When investment is done with a social heart, there is almost nothing it cannot take care of, whether people or the planet. That’s why I founded Newground – to bring integrity to the relationship between money and a client’s values or mission in the world.
– Bruce Herbert, AIF
Our Story
A pioneer in responsible investment, Newground is poised for its second quarter century of dynamic service to clients and the common good.
Long before trillions of dollars were invested in ESG* strategies, Newground was an industry leader in its exclusive focus on environmental and social impact investing.
We were an early proponent of financial advisors serving as legal, fee-only investment fiduciaries rather than as commission-driven brokers. Newground was also among the first investment advisors to practice active shareholder engagement, and we continue to be leaders in this important arena – seeking to transform corporate behavior for the benefit of people, planet, and the common good.
In 2012 Newground became the first Social Purpose Corporation (SPC), changing its corporate charter to codify commitments to environmental sustainability, workers, the community, and society at large. As the first SPC, Newground has helped demonstrate that social and environmental responsibility are not only compatible with a business’ financial success, they necessarily lead to more resilient, accountable, and profitable companies overall.
In 2019 Newground celebrated its first quarter-century, and is now the oldest independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) to have had an exclusive focus on responsible investing since inception.
But in many ways our story is just beginning...
Now, with the scale and the experience to exercise even more influence, we look forward to the path ahead and to serving you, our clients, as we reach toward your most important financial goals while reflecting your values and sense of purpose in the world.
* ESG = Environmental, Social & Governance
25 Years of Newground
Reflections from Newground’s 25th anniversary celebration.
25th Anniversary Celebration
Our Values
We connect your wealth with your values to generate beneficial social, financial, and environmental outcomes.
Newground's mission is to harness the power of business for good – in service to our clients’ long-term financial needs as well as to the human yearning for strong and resilient communities, a healthy environment, and a robust, sustainable, and locally-determined economy.
The spirit of the following Robert Kennedy quote epitomizes our approach to business, investing, and the world of money:
"The gross national product includes air pollution, advertising for cigarettes, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts locks for our doors, and jails for the people who break them.
"The gross national product includes the destruction of the redwoods and the death of Lake Superior. It grows with the production of napalm and missiles with nuclear warheads...
"And if the gross national product includes all this, there is much that it does not comprehend. It does not allow for the health of our families, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It is indifferent to the decency of our factories and the safety of streets alike. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials...
"The gross national product measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to country. It measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile; and it can tell us everything about America – except whether we are proud to be Americans."
– Robert F. Kennedy (1968)
Our Community
Newground is deeply connected to our community and committed to a world that works for all.
While we invest money for a range of endowments and foundations, our community involvement takes many other forms – from donations and volunteering, to having offered our meeting space countless times over the years for use by nonprofit groups for major donor thank-yous, board or trustee meetings, and other events that help propel an institution's mission.
One example of our service to the common good is Newground's efforts to support and serve thought-leaders, writers & speakers, those who lead organizations, and change-makers at the forefront of progress. Our sense is, if through financial planning and sound investment we can reduce their stress and worry about their own financial futures, then more of their brainpower is available for the transformative work that benefits us all.
See below for a sampling of entities & organizations Newground has supported through the years.
