Investment & Finance

Introduction

Collectively, colleges and universities invest hundreds of billions of dollars. Like other decisions that institutions make, these investments have impacts that are both local and global in scope. Institutions with transparent and democratic investment processes promote accountability and engagement by the campus and community. By using the tools of sustainable investing, institutions can improve the long-term health of their endowments, encourage better corporate behavior, support innovation in sustainable products and services, support sustainability in their community, and help build a more just and sustainable financial system.

719 resources

Campus as a Laboratory for Sustainability Funding

  • Syracuse University (NY)

The Syracuse University Campus as a Laboratory for Sustainability (CALS) program is offering up to $75,000 for faculty or student projects that advance the University’s goals of reducing ...


Sustainable Advancements Funding Endeavor (S.A.F.E.)

  • Southwestern University (TX)

Sustainable Advancements Funding Endeavor (S.A.F.E.) projects can be proposed by students, faculty, and staff, with priority given to student proposals and to projects having no other funding ...


Fund Strategies to Develop the Most Spectacular Projects Possible

  • McGill University (QC)

Campus sustainability fund managers have myriad opportunities to stimulate, encourage, and develop more robust and impactful project proposals. The Sustainability Projects Fund at McGill University is a vibrant example of ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Transportation Demand Management: Arguments for the Diversification of Mobility

  • University of Southern Maine (ME)

The statement "we have a parking problem" is all too common on University campuses. However, parking is usually not the root problem. The root problem is the transportation ecosystem serving ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Making "Cents" of Green Funds: How to Start One, Keep It Going, and Innovate

  • George Mason University (VA)
  • Hanover College (IN)
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

Let's put some "FUN" in "green fund!" Come ready to explore best practices for managing a university green fund, how to engage community partners in green fund projects, and ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Taking Action on Sustainability Commitments Using IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

  • Clemson University (SC)
  • Duke Energy (NC)

The future will require ingenuity and innovation as well as capital to move the needle on sustainability commitments. The past decade has clearly demonstrated that our previous capitalization and decision-making ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Influencing Sustainability Decision-Making: A "Simple" Triple Bottom Line Cost Benefit Analysis Tool

  • Ohio University (OH)

Making the business case argument for sustainability initiatives can be the most difficult part of a sustainability leader's job. A group of faculty, staff and students at Ohio University ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Learning How to Move Corporations on Climate and Racial Justice

  • Ceres (MA)
  • Intentional Endowments Network (MA)
  • As You Sow (CA)

SEC Commissioner Allison Lee recently shared with the corporate community that "A study from 2018 .. showed that 71 of the top 100 revenue generators globally were corporations while only 29 ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Electrification, Distributed Energy Solutions and Campus Economics - Re-Targeting Our Commitments!

  • Clemson University (SC)
  • Davidson College (NC)
  • Duke Energy (NC)

The future is.... all about ELECTRIFICATION, DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SOLUTIONS AND CAMPUS ECONOMICS. As we re-evaluate our commitments to sustainability, we must turn from broad goals to actionable strategies to make ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Take Advantage of 179D Government Program for Energy/Savings in Public Campuses

  • Efficiency Energy LLC (CO)

Federal legislation passed in 2021 a permanent tax benefit called 179D that reimburses for a portion of the square footage when one builds in energy efficiency. Your campus should take ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

20 Paths to a Living Wage Policy: Is Fair Employment in Your Institution's Future?

  • Saint Joseph's University (PA)

Raising the federal minimum wage has been discussed by the Biden administration and a living wage is receiving increased attention by public, media, employers, and employees. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic ...

  • Posted Jan. 21, 2022
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Smart Campus Group

  • Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Pichincha)

In 2020 through the creation of the Smart Campus Group an initial fund was enabled through the Dean of Research to sponsor campus sustainability projects. The projects where proposed by ...


FEAST Fund

  • Butler University (IN)

Food Enterprises Achieve Sustainability Together- FEAST Fund supported by Bon Appetit, Butler's food service provider:

This fund allow Butler University and Bon Appetit to achieve our shared sustainability goals ...


Green Fund

  • Colorado School of Mines (CO)

The goal of the Mines Green Fund is to empower students to take an active role in making Mines a leader in sustainability. The Sustainability Office will provide funding for ...


Gustavus Coca-Cola Educational Partnership Grants Program

  • Gustavus Adolphus College (MN)

Yearly funding is available for projects initiated by departments, programs, campus-wide initiatives or advocacy groups that focus on enhancing sustainability and community health. Sustainability projects have included developing and enhancing ...


