Individual investors who file shareholder proposals have played a significant and consequential role in advancing sound corporate governance. Yet their contribution is often overlooked. Recent debate over the shareholder proposal process has drawn strong responses from institutional investors, faith-based investors, and pension funds seeking to protect shareholders’ ability to engage companies through proposals. Missing from […]
Yes, another case lost to the Trumpian world: Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility et al. v. SEC, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, No. 21-01620. (Reuters) Here’s my take on this latest miscarriage of justice. Procedural Violations The DC Court acknowledged the SEC failed to disclose the Broadridge data, the Chief Economist’s memo, and the […]
The Business Roundtable Proxy “Reform” Agenda was recently released in a position paper entitled “The Need for Bold Proxy Process Reforms.” Far from encouraging healthy corporate governance, their agenda presents a grave threat to shareholder rights, public accountability, and efforts to address environmental and social challenges through the corporate ballot. This is yet another plan […]
I understand HB 4115 will be voted on the Texas House floor this week. SB 1057 has already passed the Senate. If the bill is signed into law, companies like Tesla, which have not yet filed their proxies, could opt into the bill’s provisions by amending their governing documents and including that information in their […]
ICCR AGM Reporting Form is now open to all shareholders! Take Action! Please report on your experience whenever you attend an annual general meeting (AGM). You no longer have to be a member to provide feedback, which will be aggregated and reported at the end of 2025. However, I am a member of the Interfaith […]
Statement of Shareholder Rights Group and Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Regarding Corporate Governance and Annual General Meetings in 2025. (more…)
Just Investing Podcast United Church Funds introduced a brand-new podcast, “Just Investing,” to tackle big questions in responsible investing. The Podcast, hosted by Matthew Illian and Adam Sank, will feature “powerhouse guests,” who are some of the voices leading the charge for a future in which every investment is a step toward a better world. […]
Letter to SEC-IAC The following was sent to the SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee (Committee) earlier today. I’ve reformatted it slightly for ease of posting, and added my own comments at the end, after the letter that was sent, and a graphic at the top. Video (more…)
ExxonMobil Director Accountability: What Wespath Benefits and Investments and Mercy Investment Services invite you to an urgent online briefing for investors and members of the press to learn about what is shaping up to be a highly consequential board election this spring as ExxonMobil ($XOM) investors seek a No Vote on two key Board members […]
SGI Celebrates 50 Years. Milwaukee, WI – On September 12th, the Seventh Generation Interfaith Coalition for Responsible Investment (SGI) will celebrate fifty years of service for people and the planet. Founded in 1973 by pioneers in corporate shareholder engagement, Fr. Michael Crosby, O.F.M., Cap., Sr. Alphonsa Puls, S.S.S.F., and Sr. Charlita Foxhoven, S.S.S.F., SGI members […]
CorpGov.net 2021. We said goodbye to the Trump administration, filed shareholder proposals, held weekly discussions on corporate accountability in 2021, helped shape the SEC’s repeal of several Staff Legal Bulletins, the proposed N-PX rulemaking, and sued the SEC to overturn rules that harm the rights of Main Street investors. It was a productive year at […]
Spring 2021 CorpGov.net Proxy Proposal results are in, as reported below. New SEC rules will delay needed ESG reforms, so we worked in cooperation with more groups and filed more proposals than ever. We still averaged more than a 50% vote in favor. (more…)
Restore shareholder proposal rights to the pre-Trump era level. That is the objective of the complaint (pdf 2021 06 15 ICCR Complaint) filed this morning in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC’s) recent amendments to the rule governing the filing of shareholder proposals. The revised […]
The Giant Shadow of Corporate Gadflies, by Yaron Nili and Kobi Kastiel, (download at SSRN) is one of the more objective reviews of the recent influence of “gadflies” on corporate governance in America. It might have been even better if the authors had discussed their work with the subjects of their study – the gadflies. (Disclosure: […]
Halt Corporate Political Spending. That is the recommendation of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), a coalition of investors representing over $US 2 trillion in assets under management. ICCR released a statement to the CEO members of the Business Roundtable (BRT) urging them to refrain from political spending. Take a six-month break and assess inherent […]
