Creating
Social Change
WE BELIEVE NO PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANY IS 100% RESPONSIBLE
We use our rights as shareholders to press for social change.
In 2000, we filed our first shareholder proposal at Household International, urging the company to confront the risks of its predatory lending practices. That early action proved prescient as the 2008 financial crisis laid bare the consequences of unchecked corporate behavior. Since then, we’ve initiated hundreds of shareholder engagements and proposals, driving policy changes and engaging as shareholders corporate actions that safeguard the rights of employees, customers, communities, and the environment — while protecting long-term shareholder value.
Guided by our six pillars, our work amplifies the voices of impacted communities. Our strategy has always been to partner with local community activists and organizations closest to the problems to inform and shape our research and advocacy.
Our approach combines bold shareholder activism, strategic proxy voting, and values-driven investments beyond public equity to spark tangible, systemic transformation.
3 ways we move companies — and society — forward.
Avoiding Harmful Business Models
We intentionally avoid investments in companies whose practices cause harm, exploit vulnerable populations, or perpetuate systemic inequities.
Investing in Solutions
We strategically seek out companies whose products and services directly address the most pressing problems of our times.
Active Shareholder Engagement
Through direct dialogue, proxy voting, and targeted shareholder proposals, we press companies to advance social change.
From proxy to
Progress
NorthStar transforms shareholder power into lasting social change.
For over three decades, NorthStar Asset Management has transformed investment into a tool for justice. From challenging predatory lending practices in the early 2000s to pioneering shareholder proposals on prison labor, water rights and inclusive hiring, our activism has driven companies to adopt more equitable, transparent and human-centered practices. Guided by an intersectional lens and our six pillars — racial justice, gender equity, environmental justice, economic equality, human rights, and corporate governance — we’ve led more than 430 engagements and sparked industry-wide change. We don’t wait for justice to catch up to the markets — we use our seat at the table to move both forward.
Our Theory of Change
Shift Power, Not Just Capital
Transforming the financial system means challenging who holds power — not just where money flows.
Our diverse team and community partnerships ensure our work reflects the lived experiences of those historically excluded.
Change Is Ongoing
Social change isn’t a destination — it’s an evolving pursuit of empathy, awareness and bold action.
We believe no public company is truly socially responsible. That’s why we use our rights as investors to push for accountability and justice.
We go beyond “doing less harm” by aligning our strategies with those on the frontlines of equity, justice and systemic change.