Green Fund

  • University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI)

$12/ year of student segregated fees is allocated to funding sustainable initiatives on our UWSP campus and field stations (Central Wisconsin Environmental Station, Treehaven, and Schmeekle Forest Preserve). The green ...


Sustainability Action Fund

  • University of Waterloo (ON)

The Sustainability Action Fund supports projects that advance the objectives of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy. Applications can be submitted from any student, staff, or faculty member. The fund has, to ...


Campus Sustainability Incubator Fund

The Campus Sustainability Incubator Fund seeks to enable MIT community members to use the MIT campus as a test bed for research in sustainable operations, management, and design. The seed ...


Leveraging $1 Trillion in Higher Ed Retirement Funds for a Just Transition

  • Intentional Endowments Network (MA)
  • Federated Hermes (PA)

The Higher Education Community has approximately one trillion in assets under management in their retirement plans. This represents an enormous pool of funds that could be leveraged to achieve a ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Investing in the Just Transition: How to Leverage Your Institution's Endowment

  • University of New Hampshire (NH)
  • Intentional Endowments Network (MA)
  • RBC Global Asset Management
  • Low Income Investment Fund (CA)

When exploring how to finance the just transition, the over half-trillion dollars in endowment funds invested by the nation's higher education institutions represent a relatively untapped resource containing immense ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Democratizing Campus Sustainability Through Student Empowerment

  • University of Kentucky (KY)

The University of Kentucky Student Sustainability Council was established in 2009 to steward the Green Fee collected annually from students. By bringing together student leaders from many disciplines and backgrounds ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Northern Arizona University Green Fund: Successes and Struggles

  • Northern Arizona University (AZ)

This 40 minute session would cover how Northern Arizona University's Green Fund operates, what it has had success doing, what it has struggled with, and what it looks to ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Empowering and Transforming Universities through Sustainable Grant Projects

  • University of Northern Colorado (CO)

This session is for university affiliates looking for ways to create a more sustainable campus through capital projects. For the past three years, I have served on my university's ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Catalyzing a Culture of Sustainability at McGill University with the Sustainability Projects Fund

  • McGill University (QC)

The Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF) is a crown jewel of McGill's sustainability efforts and a best-practice model for universities. The SPF's main goal is to build a culture ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Imagining New Realities: the Green Fund and Student-Led Change

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

Come learn from the experiences of students involved with the Green Fund at a large public university. A Green Fund offers money to student-led projects that reduce the operating costs ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

University Sustainability Funds 2.0: A Model for the Next Generation

  • University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
  • McGill University (QC)

The University of Washington's Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) and McGill University's Sustainability Project Fund (SPF) are two of the largest university sustainability funds in North America with yearly ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Meeting Immediate Needs: A Curriculum for Worker Cooperatives

  • University of California, Irvine (CA)
  • Cooperacion Santa Ana (CA)

UCI Community Resilience Projects fosters people-centered and inclusive solutions to climate challenges. Our community-driven academic partnerships work from a shared understanding that the problems of climate change, racism and all ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Innovation in Food System Funding - The New England Food Vision Prize for New England Campuses

  • Sodexo USA (MD)
  • Henry P. Kendall Foundation

In order to challenge and empower campus dining programs to become instruments of change in farm to institution, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation launched a new type of food system ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Sustainability Action Funds - Starting, Maintaining, Evolving student-led support for sustainability

  • Arizona State University (AZ)
  • Southwestern University (TX)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
  • University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
  • University of Texas at Austin (TX)

Green Funds have been historically used by many universities to advance student sustainability initiatives and empower student leadership. This workshop will explore Green Funds at four (4) different universities, expand ...

