“ In Charlotte, city officials braced themselves for the biggest turnout of protesters yet, as Bank of America held its own annual meeting Wednesday and hundreds of protesters gathered outside the banks’ headquarters.”, writes Suzanne McGee.

“To a growing number of investors, the definition of acting in the best interests of a company’s shareholders is changing, slowly but steadily, as is that of what constitutes an acceptable return on their investment. It’s no longer enough to generate outsize returns if they come at the expense of the environment, human rights or other “social responsibility” issues. More investors are putting money into funds like those run by Trillium Asset Management, which in turn is urging support for “no political spending” shareholder proposals like that coming up for debate today at Bank of America”, McGee continues.

The entire article can be read here

The story referenced Matt Patsky’s presentation at the Investment Management Consultants Association’s annual conference in Washington, DC.

In that presentation, Matt pointed out that last year in the United States; the average chief executive’s compensation was 380 times that of the average worker at that company. By comparison, the average chief executive in Germany makes 12 times as much as the average worker.

“Occupy Wall Street raised a lot of issues that helped us in terms of making sure we are articulating how we can have a positive impact in both social and environmental outcomes with people’s money,” [Matt Patsky] said. “I also think we’ve been more aggressive in terms of looking at opportunities in what we call community investments, where there are higher social or environmental outcomes.”

The entire article can be read here (free registration required)

“In recent years, significant percentages of shareholders at some large companies have voted to require their firms to provide increased disclosure about the extent of their political donations, although none of these resolutions have passed to date. And Trillium views its more aggressive proposal to get BofA to end all political spending as intimately connected with a campaign pressuring the SEC to require disclosure.

‘For the better part of the last decade, we’ve seen consistent and increasingly strong shareholder votes on political spending proposals,’ said Shelley Alpern, Vice President of Shareholder Advocacy for Trillium. A growing number of investors consider this area to be a material factor in evaluating the financial worth a company and the strength of its governance mechanisms. Investors will be better off when the SEC requires disclosure from all publicly traded companies. Companies deserve a level playing field and investors need the information.”

The entire article can be read here.

“For nearly 30 years, Trillium Asset Management, a leader in sustainable and responsible investing, has been helping clients invest directly in communities to create social impact in exchange for modest financial returns.

‘The money that our clients have placed in community investments instruments has provided capital to non-profit organizations that have created and saved tens of thousands of jobs and homes in the communities they serve’, says Randy Rice, Trillium’s Community Investments Manager and a senior portfolio associate in its Boston office.”

You can read the entire article here.

Cox writes “[I]t will be up to citizen shareholders to blunt the impact of Citizens United. They can start on Tuesday in St. Paul and Wednesday in Charlotte when the shareholders of 3M and BofA, respectively, gather. They’ll be voting on proposals submitted by Trillium Asset Management of Boston to ‘request that the board of directors adopt a policy prohibiting the use of corporate funds for any political election or campaign.’”

You can read the entire column here.

“In 2011, a group of influential investors led by Trillium Asset Management—whose members represent $170 billion in assets and own 13 million shares of Anglo American stock—grew alarmed by Pebble and urged the EPA to assess the impact of the mine on the Bristol Bay watershed. If the EPA deems Pebble a threat to water supplies, it could authorize a review under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act, which could block the mine once and for all. A decision is due this spring, and it is the opposition’s best hope”, Prud’homme continues.

The full article can be read here.

 Click here to view the video: http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1281701919001/profiting-through-socially-responsible-investing

Click here to read the article.

Click here to read the article on page 26.

Click here to read the article.
Click here to read Trillium’s press release about the request made to the SEC to review Chevron’s shareholder disclosures.

Led by Trillium and Walden, 21 investors sponsored a shareholder resolution at Target urging the Board to institute a comprehensive review of Target’s political contributions, including criteria for donations to candidates and how such donations might have a negative impact on Target’s reputation.

“This is at least one more company going on record expressing their preference to be kept out of that line of political spending,” said Shelley Alpern, vice president at Trillium Asset Management Corp., one of the investors that led the push for more transparency at Target.

Click here to read the LA Times article.
Click here to read the press release issued by Trillium and Walden.

Roll Call, the influential newspaper and online publication that covers Capitol Hill, noted this week that the “net neutrality debate is stirring up passions across the spectrum from an order of Benedictine nuns in Kansas to lobbying giants such as AT&T.”

Roll Call reports that “some supporters of strong net neutrality rules that apply to wireless broadband are taking their case right to the companies” by filing shareholder proposals with AT&T, Verizon and Comcast to maintain open access to the Internet on wireless networks.

The open Internet shareholder initiative was organized by Trillium Asset Management Corporation and Open MIC, a non-profit that presses media companies for more responsible management policies and practices.

The shareholder proposals note that the principle of non-discrimination on the Internet “has been an engine for economic growth, empowering millions of America’s small and medium-sized businesses through direct access to the Internet.”

Open Internet policies on wireless networks have particular importance for minority and economically disadvantaged communities, the proposals state, because people of color access the Internet via cell phones at a much greater rate than their white counterparts, according to recent research.

While the shareholder proposals are intended for consideration at the companies’ annual meetings in 2011, rules regarding network neutrality are currently being weighed by the Federal Communications Commission, which is expected to vote on a new plan at its December 21 meeting.

Initial indications are that the FCC may provide a broad exemption from network neutrality rules for wireless broadband networks – the fastest growing segment of the Internet. Without including wireless networks, there will be a major loophole in any new regulations.

Read the entire Roll Call article: http://www.rollcall.com/news/-201566-1.html

Click here to read the article.

Click here to read more on PR Newswire.

Trillium, along with Walden Asset Management and Calvert Asset Management recently filed shareholder proposals at Target and Best Buy, which have recently made sizable contributions to a group channeling funds to a Minnesota gubernatorial candidate know for his opposition to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights.

Click here to read the article.
Click here to read the press release issued by Trillium Asset Management along with Walden Asset Management and Calvert Asset Management Company.

Click here to read about the highlights of the conference.

Click here to watch the interview.

“This has turned into something that is much worse than we ever could have imagined, ” Patsky said.  “Our fears were that this would turn into a bigger tragedy than the market originally thought.”

Click here to read the full article.

“I attend several shareholder meetings every year and I have never seen a company deny entry to legal proxy holders. This is outrageous and reflects very poorly on our company’s respect for laws that govern our proxy process. The shareholders in attendance today should stand forewarned not to say anything critical or it could be you next year,” Alpern said.

Click here to read the full article on Environmental News Service.