The Evergreen State College Foundation, a non-profit entity created to provide scholarships and grants in Evergreen’s name, manages an endowment of over five million dollars, a majority of which is made up of donations to the school. Until 2002, the endowment was invested according to a socially responsible investment policy created by the Foundation’s Board of Governors. Then, in May of 2002, the Board of Governors voted to fold the Evergreen Endowment into the University of Washington Consolidated Endowment Fund, surrendering its authority in deciding which companies to invest the Evergreen Endowment. Despite repeated requests both from students and donors to the Endowment, the Evergreen Foundation has refused to release information as to how these funds are invested, ignoring serious concerns from the community that many corporations the Endowment may be invested in engage in or profit from human rights abuses.

Since November, the Olympia CAT Campaign has been meeting with the Board of Governors of the Foundation concerning socially responsible investment, specifically around the issue of possible investment from Caterpillar, Inc. The Caterpillar Corporation supplies D9 and D10 bulldozers to the Israel Defense Forces. Once sold, these bulldozers are militarized with the consultation of Caterpillar and are used in the illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Caterpillar has been implicated by the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch in a number of human rights violations including uprooting olive groves, demolition of Palestinian homes, and extra-judicial killings. Caterpillar equipment is also used in the construction of Israel’s Separation Wall, which was ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004.

The Olympia CAT Campaign is pushing for transparency in the Evergreen Foundation’s investments through the adaptation of a strong socially responsible investment policy that would prevent investment in corporations such as Caterpillar, Halliburton, Bechtel, and other corporations that profit from human rights abuses. By showing Foundation the student concern around this issue, we can ensure that our concerns about social justice are reflected in all investments bearing the name of The Evergreen State College.

How to Participate:

Allow my group name, ___ to be used in an Oly CAT Campaign list of supporting groups

Place a CAT-Free Zone placard in my office

Attend a meeting and help shape the campaign

Join our mailing list: olycat@lists.riseup.net

Contribute artistic, engineering, or technical skills

Speak in favor of a Socially Responsible Investment Policy at the public forum at the Board of Trustees meeting, March 9th