Gender Lens Investment Strategy Attracts New $10.5 Million Donor-Advised Fund
DALLAS, February 19, 2020 – Texas Women’s Foundation announced that 100% of the organization’s financial assets are now invested in a 100% gendered impact portfolio that yields strong financial returns and social benefits to women and girls. The Foundation is the first, and to date only, women’s fund or foundation to move its entire assets into gendered impact. As a result of this strategic alignment of the Foundation’s financial assets – endowments, operating investments and donor-advised funds – with its mission, a new $10.5 million donor-advised fund was opened by the Simmons sisters, Lisa Simmons and Serena Simmons Connelly.
The Foundation’s 100% gendered impact portfolio, managed by the Chicago office of Graystone Consulting, a business of Morgan Stanley, is fully diversified across asset classes. Every fund within the portfolio is evaluated according to its financial benchmark as well as its gendered impact, measured by manager activation and intentional focus on one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that specifically and disproportionately affect women and girls.
Roslyn Dawson Thompson, Texas Women’s Foundation president and CEO, said, “Our journey to be the first women’s foundation aligning 100% of our assets with our mission has been many years in the making, and reflects the tremendous commitment by our Investment Advisory Committee and Board to the ‘all-in’ strategy, from the selection of the asset management team, to deep engagement in the gendered portfolio design for strong financial performance and significant social impact. The Simmons sisters joining our donor-advised fund family is a stunning affirmation of our strategy, and reinforces the opportunity it presents to donors to achieve a multiplier effect in their philanthropic goals for women and girls.”
According to Serena Simmons Connelly, “Lisa and I were eager to be part of Texas Women’s Foundation’s groundbreaking gendered impact strategy. We are excited to see how much more can be achieved by putting financial capital and philanthropic capital to work toward gender equality and greater opportunities for women and girls.”
Dawson Thompson added, “We hope that we can inspire others to become part of what is now a global movement around impact investing. And specifically for women’s funds and foundations, we can demonstrate how, by mission-aligning 100% of our assets with our philanthropy, we can powerfully accelerate the change we seek in the world.”
About Texas Women’s Foundation:
Texas Women’s Foundation (formerly Dallas Women’s Foundation) is Transforming Texas for Women and Girls, empowering them to build stronger, more equitable communities. Since 1985, the Foundation has been a trusted leader in advancing social and economic change for women and girls in Texas. One of the world’s largest women’s foundations, the Foundation raises funding from a broad base of donors, including individuals, foundations and corporations. These resources support more than $6.3 million in annual investments that advance economic security and leadership for Texas women and girls through groundbreaking research, advocacy, grants and programs. The Foundation’s statewide research on issues affecting women and girls provides decision-makers and lawmakers with critical data to inform policies, practices and programs in the state. Its advocacy, grantmaking and innovative programs support solutions that help Texas women and girls thrive. In addition, Texas Women’s Foundation is an acknowledged leader and advocate in the gender lens investing movement and has deployed 100% of its assets – endowments, operating investments and donor-advised funds – in a gendered impact portfolio that yields strong financial returns and measurable social benefits to women and girls. For more information, visit www.txwf.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram or donate now