Tim Smith: Why I Made a Legacy Gift to Support Ceres into the Future

For more than 50 years I have worked in the field of shareholder advocacy and sustainable and responsible investing addressing key issues in corporate responsibility such as climate change, diversity, human rights, and political spending/lobbying by companies.

I was fortunate enough to work alongside Ceres from the beginning. I spoke at the very first press conference announcing a set of principles for companies to follow in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. At the time, I was executive director of ICCR (Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility), and we became close partners with Ceres in the evolving and crucially important work on climate change.

It’s been over 30 years, and Ceres is still a leader. The staff are a remarkable group of informed and passionate professionals who have educated and mobilized both companies and investors to be catalysts for change. I am proud to join the Joan Bavaria Legacy Society and ensure Ceres can continue its work to combat such an existential threat to our planet and people.