Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.43
Liaison Jim Simon
Submission Date Sept. 23, 2020

STARS v2.2

Gonzaga University
PA-10: Sustainable Investment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.69 / 3.00 Joe Smith
AVP Finance
Finance
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Positive sustainability investment

Total value of the investment pool:
294,720,414 US/Canadian $

Value of holdings in each of the following categories:
Value of holdings
Sustainable industries (e.g., renewable energy or sustainable forestry) 0 US/Canadian $
Businesses selected for exemplary sustainability performance (e.g., using criteria specified in a sustainable investment policy) 0 US/Canadian $
Sustainability investment funds (e.g., a renewable energy or impact investment fund) 5,995,953 US/Canadian $
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or the equivalent 0 US/Canadian $
Socially responsible mutual funds with positive screens (or the equivalent) 5,000,000 US/Canadian $
Green revolving funds funded from the endowment 0 US/Canadian $

If any of the above is greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the companies, funds, and/or institutions referenced above:
$5 million commitment to TPG Rise II Fund (Commitment made 1/2020)
$1,015,261 PAX World Global Environmental Fund (as of 6/30/19).
$4,980,692 RBC Fossil Fuel Free Series (as of 6/30/19)

Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
3.73

Part 2. Investor engagement

Sustainable investment policy 

Does the institution have a publicly available sustainable investment policy?:
Yes

None
A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
---

None
The sustainable investment policy:
In keeping with the Mission Statement of Gonzaga University, it is the intention of this Investment Policy to promote the basic moral values of fairness, respect for human life, defense of human rights and social justice. In the process of accomplishing a satisfactory risk adjusted return on the invested assets of the Endowment Fund, the Committee may weigh: (1) excluding from the Fund, securities of firms or managers whose policies or practices are inimical to the values the University espouses; (2) investing in securities of firms or managers that demonstrate a high level of social concern; (3) influencing the social behavior of firms invested in through the exercise of ownership rights. It is the responsibility of the Committee to determine appropriate strategies, based upon information and advice from external and internal sources, and to communicate these strategies to the appropriate parties.

In Dec. 2018, the Board of Trustees approved a change in policy, known as Socially Responsible Investing, that addressed and implemented the follow:
1: Develop specific positive impact investment objectives and allocate a portion of the endowment toward such investments.
2: Measure and evaluate current and prospective fund investments, as well as the underlying companies within funds, against socially responsible investing criteria.
3: Communicate to investment managers the University’s view on the importance of socially responsible investing.
4: Create transparency in how the Investment Committee is fulfilling its commitment to socially responsible investing.
5: Revise the Endowment Investment Policy where needed to add clarity.

None
Does the institution use its sustainable investment policy to select and guide investment managers?:
Yes

A brief description of how the sustainable investment policy is applied:
Equity managers who measure poorly using the new criteria developed are less likely to be a component of the Gonzaga endowment investment portfolio moving forward.

Proxy voting 

Has the institution engaged in proxy voting, either by its CIR or other committee or through the use of guidelines, to promote sustainability during the previous three years?:
No

None
A copy of the proxy voting guidelines or proxy record:
---

None
A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:
---

Shareholder resolutions 

Has the institution filed or co-filed one or more shareholder resolutions that address sustainability or submitted one or more letters about social or environmental responsibility to a company in which it holds investments during the previous three years?:
No

Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:
---

Divestment efforts and negative screens

Does the institution participate in a public divestment effort and/or have a publicly available investment policy with negative screens?:
No

A brief description of the divestment effort or negative screens and how they have been implemented:
---

Approximate percentage of endowment that the divestment effort and/or negative screens apply to:
---

Investor networks 

Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engage in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
No

None
A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:
---

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable investment efforts is available:
https://my.gonzaga.edu/faculty-staff-services/finance-office/socially-responsible-investing

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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