The Shareholder Action Guide: Unleash Your Hidden Powers to Hold Corporations Accountable

The Shareholder Action Guide: Unleash Your Hidden Powers to Hold Corporations Accountable

“A valuable call to action for small shareholders to change the ways big corporations do business.” — Robert Reich, former US Secretary of Labor Want to make misbehaving corporations mend their ways? You can! If you own their stock, corporations have to listen to you. Shareholder advocate Andrew Behar explains how to exercise your proxy voting rights to weigh in on corporate policies—you only need a single share of stock to do it. If you’ve got just $2,000 in stock, Behar shows how you can go further and file a resolution to directly address the board of directors. And even if your investments are in a workplace-sponsored 401(k) or a mutual fund, you can work with your fund manager to purge corporations from your portfolio that don’t align with your values. Illustrated with inspiring stories of individuals who have gone up against corporate Goliaths and won, this book informs, inspires, and instructs investors how to unleash their power to change the world. “This book is timely in serving a growing need and comprehensive in meeting its goal of revealing the concealed power shareholders—even ordinary ones—possess in influencing the companies they own.”  —Bevis Longstreth, former Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission “Engage, divest, invest! We need to align our capital with the world in which we want to live and flourish. The Shareholder Action Guide provides an excellent road map to get us there.” —Kat Taylor, Co-CEO, Beneficial State Bank “Knowledge is power . . . and this comprehensive guide to shareholder activism will supercharge the work of holding corporations accountable and making positive change in the world. A must for every activist’s toolbox.” —Michael Brune, Executive Director, Sierra Club “The Shareholder Action Guide empowers every investor to work with corporations to be part of the solution. This is a must-read to help mobilize a shareholder movement that will have a major impact on climate change and other critical issues of our time.” —Timothy E. Wirth, former US Senator (Colorado) and Vice Chair, United Nations Foundation “With practical information and compelling accounts of how shareholders are pushing corporations to improve their conduct, The Shareholder Action Guide is a must-read for investors mystified by the proxy process yet eager to align their assets with their values.” —Fran Teplitz, Executive Codirector, Green America “The Shareholder Action Guide is an incredibly important and timely reminder of what each of us can do to challenge corporate and CEO misconduct. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to influence how companies treat their employees and our planet.” —Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, President & Director, The Roddenberry Foundation “Both a historical primer on the movement’s founders and a practical how-to manual, The Shareholder Action Guide demystifies the process of shareholder advocacy for concerned investors looking to catalyze enduring social and environmental change through the management of their investments.” —Joshua Zinner, CEO, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility “This inspiring work empowers shareholders, both large and small, to hold corporations accountable. These incredible stories of shareholders who have made real change are a powerful call to action.” —Ben Cohen, cofounder, Ben & Jerry’s, and Head Stamper, Stamp Stampede “I have been involved in shareholder advocacy for over forty years. I don’t think I have seen such a thorough presentation in one place of its nuts and bolts. The Shareholder Action Guide is a great history and how-to that empowers every investor and comes at a critical time.” —Rev. Michael H. Crosby, member, Midwest Capuchin Franciscans, and Executive Director, Seventh Generation Interfaith Coalition for Responsible Investment “Andrew Behar does a masterful job reminding anyone who has investments of our power to influence corporations, which are among the most politically powerful entities on earth today. Citing actual examples of how investors holding a relatively modest amount of stock can push companies to be more sustainable, The Shareholder Action Guide provides a wonderful combination of hope for the future and practical advice, in accessible, jargon-free language, on how shareholders can wield their influence. For all who thirst for social and environmental justice, this is an important book to read.” —Kimberly Gluck, Managing Director, Walden Asset Management, and member, Women Donors Network “The Shareholder Action Guide restores the connection between us and our money with practical, achievable steps to push for more accountability and inspiring stories of shareholders who have already made a difference.” —Nell Minow, Vice Chair, ValueEdge Advisors “Since Citizens United gave corporations the rights of citizens, I’ve wanted to hold them accountable for their bad business practices. The Shareholder Action Guide gives everyone