SEC Release File No. S7-23-19 comments are due today. This Release and that of File No. S7-22-19 are the most dangerous I have seen during my twenty-five years of blogging. Both would make corporations less accountable to their owners and the public. Both would help turn corporate governance into a more democratic-free zone. Thousands of comments opposing […]
Extension sought by Josh Zinner of ICCR for SEC comment period on potentially explosive rulemakings of critical importance to all shareholders. Shareholders would do well to follow his lead by joining him in requesting a 120 day comment period for these complex rules. (more…)
Investors ask SEC to rescind no-action policy recently announced. Additional resources and commentary regarding the new SEC No-Action Policy are included below the letter. Click for PDF. (more…)
Proxy Preview 2019 reveals intensified shareholder pressure on corporations across a wide range of ESG issues from climate and political spending to women. Investors with a conscience; we are having a bigger impact every year. Download the report and/or watch webinar here. (more…)
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, a coalition of institutional investors representing $200 billion in invested capital that engage corporations on the environmental and social impacts of their operations, sent a letter yesterday to all U.S. Senators urging them not to pass the Financial CHOICE Act. The proposed legislation, which passed the House and is currently […]
New policy responds to investor requests for greater transparency at Allergan, including spending at the state and local levels and participation in industry trade associations. (more…)
Shareholders of Wells Fargo $WFC and members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility today announced that they have filed multiple resolutions as a result of fraudulent activities uncovered by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Wells Fargo recently reported a $185 million settlement with the CFPB due to widespread and systemic illegal acts of […]
ICCR’s Board of Directors announced that Josh Zinner will be assuming the role of ICCR’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective January 4th2016. Josh Zinner comes to ICCR with 20 years’ experience as a non-profit leader, coalition-builder and policy advocate. For the past eight years Josh has co-directed the New Economy Project, an organization that works with community groups […]
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), a coalition of 300 investors with assets under management of over $100 billion, Calvert Investments and Christian Brothers Investment Services, commend Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) for her introduction of The Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking & Slavery Act of 2015 in the […]
This guest post from Bruce Herbert of Investor Voice provides an overview of a simple majority vote counting shareholder initiative, which seeks to eliminate abstentions from the denominator in calculating votes as well as super majority threshold requirements that have not been approved by shareholders. “Fair corporate suffrage is an important right that should attach to every equity security bought […]
It is wonderful to have supportive friends, especially when they represent socially responsible investors and advisors. John Chevedden, Myra K. Young and James McRitchie extend sincere thanks to the following for sending letters of concern regarding their recent lawsuits against us to: EMC Corp, Omnicom, Express Scripts, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.: (more…)
Some have argued that Ralph Nader started socially responsible shareholder activism with Campaign GM, when the group filed shareholder proposals to expand GM’s board to include consumer advocates and empower shareholders to place their board nominees on GM’s proxy ballot (proxy access). According to a recent article in the WSJ, the longtime consumer advocate is now putting […]
Key Characteristics of Prominent Shareholder-sponsored Proposals on Environmental and Social Topics, 2005-2011, released by the IRRC Institute (IRRCi) and researched by Ernst & Young LLP finds environmental and social (E+S) shareowner proposals are gaining increased support from investors at US companies. Download the report, presentation, press release and even replay the webinar from IRRCi’s website. (more…)
Members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) released their 2013 Proxy Resolutions and Voting Guide including all member-sponsored shareholder proposals for the upcoming proxy season. ICCR members are calling on asset owners to help promote corporate responsibility by voting their proxies in support of investor proposals that advance social, economic and environmental justice. (more…)
In the year-end reflections two contributing factors deserve more attention. First, "prophetic warnings" from religious groups on the dangers of subprime loans via shareowner resolutions. Second, a call from Sanford Lewis for boards to revoke implicit policies of "don’t ask, don’t tell" with regard to liability issues. The current financial meltdown should remind us of […]