[Logos of six organizations]
Organizations Newground has supported in recent years with financial, in-kind, event space, or volunteer services:
- 21 Acres
- Alliance to Defend the Alien Tort Claims Act | ATCA
- Allied Arts Foundation
- Americans for a Fair Estate Tax
- Amnesty International
- As You Sow Foundation | AYS
- Backbone Campaign | sHellNO! project
- Bainbridge Graduate Institute | BGI
- BALLE | Business Alliance for Local Living Economies
- BEST | Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking
- Bioneers Conference
- CAIR Project
- Cascadia Climate Collaborative
- Cascadia Quest
- Cascadia Resilience Center
- Cascadia Revolving Fund
- Catholic Community Services of King County
- Center for Political Accountability | CPA
- Church Council Conference
- Civil Air Patrol
- Collaborative on Health and the Environment
- Community Alliance for Global Justice | CAGJ
- Conversation Cafés
- Corporate Accountability International
- Earth Economics
- Earth Ministry
- EarthCorps
- Edward E. Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center | UWa
- Emmanuel Episcopal Church
- Environment2004
- Environmental Research Foundation
- EOI | Economic Opportunity Institute
- Episcopal High School | EHS
- Faith Action Network | FAN
- Food Lifeline
- Free Burma Rangers
- Freedom From Fear Campaign
- Fremont Arts Council
- Fuse Washington
- Gates Divest fundraiser
- GeoDome Project, The
- Grameen Foundation
- Green Festival
- GreenDrinks Seattle
- GreenFestival
- GreenMoney Journal
- Groundwire
- HUB Seattle
- ICCR | Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
- Institute for Children’s Environmental Health | ICEH
- Ingraham High School
- Innovest
- Institute for Children’s Environmental Health | ICEH
- Investor Environmental Health Network | IEHN
- IPJC | Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center
- Irish Parades Emergency Committee
- Jane Goodall Institute, The
- KEXP 90.3 FM
- KNKX 88.9 FM | formerly KPLU
- KUOW 94.9 FM
- Lake Union Civic Orchestra | LUCO
- Lumana
- Midway film | Albatross and ocean plastic pollution
- Migration & Refugee Services | ESL program
- MoveOn.org
- Museum of Flight
- NARAL Pro-Choice WA
- NBIS | Network for Business Innovation & Sustainability
- New Beginnings Shelter
- New Roadmap Foundation | Your Money or Your Life
- Northwest AIDS Foundation
- Northwest Harvest
- NOVA H.S. Social Justice Guatemala Travel Program
- NW Center for Responsible Investment | NWCRI
- One By One | Fistula Eradication Campaign
- One Northwest
- One World Futbol
- Oxfam America
- Partners in Health
- People for Puget Sound
- Peter Goldmark | Lands Commissioner
- Piedmont Environmental Council | PEC
- Pike Place Market Historical Commission
- Powers of Leadership program | POL, Whidbey Institute
- Progress Alliance
- Progressive Majority
- Puget Sound Community Card
- PYE Global
- Rain Forest Action Network
- Real Change
- Reclaim the Media
- Rehabilitation Research Institute
- Resource Generation
- Responsible Wealth | RW
- SANCA | School of Acrobatic & New Circus Arts
- Seattle Education Access | SEA
- Seattle Good Business Network | SGBN
- Seattle Mennonite Church
- Seattle Public Theater
- Seattle University
- Seattle Thunder
- SHARE Wheel
- Shoreline Solar Project
- Sierra Club | Corporate Accountability Committee
- Social Justice Fund NW | formerly A Territory Resource
- Social Venture Network | SVN
- South Carolina Conservation League | SCCCL
- SRI Scholarship
- St. Joseph’s Church
- Starlight at Pacific Crest
- Stop Exploitation Now!
- Sustainable Path Foundation | SPF
- Sustainable Seattle
- Take Back Your Time
- Threshold Foundation
- Town Hall Seattle
- Toxic Free Future | formerly WA Toxics Coalition
- Trinity United Methodist Church
- Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment | TriCRI
- United for a Fair Economy | UFE
- US | SIF The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment
- UW Business Roundtable
- WA Initiative 940 | police accountability
- Washington Bus, The
- Washington CASH
- Washington Conservation Voters
- Washington Council on International Trade
- Washington Environmental Council | WEC
- Washington Fair Trade Coalition
- Washington Lawyers for Sustainability
- Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility | WA PSA
- Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network, The
- Washington United for Marriage | Initiative 74
- Whidbey Institute
- Woodland Park Zoo
- Working Washington
- World Affairs Council | WAC, MEPI program
- World Aid
- Worldchanging.com
- YES on 1098
- YES! Magazine
- Young Women Empowered!
~ ~ ~
