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PRIME: Helping Foundations Use "The Other 95%" |
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PARIS, FRANCE, Sep. 14 -/E-Wire/--
The Bellagio Forum for Sustainable Development (BFSD) along with Eurosif (European Social Investment Forum) announce the publication of PRIME: the Primer for the Responsible Investment Management of Endowments. Download PRIME at www.bellagio-forum.org.
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Most foundations have a charter aimed at improving the state of the world in which we live. The single most important resource to achieve this goal is through financial donations, or the income generated from endowments. High returns on the endowed capital invested are therefore a key to success - but also avoidance of financial debacles, and limiting of financial risks.
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Recently, the reputation risk of endowments being associated with speculative or unethical business practices, or investments that are in contrast with a Foundation's objective, has increasingly been an agenda item of Foundation Boards. And, some boards have asked if the investment policy for its endowed capital is indeed aligned with the Foundation's objectives.
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The Bellagio Forum / Eurosif PRIME Toolkit, produced in cooperation with the European Foundation Centre, aims at helping foundation officers, directors and trustees better understand and integrate Responsible Investment practices (often called Socially Responsible Investment or SRI) into mandates they give to asset managers entrusted with the management of their endowments. We aim to supply readers with a resource to assist them as these factors become increasingly relevant to good asset management and the expectations of the public and relevant stakeholders.
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Bellagio Forum Chairman Michael Hoelz explains, "Our goal is to provide more clarity and greater understanding for all interested parties about how to better implement Responsible Investment practices. The Toolkit will serve not only endowed foundations, but also the mainstream financial service providers interested in better understanding Responsible Investment. We aim to offer readers the resources they need as these factors become increasingly enshrined in national and trans-national legislations."
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Eurosif Executive Director Matt Christensen adds,
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"PRIME has been developed by leading experts in the field of Responsible Investment in order to meet the growing needs of Foundations. This toolkit will equip Foundation trustees with the key factors they need to know in order to integrate SEE issues into the long-term management of their endowments."
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The PRIME Toolkit addresses the following questions:
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Why should my foundation be interested in Responsible Investment at all?
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Should my foundation's boards be concerned about how our endowment is invested?
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Which Responsible Investment approaches are most appropriate to our foundation's overall mission and goals?
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Can a Responsible Investment strategy give returns equivalent to other investment approaches?
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What does Responsible Investing mean in terms of fulfilling my fiduciary responsibility?
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To learn more please write prime@bfsd.org.
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ABOUT THE BELLAGIO FORUM - The Bellagio Forum for Sustainable Development (BFSD) is an international network of grant-providing institutions striving to attain environmental balance, economic stability and social progress. The Forum brings together individuals from foundations and businesses to build trust, dialogue and effective partnerships.
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About Eurosif - Eurosif (The European Social Investment Forum), a pan-European network whose mission is to Address Sustainability through Financial Markets. Recognized across Europe as the premier multi-stakeholder forum for SRI, Eurosif is a not-for-profit association, with membership drawn from leading pension funds, asset managers, NGOs, trade unions, academic institutes and research providers that together represent assets totaling over €600bn. Contact Info:
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Samuel Shiroff
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Bellagio Forum for Sustainable Development
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Tel : +49 541.9633.493
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E-Mail: prime@bfsd.org
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Matt Christensen
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Eurosif - Executive Director
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11 Avenue de l'Opéra
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75001 Paris France
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Tel : 33 (0) 1.40.20.43.38 Website : the Bellagio Forum for Sustainable Development
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