Dear members of the University of Pittsburgh community:
In January 2018, amid growing interest from our University community, I established a committee to examine socially responsible investing (SRI) as it relates to Pitt’s investment portfolio.
Specifically, I asked this committee to review and assess:
- the approaches that other universities and nonprofits have taken in determining whether or not they will pursue socially responsible investing strategies;
- the relative merits and trade-offs of different approaches, including commercial SRI funds; and
- the factors to consider when developing an effective socially responsible investment strategy.
The members involved—faculty members, students and staff at Pitt—spent the next 18 months learning about and discussing these topics. Their research culminated in a report that is now under review and available on our Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s website.
To SRI Committee Chair David Denis and each member of this committee: Thank you for investing your time and energy in this initiative and for aiding in our exploration of SRI strategies that may be suitable for further consideration.
Patrick Gallagher