, positions and legislative proposals. Report policy specific media outreach and stories as part of success indicators in Goal 1.

By 2021, the number of meetings with policy makers that US SIF members participate in increases 20% over base year 2018.

US SIF has an opportunity at least once a year to:

• Testify at a hearing.• Provide written testimony. • Help to draft and or submit testimony

on behalf of US SIF members.• Serve as a resource to congressional

staff as they frame the hearings.

The number of members involved in US SIF’s Capitol Hill Day increases by at least 15% over the duration of the strategic plan.

The US SIF flagship Policy Leaders Program continues for all 3 years of this strategic plan and increases participation by 100% by 2021.

Over the duration of the strategic plan, meet with at least 8 national associations representing state elected leaders to explore their interest in educating their members about sustainable investment.

INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

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GOAL BUDGET AND STAFF IMPLICATIONS BOARD IMPLICATIONS

1. Expand the number of firms and financial professionals practicing sustainable investment and expand the membership of US SIF.

Expand travel budget to allow US SIF staff to travel to more conferences and meetings, to hold additional Fundamentals trainings and to engage more regularly with current and prospective members.

Use external consultant to enhance membership messaging and presentation of “What is US SIF” and “Membership Benefits” in different formats.

Hire consultant to assist staff in revising membership dues.

Hire PR firm in California on a short-term basis to introduce US SIF to relevant west coast journalists.

Hire part-time consultant in California to assist with membership outreach and events on the west coast.

Recruit board members who have capacity and leadership profile to influence our target audiences and create engagement strategies, particularly with asset owners.

Recruit board members who are prepared to support the organization’s membership campaigns and to use their platforms to speak and write about US SIF.

IMPLICATIONS FOR BUDGET, STAFF AND BOARD

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GOAL BUDGET AND STAFF IMPLICATIONS BOARD IMPLICATIONS

2. Broaden sustainable investment expertise and use of best practices by providing high-quality information, education and other tools.

Hire consultant or expand staff capacity to create marketing/digital strategies that staff and members can use to promote US SIF’s conference, course and publications.

Hire Research Manager to allow production of more research and media content and to work with Education Manager to create education content.

Expand travel budget to allow US SIF staff to travel to relevant events and conferences to present research and educational programs.

With assistance of a consultant, overhaul website to create a better user experience and better highlight the offerings of US SIF and of US SIF members.

Recruit board members with experience in sustainable investment research and education in order to contribute to the Research Committee and board discussions.

Engage board members in writing opinion pieces on key message points and in target markets.

IMPLICATIONS FOR BUDGET, STAFF AND BOARD

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3. Educate and engage with federal and state policy makers and regulators to advance legislation and regulation that is supportive of sustainable investment.

Ensure that all event planning includes inviting, and when relevant, including representatives from key policymakers and regulators in US SIF national and local events.

Recruit board members with expertise in and commitment to public policy and who have relationships either with policymakers or associations of policymakers.

Activate board members’ networks to engage potential partners in our efforts to influence policymakers.

4. General Support for US SIF Activities.

Hire associate to support US SIF managers and directors in carrying out the activities related to this Strategic Plan.

Create new recruiting strategies in order to be able to hire staff who already have expertise in sustainable investment.

Ensure that membership dues form the majority of a diversified funding base (which also includes conference sponsorships and registrations, course registrations, other sponsorship income, Chartered SRI Counselor fees and foundation funding).

Ensure that board member recruitment is focused on diversity including gender, race, sexual orientation, professional area of expertise as well as diversity in geographic location.

Members of the Nominating Committee should be able to clearly communicate the role of board members in the organizational and financial success of US SIF during the board member recruitment process.

IMPLICATIONS FOR BUDGET, STAFF AND BOARD

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SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT EDUCATION

2018 Report

THE CENTER FOR