NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

As highlighted in a recent Impact Entrepreneur article by Stacey Faella, shareholder engagement is a pivotal, yet often overlooked, strategy within the philanthropic sector for leveraging investments to drive social and environmental change. This approach enables foundations to use their equity holdings as a means to encourage corporate responsibility and sustainability without necessitating significant changes to their investment portfolios. However, it remains underutilized due to challenges like limited understanding and resource constraints.

In this special installment of our Building an Impact Economy Webinar Series, Laurie Lane-Zucker of Impact Entrepreneur moderates a panel featuring four distinguished experts in the field of shareholder engagement. They will share their diverse experiences and insights into transforming passive investments into active tools for change. Through real-world examples, including successful engagements that led to corporate commitments to sustainability, our panelists will illustrate effective strategies that foundations and other institutional investors can employ to embrace active ownership.

Discussion Points:

• Key principles and benefits of shareholder engagement in public equities.
• Techniques for initiating and maintaining impactful shareholder dialogues and resolutions.
• The role of philanthropic organizations as active shareholders and the effects of their involvement on corporate practices.
• Actionable steps for aligning investment practices with mission-driven objectives.

Join us for this critical conversation aimed at demystifying shareholder engagement and providing actionable strategies for foundations eager to amplify their investment impact. Learn how even small, incremental steps can lead to significant improvements in corporate accountability and sustainability practices.

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM ET