Zevin Asset Management

Home
United States
Boston, MA
Zevin Asset Management

Please see additional important disclosures on our website: https://www.zevin.com

Building socially responsible investment portfolios that help create a healthy planet and a just society.

*Posts on this page should not be construed as investment advice.

05/27/2026

In 2025, many companies started speaking less about sustainability commitments, and that trend continues.

They didn't stop the work. Budgets are holding. The underlying efforts continue. But the language disappeared - replaced with terms like "operational efficiency" instead of "climate action."

The problem? When a company goes silent, you can't tell if they're genuinely on track or if they've quietly backed away. The silence looks the same either way.

At Zevin, we don't rely on what companies say in their press releases or annual reports. We ask the questions directly — at shareholder meetings, in engagement letters, where real accountability happens.

That's active ownership. And that's what protects your values (and your investments) when corporate language gets careful.

05/20/2026

On May 21, Home Depot shareholders will consider a proposal on data privacy and law enforcement access.

Here's the question we're asking the company: When law enforcement shows up asking for camera footage, what does Home Depot do? The company hasn't been clear about it.

We co-filed a shareholder proposal with a coalition of seventeen other investors pushing for transparency. If you hold Home Depot in your portfolio, you get to vote on this.

Here's what we're asking for and why: bit.ly/3PsaDyw

05/18/2026

Here's a question worth sitting with:

If a government stops following the rules of war, what exactly are you invested in when you hold defense stocks?

The defense industry is currently pushing to be included in ESG funds, framing weapons as essential to peace and security. But a weapon's primary function is to injure, kill, or destroy. That's a hard thing to square with responsible investing.

There's also a practical problem. How do weapons companies make sure that their products are not being used by governments gone rogue? This can also be said for the tech/AI companies whose products are essential to weapons and surveillance systems - but that’s a broader conversation for another time.

05/08/2026

In a recent LinkedIn post, our President Sonia Kowal shared a perspective that clearly struck a nerve.

Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, and DAFgiving360 - three of the largest donor-advised fund providers in the country - blocked their account holders from directing grants to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The reason: a federal indictment brought by the Trump Justice Department.

To be clear: an indictment is an accusation, not a conviction. The SPLC has not been found guilty of anything. It remains a fully IRS-recognized 501(c)(3). And yet three major financial institutions quietly decided on their own, without any public accountability, that their clients could no longer support one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the country.

For anyone who uses a donor-advised fund to support causes they care about, this should raise a real question: do you know what your DAF provider can decide on your behalf?

At Zevin, this story cuts to the heart of what we do. Accountability in financial institutions isn't just about investment returns. It's about who holds power over the flow of money, charitable or otherwise, and whether that power is exercised with transparency and integrity.

If you have a DAF, consider reaching out to these institutions directly, or ask your advisor to do so on your behalf.

04/30/2026

Important coverage on a topic we’ve been actively focused on: growing investor attention to AI and data governance.

A recent Reuters article highlights increasing pressure on Alphabet to strengthen oversight around how its technology is deployed and used. Zevin Asset Management has been an active part of the investor engagement driving this issue, with a focus on transparency, governance, and how companies manage downstream risk. We authored a letter to the company signed by 42 organizations and 14 individuals representing over $1 trillion in assets.

As these systems scale, the question is no longer only technical. It’s about oversight, accountability, and how companies manage downstream risk.

As Marcela Pinilla notes:
“We don’t see that they have strict controls over intervention in high-risk contexts. That’s very risky for them if they don’t have oversight of how their infrastructure is being used.”

This is increasingly a fiduciary concern.

Reuters article for those with access:
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/alphabet-investors-push-safeguards-use-its-cloud-ai-tech-2026-04-29/

04/27/2026

Tomorrow: Investing as Witness.

What if your investments reflected the world you hope to build?

Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 28 at 1:00 PM ET, our Sonia Kowal joins the Episcopal Parish Network to talk about faith-inspired investing and how investing can become an active expression of values and a tool for real social change.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UX_qSs9yS-6vBsc8wUzkSQ #/registration

04/21/2026

Your investments can do more than grow. They can reflect what you stand for.