  • Posted Nov. 15, 2021
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Green Student Initiative

  • Oklahoma State University (OK)

In the spring semester of 2010, the student body of Oklahoma State University had the option to vote on a referendum attached to the elections ballot for Student Government Association ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Green Engagement Fund

  • University of Southern California (CA)

The University of Southern California Green Engagement Fund (USCGEF) was created in 2014 to fund student-driven, innovative projects aimed at increasing sustainability at USC while increasing awareness in environmental stewardship ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

University Annual Fund - Campus as a Living Lab Designation

  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette (LA)

The University Annual Fund is comprised of private philanthropic support/donations from individuals and organizations. Each year, 25% of this fund is designated for Campus as a Living Lab projects ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

LUCC Environmental Project Fund

  • Lawrence University (WI)

All project proposals must be for infrastructural changes, defined as physical facilities or installations contributing to the operation of the university, that have a positive financial return of better than ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

SUSTAIN Supporting UTSA Sustainability Through Action, Initiatives and Narratives

  • University of Texas at San Antonio (TX)

Funding provided by UTSA based on 3% of semester credit hour or generally $5 per student per semester for Fall and Spring, and $2.50 for Summer sessions. The funding ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

ASWC Green Fund

  • Whitman College (WA)

The purpose and chief goal of the Green Fund shall be to transform student sustainability policy initiatives into realities that enrich the campus in practice and principle.

Policies of the ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Calvin Energy Recovery Fund (CERF)

  • Calvin University (MI)

The Calvin Energy Recovery Fund (CERF) is a revolving fund used to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions on campus. Plus, the cost savings from CERF projects are ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Innovation Fund

  • Indiana University Bloomington (IN)

Supported by the Provost, the Innovation Fund is a competitive grant program designed to capture the best ideas from faculty and staff that will advance operational sustainability and involve students ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Campus Sustainability Investment Fund

  • Santa Clara University (CA)

The Campus Sustainability Investment Fund (CSIF) is an internal fund that provides financing to implement energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other sustainability projects that generate emissions reductions and cost savings ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

2016-2019 mini grants / 2019 Nebraska State Fair Sustainability Pavilion projects fund

  • Central Community College (NE)

Project funds were given though a Central Community College Mini Grant from 2016-2019. In 2019 and currently the Nebraska State Fair is funding student projects for the Sustainability Pavilion through ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Green Fund

  • University of Wisconsin-Platteville (WI)

Formerly referred to as the Campus Sustainability Fund, this competitive grant program distributes $15,000 each year to UW-Platteville Students, Faculty, and Staff to support projects that enhance the sustainability ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Green Campus Fund

  • George Washington University (DC)

Established by a gift from the class of 2007, the Green Campus Fund is a part of the endowment. It supports initiatives designed to conserve energy and promote a more ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Student Climate Action Grant

  • Barnard College (NY)

The Student Climate Action Grant is designed to support student(s) or student group(s) in developing and implementing a project relating to sustainability, climate action, or human interactions with ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Renewable Energy Fee Fund

  • Hope College (MI)

As the costs associated with purchasing renewable energy certificates (REC) have come down over the years, surplus funds from the Renewable Energy Fee have become available to students via the ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

The Green Initiative Fund

  • University of California, Davis (CA)

The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF), a campus program hosted by the Office of Sustainability and supported by student fees, offers students the opportunity to develop and launch innovative sustainability projects ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Sustainability, Innovation & Engagement Fund (SIEF)

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)

Established in August 2013, the fund fosters a strong culture of sustainability on our campus by providing financial support to students, faculty, and staff with green ideas. Any student faculty ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Greening Haverford Fund

  • Haverford College (PA)

The fund is designed to assist students, faculty, and staff in raising environmental awareness and enhancing environmental practices at Haverford College. The scope of the Fund is broad, and includes ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Toro Green Initiative Fund

  • California State University, Dominguez Hills (CA)

In 2018, President Parham distributed $10,000 towards the first Toro Green Initiative Fund (TGIF), allowing CSUDH students to suggest sustainability projects for the campus.

Sustainability Committee meeting review with ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Student Green Innovation Fund

  • Yale University (CT)

The goals of the Student Green Innovation Fund are: To invest in innovative, student-led projects that result in direct energy use reductions on campus and/or projects that broadly impact ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Delongchamp Family Grant Fund

  • Bentley University (MA)

The Delongchamp Family Endowed Fund supports undergraduate professional and co-curricular activities associated with studying sustainability and the triple-bottom line: people, planet, and profit. The fund was designed to allow students ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

Student Sustainability Fund

  • University of New Brunswick, Fredericton (NB)

The UNB Student Union and UNB Sustainability have partnered to develop the Student Sustainability Fund (SSF) following a successful referendum during the Student Union elections in the spring of 2019 ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2021
  • Green Funds
  • View more

This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.

All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.

PA 9: Committee on Investor Responsibility

PA 10: Sustainable Investment

PA 11: Investment Disclosure

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

Investment & Finance Partners