Joan Bavaria was a pioneer of socially responsible investing whose vision and humanity helped catalyze positive change in the capital markets.

Beginning in the late 1960s, she recognized that many investors wanted to integrate social and environmental values into their investments, that investment firms could leverage their funds to press for corporate social responsibility, and that such investments could be profitable.

Joan was a co-founder of US SIF in 1981, and founded Trillium Asset Management in 1982, establishing an investment firm to provide a space for clients to invest their money in alignment with their values.

In 1989 Joan co-founded Ceres, a nonprofit with a mission to move companies, financial markets and policy makers to find solutions to sustainability challenges. Joan was a founding, and long-time member of the boards of Ceres and US SIF, serving as Chair of each organization, respectively.

Joan served as Trillium’s CEO until her death in 2008 and she is often referred to as the “Founding Mother” of Socially Responsible Investing.

Following her death, Trillium and Ceres continued to present The Joan Bavaria Award to honor her trailblazing spirit and impact.