Page 17 - Riverwater 2020 Sustainability Report

2020 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
RIVERWATER PARTNERS’ IMPACT
RIVERWATER PARTNERS’ IMPACT
Riverwater Partners conducts its business in a sustainable manner, believing sustainability results in a more resilient business. As we celebrate our five-year anniversary in 2021, we are proud to have positioned Riverwater to weather volatile economies. We maintain a debt-free balance sheet with sufficient cash reserves. This gave us the confidence to not seek government assistance through PPP loans during the record decline in GDP in 2020.
Our sustainability, grounded in the principle of fair treatment of all stakeholders – employees, customers, suppliers, society, and the planet – is essential to fulfilling our mission of making the world a better place by growing wealth through sustainable investing.
A FORCE FOR GOOD
As a Certified B Corp, Riverwater Partners’ practice of using business as a force for good has been affirmed by B Labs. While our firm was incorporating best-in- class practice on many factors, we undertook several initiatives toward
improvement during 2020:
A + FOR INVESTMENT PRACTICE
As a signatory to the UN PRI, Riverwater is assessed each year on our policies and practices for responsible investment. We are very pleased to report that during 2020 all scores improved by more than a full letter grade over 2019. Riverwater received the following marks on key modules:
• A+ for Responsible Investment Strategy and Governance
• A+ for Listed Equity Incorporation
• A for Listed Equity Active Ownership
A screenshot of our Summary Scorecard is attached as Appendix C.
SCHOLARSHIP TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY IN INVESTMENT FIELD In an effort to promote participation in the field of investment among women and minorities, Riverwater created a scholarship program, offering an educational stipend and internship to students in the Investment Management
Certificate Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Sheldon Lubar School of Business.
GIVING DURING THE PANDEMIC
Riverwater donated over $38,000 to various organizations during 2020 in an effort to get relief to those most in need as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. In addition, the Riverwater team
members collectively volunteered over 200 hours. The firm adopted a portion of the Milwaukee River, pledging to clean its banks at least twice a year.
DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION TRAINING
In an effort to strengthen its strong culture, the Riverwater team participated in Diversity and Inclusion Training in June 2020. We honed skills to embrace the diversity of thought brought to our business through the individual experience and background of each of our employees. We updated our Diversity and Inclusion Policy to reflect these important practices. A copy of our Human Rights Policy is attached as Appendix D
17