The V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation recognizes the important decision-making role of corporations and institutions in our complex society. Therefore, in our grant making, we support several organizations that work directly with corporate and institutional leaders, providing them with advice and models of sustainability and imaginative approaches to evolving environmental issues.

The trustees believe that the public deserves to be as well-informed as possible on environmental issues, and that corporations should address such issues in a responsible manner. The trustees also believe that the interaction of people, corporations and institutions on practical, economic and intellectual levels is critical for the success of any proposed solution. Competition, ambition and financial gain are motivating factors that encourage people, corporations and institutions to achieve their goals and objectives. But it is collaboration that is necessary for different sectors and forces in society to agree on the problems, and to achieve workable solutions for the long-term benefit of all.

As trustees, we believe that investing our endowment in corporate stocks requires us to be informed on the environmental, social, governance and financial performance of those corporations. Rather than avoid or walk away from positive investment opportunities, we have adopted the goal of engaging the management of corporations in which we invest through the informed and active voting of our proxies. To do otherwise limits the potential investment returns that provide the funds for our grant making, and ignores the increasing significance and power of proxy voting.

The Foundation will exercise its rights as a shareholder to vote its proxies on proposals put forth by management and other shareholders as follows:

1. On matters of program interest: when a program interest is at stake, the Foundation will vote its shares in line with the program interest.

2. On matters of corporate governance: the Foundation will vote in line with the broader Foundation objectives of accountability, transparency, institutional reforms, sustainable solutions and ethical concerns.

Through its proxy voting and grant making, the Foundation hopes to encourage collaboration among corporations, institutions and others to solve problems and benefit society.

The Foundation hopes that its grant making and voting of shares will encourage greater shareholder participation in matters of corporate governance that will lead to positive corporate responsiveness in connection with environmental, social, governance and financial issues.