Letter from the 2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Before corporate social responsibility (CSR) was a generally accepted term, our guiding principles of service, expertise and integrity laid the groundwork for our organizational culture. Celebrating our 125th anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on how these principles have deepened Northern Trust’s longstanding CSR commitment.

In this, our fifth CSR annual report, we share our successes, goals and plans for the future. Highlights of our work in 2014 include:

• Continued inclusion on key indices – FTSE4Good, MSCI World Environmental, 
Social and Governance and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index
• Growth in assets under management (AUM) that receive ESG screening 
to $62.6 billion or 12% of total AUM
• Our first inclusion on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s Carbon Disclosure 
Leadership Index
• Development of a new stakeholder engagement strategy with a focus on 
clients to commence in 2015


Our commitment to our CSR strategy is embedded in the charter of the Business Strategy Committee of our Board of Directors. This board committee receives regular CSR practice updates regarding key initiatives affecting our stakeholders, including more than 15,000 employees whom we call partners. 


In 2014, as part of our commitment to the community, Northern Trust partnered with the JB and MK Pritzker Family Foundation and other investors to raise nearly $17 million of private capital to expand access to pre-K for children in high-need communities. Our investment in this project demonstrates an innovative approach to positively impact communities where we live and work.


Our 2014 CSR annual report is compiled using the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 framework. Deloitte & Touche provided third-party assurance for the third consecutive year. We continue striving to present information to our stakeholders in a concise, comparable format. 


We are proud of our work and the impact it has on our employees, clients, shareholders and other key stakeholders. We hope the details shared in the accompanying report provide further insight into our CSR practices. 

Connie L. Lindsey
Executive Vice President
Head of Corporate Social Responsibility 
and Global Diversity & Inclusion 

Frederick H. Waddell
Chairman and CEO