Portfolio Team
The portfolio team is in charge of managing approximately $200,000 of the Dwight Hall endowment, making sure that this capital generates both financial and social returns, Students involved in this group work closely with the Dwight Hall Investment Commitee to rebalance the Fund’s holdings on a semesterly basis. In a typical portfolio meeting, two to three students will present on one of the ETFs, bonds, or REITS held by DSHRI and update other members on that asset’s recent performance. At the end of the meeting, the team will decide whether that asset should remain in the portfolio.
Shareholder Engagement Team
The shareholder engagement team communicates with investor relations representatives from companies in which DHSRI owns stock to try to improve these companies’ corporate responsibility standards. In the past, the DHSRI shareholder engagement team has spoken with executives from ExxonMobil and Merck Pharmaceuticals and has attended Exxon’s Annual General Meeting for the past three years. To date, DHSRI is the only student-run fund to co-file a shareholder resolution with a public company and is the only student-run fund to be a part of the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility, a leading investment activism nonprofit. In an average shareholder engagement meeting, members will spend time brainstorming and researching how to change corporate practices in a manner that progressively influences policy.
Community Investment Team
The community investment team strives to use DHSRI’s credibility and financial resources to make a tangible impact in New Haven. In recent years, members have helped nonprofits in New Haven finance energy efficiency upgrades and have assisted landlords in installing solar panels on Section 8 housing rental properties. The community investment team spends most of its meetings unpacking the laws and regulations that its clients will have to navigate. As DHSRI’s youngest group, community investment relies heavily on the ideas of new members. This year, the team is considering exploring how to improve New Haven’s municipal bonds or bail bonds offered throughout the city.