Join Zevin’s president Sonia Kowal as she leads the first in a new series of conversations exploring how investing can become an active expression of values, supporting your faith and the communities you care about.

Investing as Witness: Aligning Financial Stewardship with Mission:
Tuesday, April 28, 1:00 PM ET

We hope you will join us.

https://episcopalparishes.org/upcoming-webinars/?mc_cid=1d624a13ff&mc_eid=1c5ac1081b

04/20/2026

The Fed’s job keeps getting more difficult. Cut rates, raise rates, or hold steady?

Inflationary pressures were already building before tensions escalated in the Middle East. With crude prices now about 50% above pre-war levels, those pressures are intensifying, leaving little room for rate cuts.

The outlook for the Strait of Hormuz disruption is uncertain, but central banks worldwide are warning about renewed inflation and its policy implications. At the same time, weakening global growth supports the case for lower rates, creating a policy dilemma.

Fed statements are always closely scrutinized for policy guidance, and the recent language no longer signals rate cuts ahead.

04/06/2026

Is your investment portfolio becoming a "black box"?

This quarter, the "windows" we use to see what’s really happening inside the companies we own are being boarded up. The SEC is moving to dismantle critical disclosure rules—the ones that require companies to tell investors about things like executive pay, political spending, and climate risks.

At Zevin, we believe that when companies are allowed to "grade their own homework," the risks don't go away—they just get harder for you to see. 🔎

That’s why our team has been leaning in even harder this quarter:

🛡️ Data Privacy at Home Depot: We’re asking why customer data from parking lot license plate readers is being shared with law enforcement networks. This isn't just a privacy issue; it’s a risk to the communities and contractors that Home Depot relies on.

⚖️ Human Rights at Microsoft: We are pushing for a full accounting of how their technology is used in defense contracts to ensure it isn't facilitating human rights violations.

💧 The Hidden Cost of AI: We’re investigating the massive water and energy "footprint" of the new AI infrastructure to make sure these tech giants are building a sustainable future, not just a fast one.

Our job is to keep asking the hard questions, even when the regulations start to fade. Because true fiduciary duty means looking at the whole picture—not just the parts companies want us to see.

Read our full Q1 2026 Impact Update here: [https://www.zevin.com/news-views/q1-2026-impact-update]

03/11/2026

Jerome Powell must be partially happy that he is losing his job as Federal Reserve Chairman later this year. Incoming Chair Kevin Warsh and the rest of the Federal Open Market Committee have a very tough job given the current economic realities. Furthermore, the inflation outlook later in the year is becoming even more troublesome. On the one hand unemployment has been trending higher for almost three years, arguing for lower interest rates. But inflation isn’t dead yet, which argues for higher interest rates. Weakness in the U.S. dollar (shown inverted in the chart) usually leads to higher import prices, which typically feed through into higher general inflation. Spikes in energy prices due to the war in the middle east will also eventually act to push overall inflation higher. All in all, there are inflationary impulses which will show up later this year and make President Trump’s desired rate cuts very difficult to deliver and justify.

02/20/2026

We’re excited to share our latest insights on charitable giving in 2026 given recent changes in federal tax law.

New tax laws, market growth, and ongoing societal challenges create a unique moment to maximize your impact, both for your community and your financial goals. In this piece, our Client Portfolio Manager, Christopher Harris, breaks down:
• How recent federal changes affect charitable deductions
• Efficient ways to make gifts of appreciated stock or use donor advised funds
• Opportunities for both itemizing and non-itemizing taxpayers
• Why frontloading your giving can make a difference when it matters most

Read the full piece linked in the comments

Address

2 Oliver Street, Suite 806
Boston, MA
02109

Telephone

+18775134995

Website

http://www.zevin.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Zevin Asset Management posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Zevin Asset Management:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Finance Company in Boston?