More about the fund:
How can I make a gift to the Brown University SIF?
You can use Brown’s secure online gift form, or call Gift Accounting at +1 (401) 863-3633 during weekday hours to give via credit card.
May I stipulate how I want my gift to be used?
Gifts of less than $100,000 will be placed into an endowment that supports financial aid. Gifts of $100,000 or more may be allocated to any one of Brown’s many priorities.
Will a gift to the SIF count as a gift to the Brown Annual Fund?
No, because the SIF is an endowed fund. Gifts to the Brown Annual Fund are current use, unrestricted gifts that are spent in the year they are received and are not invested with the University’s endowment.
How will the Fund operate?
Brown’s Investment Office maintains strict oversight over the Fund and has selected the Parnassus Endeavor Fund, a mutual fund that invests in companies that clearly express ESG standards.
Environmental considerations include pollution mitigation and renewable energy development; social considerations include workplace conditions, human rights, and diversity; and governance practices seek to identify well-managed companies with robust checks and balances.
Companies in which the Parnassus Endeavor Fund invests must not be engaged in the extraction, exploration, production, manufacturing, or refining of fossil fuels. Brown’s Investment Office will regularly review the performance of the external fund manager.
Doesn’t sustainable investing mean financial returns will be decreased?
No. With an experienced fund manager, an actively managed fund with sustainability considerations can consistently outperform benchmarks.
How has the Parnassus Endeavor Fund performed?
Detailed information on the Parnassus website tracks the mutual fund’s performance.
The Investment Office, the President’s Office, and the Division of Advancement, in conjunction with University students and alumni, worked together to establish the Fund to provide an accessible, sustainability-focused, endowed giving option for the Brown community.