As You Sow
The nation's leading non-profit shareholder advocate, changing corporations for good
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Dear John,

We’re seeing a seismic shift in accountability at many of the largest corporations in the world. In 2021, As You Sow earned FIVE majority votes at corporations, an unheard-of achievement. Higher votes put more pressure on management to take action, which is exactly the effect we saw this past year. These shareholder successes are so inspiring that our Board has pledged to match all end-of-year giving 1:1 up to $100,000 — doubling your donation’s impact!

Giving to As You Sow (www.asyousow.org/donate) is one of the best ways you can make an impact with a year-end gift —
- In 2020, over 90% of every single donation went straight to program work
- Ethos named As You Sow #1 Corporate Watchdog for a 2nd year in a row
- Kiplinger’s recognized As You Sow’s Invest Your Values as the #1 ESG tool for sustainable investors

This year, with the Board matching gifts 1:1, your gift makes an even bigger impact. www.asyousow.org/donate

In 2021, As You Sow donors drove an incredible set of corporate commitments:
- Keurig Dr. Pepper, Mondelez,  Pepsi, Target, Walmart agreed to set significant absolute reduction targets for plastics
- Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, BofA, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo agreed to reduce financed emissions in alignment with Paris goals — financed emissions are emissions created by the companies and projects financed by these banks
- Microsoft, in a first-of-its-kind agreement, committed to increasing access to spare parts and repair documents

Your gift today can drive this kind of impact in the year ahead. www.asyousow.org/donate

- General Electric agreed to target net-zero emissions by 2050 from the use of its products, which include jet engines and natural gas turbines
- Eastman Chemical agreed to report on plastic pellets spills, the 6th major petrochemical manufacturer to agree with our request 
- Valero will link its executive compensation to climate performance measures

The world is at an all-hands-on-deck moment. We need to ramp up all vectors of pressure. With your help we can hold corporations accountable for their words and actions. Shareholder advocacy can compel real change at corporations, and your gift makes it possible.

Your donation helps hold corporations to their word, and our Board will double your gift. www.asyousow.org/donate

Shareholder advocacy works.
- FedEx, Twitter, United Airlines, CarMax, Hertz, Public Storage all committed to strong emission reduction targets
- Campbell’s, JM Smucker’s, Pepsi agreed to significant progress on pesticides reduction 
- Walmart announced a new pollinator health policy, now the strongest policy at a national grocery retail chain

Your gift keeps that momentum going. www.asyousow.org/donate
It helps create real progress that we can build on.

Want more details on the kind of change your gift can create? Read on…


Absolute Cuts to Plastic Use
Improved recycling alone is not enough to stem the tide of plastic pollution engulfing our oceans – we need reductions in actual plastics use, materials redesign, and substitution. As You Sow filed shareholder resolutions with ten leading consumer goods companies calling for commitments to absolute cuts in use of plastic packaging. Pepsi, Keurig Dr Pepper, Mondelez, Target, and Walmart are the first to step up and affirm new commitments.

"We look forward to other companies stepping forward to make similar commitments," says Conrad MacKerron, Senior Vice President of As You Sow. ​​​​​​

Keep the pressure on packaging manufacturers to eliminate plastic use – donate today. www.asyousow.org/donate


​​​​​​Financed Emissions and Net-Zero Goals 
Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, and Bank of America have all accepted responsibility for the emissions created by the projects their loans finance, and for aligning with the Paris Climate Agreement's 1.5°C goal. Just a year ago these commitments seemed a long-way off, even laughable, given the banks' initial responses to our engagements. But tenacity and perseverance pay dividends.

These announcements are a clear signal to companies in every sector, including oil & gas, that they must set credible net-zero transition targets or find access to capital increasingly expensive and restricted. Business-as-usual is no longer an acceptable standard.

Your donation will allow us to track their interim targets and reporting to make sure their actions match their words!​​​ www.asyousow.org/donate


Exxon forced to Seat New Board of Directors 
Shareholders forced Exxon to seat new board directors with a mandate for transformation and climate transparency, even as management dug its heels in opposition. ​​​​​​

“A powerful signal has been sent to every oil company,…[that] these boards can’t continue ignoring their shareholders….This has been a long time coming” says As You Sow CEO Andrew Behar.

Your generous gifts propelled this monumental blow to business-as-usual. Serve notice to more laggards by donating today! www.asyousow.org/donate


​​​​​​Say On Climate Success
One of our newest initiatives works with companies to establish robust net zero transition plans with shareholder feedback in an annual advisory vote. As You Sow is implementing the plan in the U.S. Major companies, including Unilever, Moody’s, Aetna, and Shell are agreeing to put their climate plans to a vote. 

For the world’s countries to reach Paris Agreement goals, companies need to do their part. Say on Climate creates a standardized way for companies to report on these plans with the benefit of shareholder feedback. ​​​​​​

​​​Your donation will help fund the work to bring all corporate players around the world to the table at this critical time. www.asyousow.org/donate


Nature Coming Back To Life
General Mills is committed to advance regenerative agriculture in one million acres by 2030. After only one year, the company is expanding the program – the farmers are saving money and as soil health improves, are beginning to see birds on the land for the first time in years.

When it's good for the company, their suppliers, and the community-at-large, that truly is change for good. When a leader in a sector reports success to the rest, we're on our way to a large-scale solution. Our Pesticides in the Pantry report showed that General Mills' leadership has driven change sector-wide. Now 12 of 24 major agriculture companies have a regenerative farming policy in place.

This is the goal in all our interactions – large-scale, repeatable solutions.

Your support makes it happen. www.asyousow.org/donate


With your help, we’ll keep shareholders front and center in an all-out effort to ensure that equity and justice are at the heart of combatting climate change, rebuilding food systems, and eliminating ocean plastics. We’ll help companies reduce their emissions 5% every year with our “Say on Climate” initiative, and we’ll tie executive pay packages to their progress. If they continue to obstruct, we’ll escalate to challenge their boards.

Your generous contribution will expand shareholder impact. Together, we can rise to the enormous climate and social justice challenges we’re all facing. You’ll make a difference. And remember — your donation will be doubled.

The As You Sow Staff is deeply grateful for your commitment to keeping this planet a habitable place for future generations. With your help, we'll do our part. Donate today.​​​​​​ www.asyousow.org/donate
 

Yours for a safe and happy holiday season,

Sarah Milne
Vice President, Advancement

 
P.S. Make it easy on you and great for us as well. Consider making your donation a monthly recurring gift. It’s easy to do online – just click on the ‘monthly’ button when donating. 

 
P.P.S. Need to take a qualified distribution from your retirement plan this year? Donating directly to us through your IRA can have big tax benefits to you. There are rules around it so please make sure to work with your IRA custodian. 





DONATE TODAY
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As You Sow

Address:
2020 Milvia St
Suite 500
Berkeley, CA 94704

Mailing address:
Main Post Office
PO Box 751
Berkeley, CA 94701

DISCLAIMER: As You Sow is not an investment advisor, nor do we provide financial planning, legal or tax advice. The content of our programming, publications and presentations is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be considered as information sufficient upon which to base any decisions on investing, purchases, sales, trades, or any other investment transactions. We do not express an opinion on the future or expected value of any security or other interest and do not explicitly or implicitly recommend or suggest an investment strategy of any kind.

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