How We Invest

We believe McKnight’s four-point framework can help any investor contribute to a resilient economy. It is a practical framework that can be scaled up or down depending on financial and human resources, and it can assist experienced impact investors in flexing the muscle of their entire endowment. Our approach is organized around four points of leverage: Asset Owner We are an owner of assets deploying billions of dollars into public and private markets. Customer of Financial Services We are a consumer of financial services that can promote integrated thinking on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues among the asset managers we hire. Shareholder of Corporations We are a shareholder of corporations that votes company proxies and raises questions about practices, strategy, and risk management. Market Participant We are an institutional investor that works with others to source deals, create better market conditions, and share our experiences. A Focused Strategy Our impact investments must closely align with the goals of our two priority grantmaking areas: Midwest Climate & Energy and Vibrant & Equitable Communities. For our climate work, we are committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions across our endowment by 2050 at the latest. Read more about our net zero commitment. Internal Oversight Guided by our impact investing policy, investment decisions are made by the Investment Committee of the board of directors. This committee makes the final decision on all investment ideas. Partners Cambridge Associates is our primary service provider, advising the Foundation on the endowment. We also work with other foundations and institutional investors informally and through more formal collaborations. “We have enormous power to create change when we invest. As money flows toward climate-friendly investments and away from heavy emitters, we will accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.” – ELIZABETH MCGEVERAN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF INVESTMENTS Source: Investing in a Climate-Forward Future