The Leading Mission-Aligned Investing Network for Higher Education and Other Endowed Institutions
Our vision is that all endowed institutions mobilize capital to create a world where all people thrive with equal access to personal and economic opportunity.
Our economic system's prioritization of short-term returns over long-term value creation has exacerbated the issues of climate change, racial injustice, and widening economic inequality. Intentional Endowments Network encourages and supports higher education institutions to adopt long-term investment strategies that create an equitable, low-carbon, and regenerative economy.
We believe that higher education institutions are influential actors with power to drive systemic change - to benefit themselves and society as a whole.
Higher education and other social purpose institutions are making critical choices every day about how to operate in a society and economy facing multiple intersecting crises. The higher education sector educates 20 million students per year in the US, who are society’s future leaders and professionals. It helps solve current problems, anticipate tomorrow’s challenges, and serve as a model in all of its actions, including endowment investing.
Our goal is for the 2,000 higher education institutions, totaling $650 billion in endowment assets and $890 billion in retirement funds, to invest in ways that accelerate the shift to an equitable, low carbon, and regenerative economy. We are also working to ensure higher education institutions develop the next generation of leaders committed to this type of economy through student managed investment funds and sustainable investing curriculum.
About the Intentional Endowments Network
The Intentional Endowments Network is a non-profit, peer-learning network advancing intentionally designed endowments – those that seek to enhance financial performance by making investments that advance an equitable, low carbon, and regenerative economy. Working closely with leading organizations, the network engages leaders and key stakeholders from higher education, foundations, business, and nonprofits. It provides opportunities for learning and education, peer networking, convening, thought leadership and information exchange around a variety of strategies (e.g., ESG integration, impact investing, and shareholder engagement).
IEN is committed to making diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) part of the culture and the strength of our organization and work.
Our programming goals include dismantling racism and supporting the careers and professional development of traditionally marginalized or underrepresented groups to help create a more equitable and just society, aligning with the mission of the organization. Read our full DEIJ Statement on the Commitment to DEIJ page.
Read about IEN's history.
Demonstrate and advance your leadership in creating a low-carbon, regenerative, and equitable economy by becoming a member of the Intentional Endowments Network today.
IEN is an initiative of The Crane Institute of Sustainability, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit.
For more on what the Network has accomplished, see IEN's Latest Impact Report.