The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities that are economically tied to the United States. The Fund seeks to invest in companies whose products and services are considered by the Adviser as contributing to positive environmental or social change and sustainable economic development, including those that are strategically aligned with environmental and social megatrends such as climate change, resource constraints, growing populations, and aging populations. A security is deemed to be economically tied to the United States if one or more of the following tests are met: (i) the company is organized in, or its primary business office or principal trading market of its equity is located in the United States, (ii) a majority of the company’s revenues are derived from the United States or (iii) a majority of the company’s assets are located in the United States.

The Fund generally invests in a core group of 30-50 equity securities, which consist primarily of common stocks, but may also include other types of instruments, such as warrants. The Fund may also invest in equity securities of real estate-related companies, including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and similar REIT-like entities. The Fund will invest primarily in larger, well-established companies but may also invest in mid- and small-sized companies. The Fund’s uninvested assets may be held in cash, cash equivalents, and/or affiliated or unaffiliated exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”).

The Fund is “actively managed” and does not seek to replicate the composition or performance of an index. In selecting investments, portfolio management employs a “bottom-up” approach that focuses on fundamental research. To identify the universe of investible securities for the Fund, portfolio management first employs positive selection criteria that seeks to identify companies that derive at least 50% of their current or future expected revenues from at least one of ten environmental and social themes. Environmental themes include efficiency, cleaner energy, water management, environmental services, and sustainable transport. Social themes include sustainable property and finance, safety, quality of life, knowledge and technology, and health.

Next, portfolio management applies broad-based negative screens, which incorporate third-party inputs, to seek to avoid securities of issuers that, in the determination of the Adviser, are significantly engaged in or derive more than de minimis revenue from industries, activities, or assets considered by portfolio management to have a negative impact on society or the environment. A current list of such activities, which may evolve over time, follows:

In selecting investments, portfolio management will then consider, among other factors, a company’s growth potential, competitive positioning, operational quality, and strategy. Portfolio management may also consider factors such as a company’s historic and projected return on capital, balance sheets, and financial models. Portfolio management will also consider environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) factors, which may include climate change, deforestation, biodiversity, human rights, company culture, and community relations, board structure and diversity, executive pay, and corporate reporting.

Portfolio management seeks to maintain a portfolio of securities that has a carbon footprint and carbon intensity that is at least 20% below the S&P 500® Index. At portfolio management’s discretion, the Fund will engage with a company’s management regarding matters that may evolve over time and may include shareholder rights, governance and remuneration, climate change, carbon emissions, pollution, biodiversity, human capital, and diversity and inclusion.

Portfolio management evaluates and applies ESG and sustainable investment criteria relying on a mix of third-party data and internally-generated analyses based on information that may include web-based research reports from a company or independent sources, as well as corporate engagement. Portfolio management does not apply ESG and sustainable investment criteria in managing the Fund’s exposure to cash and cash equivalents. The Fund will generally consider selling a stock if, in the portfolio management’s opinion, there has been a regulatory, industry, or position-level change that may impair a company’s revenue growth. The Fund will also consider selling a stock if, in the portfolio management’s opinion, the company’s business model no longer meets the sustainable investment criteria employed in managing the Fund.