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As You Sow
| As Your Sow | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Berkeley, Calif. |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Top official: | Andrew Behar |
| Founder(s): | Thomas Van Dyck |
| Year founded: | 1992 |
| Employees: | 25 |
| Website: | Official website |
As You Sow is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims, according to its website, to "promote environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies."[1] The organization was founded in 1992.[1]
Mission
As of 2025, As You Sow had the following mission:
| “ | Our mission is to promote environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies.[1][2] | ” |
As You Sow listed the following vision on its website:
| “ | Our vision is a safe, just, and sustainable world in which protecting the environment and human rights is central to corporate decision making.
As shareholder advocates, we directly engage corporate CEOs, senior management, and institutional investors to change corporations from the inside out.[1][2] |
” |
Work
| Environmental, social, and corporate governance |
|---|
|
| • What is ESG? • Enacted ESG legislation • Arguments for and against ESG • Opposition to ESG • Federal ESG rules • ESG legislation tracker • Economy and Society: Ballotpedia's weekly ESG newsletter |
As You Sow identified the following six areas of focus in its 2024 Strategic Plan:[3]
- "Climate-resilient future"
- "Sustainable ecosystems"
- "Circular economy"
- "Invest your values"
- "A just world for all"
- "Food that is safe to eat"
According to the plan, As You Sow uses "the power of shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies to promote environmental and social corporate responsibility."[3]
Leadership
As of May 2025, the following individuals served on the As You Sow board of directors:[4]
- Cecily Joseph, Chair
- Jason Katz-Brown, Vice chair
- Amanda Hanley, Secretary
- Thomas Van Dyck, Treasurer & founder
- Kaveri Marathe
- Annarie Lyles
- Cari Rudd
- Michael Darnaud
Tax status
As You Sow is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Its 501(c) designation refers to a section of the U.S. federal income tax code concerning charitable, religious, and educational organizations.[5] Section 501(c) of the U.S. tax code has 29 sections that list specific conditions particular organizations must meet in order to be considered tax-exempt under the section. Organizations that have been granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service are exempt from federal income tax.[6] This exemption requires that any political activity by the charitable organization be nonpartisan in nature.[7]
Noteworthy events
U.S. House Judiciary Committee subpoenas As You Sow (2024)
The House Judiciary Committee issued another subpoena for testimony from Andrew Behar, the head of the pro-ESG group As You Sow, as part of its investigation into potential ESG antitrust violations. The deposition was scheduled for March 28, 2024.[8]
U.S. House Judiciary Committee subpoenas As You Sow (2023)
The House Judiciary Committee on November 1, 2023, subpoenaed As You Sow to investigate whether the group violated antitrust laws, according to the committee. The committee said As You Sow did not respond to previous, voluntary requests for documents and information.[9]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms As You Sow. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "About Us," accessed May 20, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 As You Sow, "2024 Strategic Plan," accessed May 20, 2025
- ↑ As You Sow, "Board of Directors," accessed May 20, 2025
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exempt Purposes - Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)," accessed January 13, 2014
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Life Cycle of a Public Charity/Private Foundation," accessed July 10, 2015
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exemption Requirements - 501(c)(3) Organizations," accessed January 13, 2014
- ↑ Reuters, "US House panel subpoenas ESG corporate activist group," accessed March 27, 2024
- ↑ Plan Advisor, "House Republicans Subpoena ESG Advocates," November 2, 2023
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