ESG Policy
ESG Policy
It is the ethos of Sundance Bay to be an organization, beyond our core business objectives, to be responsible and ethical citizens of our global community. We hold ourselves accountable and strive to make a positive impact on all of our stakeholders: the communities where we invest, residents, clients, investors, employees, partners, vendors, and the environment. We are committed to operating economically, socially, and environmentally through sustainable best practices.
As a fiduciary and manager of third-party capital, we recognize that ESG principles and responsible investing practices do not only have positive implications on society and the world, but we believe also translates to better business performance and long-term value for our investors. The considerations of material ESG issues and risks are embedded at every level within the company and in all decisions that affect our portfolios.
Our management team leads with articulation, awareness, alignment, and action toward our shared values.
Environmental
Energy and Water Management
Sundance Bay utilizes Conservice, a utility management tool to collect and monitor accurate utility data, helping us further understand our environmental footprint. By actively monitoring usage, we can implement prescriptive analytics to identify opportunities for energy reduction, sustainability, efficiency, as well as cost efficiencies.
Specific to our multifamily properties, our renovation packages incorporate low-flow toilets and showers, energy-efficient fixtures, ENERGY STAR appliances, and LED lighting for exteriors and commons areas.
Where practical and feasible, Sundance Bay demonstrates adherence to sustainability and energy performance standards by seeking green building ratings and certifications. In select development/redevelopment projects, we design buildings to be environmentally responsible, and resource-efficient.
Waste Management
We comply with the waste management and recycling guidelines for existing assets within our portfolio. Sundance Bay implements efficient building-wide recycling programs at our multifamily properties.
Other
Sundance Bay has engaged a third-party data analytics platform specializing in collecting, managing, disclosing and acting upon real estate ESG/sustainability data. The company’s SaaS platform provides valuable insights into our portfolio and assists in identifying, auditing, and implementing data-driven sustainability practices. As we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment, we will continue to leverage technology and other solutions to improve upon the ways we operate our properties without jeopardizing practicality and quality to our stakeholders.
Climate Risk
Climate risk, driven largely in the form of greenhouse gas emissions (source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC), has significant disruptive effects on the economy and in particular, the real estate sector, in the long term. Sundance Bay recognizes the materiality of climate risk within our portfolio, and incorporates climate risk as a metric in evaluating every potential investment opportunity and managing each of our current properties.
Social
Our organization holds in high regard our role and responsibility in fostering the values of a just society and promoting a fair and inclusive culture among internal and external stakeholders. Ultimately, our work impacts the communities where we invest and work – and we believe our business thrives by doing good.
Sundance Bay acquires, develops, owns, lends to, and operates assets in many markets that are underserved by institutional capital. Our investment strategy is focused on value creation, and at the property level, that often results in the enhancement of our communities. It is our mission to spearhead positive change across our markets and communities, aligned with our purpose and business objectives.
In 2021, Sundance Bay entered into discussions to partner with a non-profit organization to implement a program focused on engagement, health and social wellness, education, and economic advancement for residents of Sundance Bay-owned communities. As part of tenant outreach, the program offers virtual healthcare to all residents in addition to financial assistance and organized tenant affinity groups. We will implement this initiative at a select number of properties first, eventually rolling it out to the entire portfolio.
Sundance Bay Serves to harness philanthropic giving, participation, and employee volunteerism worldwide.
Since its founding, Sundance Bay has honored the tradition of giving back to communities in impactful, supportive, and innovative ways. The professionals at Sundance Bay, individually and collectively, are active supporters and board members of organizations that align with our values – both at home and internationally. Below are a few of our charity partners to which we serve by offering our time, expertise, and financial support:
Inspired by the International Day of Charity as part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, Sundance Bay has an officially dedicated paid day of service called Sundance Bay Serves, an employee-led outreach initiative where team members give back to meaningful causes through paid volunteering days and dollar-for-dollar matching programs. All team members are encouraged to find opportunities that are personally meaningful. Whether serving as a board member or an active volunteer, professionals are encouraged to identify (at least) one day to give back or organize a group to volunteer for a charitable organization of choice.
A percentage of Sundance Bay profits are donated to Charity Vision to support curing blindness in developing countries and The Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital to support brain research, among other concerns.
Sundance Bay is committed to growing and advocating for future industry leaders. Since inception, we have partnered with local universities, including The University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and Westminster College to place juniors and seniors into the Sundance Bay Career Development Program. Since inception, we have had more than 50 interns work at Sundance Bay.
SB Career Development Program
Interns join an immersive, rotation program that provides an introduction to the real estate industry and training in various functions within the firm: valuation, asset management, development, investor relations, as well as finance/operations.
Additionally, our team members are active volunteers, professors/lecturers, and guest speakers at the following academic institutions: Brigham Young University, University of Utah, Harvard University, Columbia University, and Cornell University.
Governance
Sundance Bay’s governance pillar encompasses corporate governance and business conduct. The governance structure is designed so that management is held accountable for the proper execution of the company’s business plans/goals and equitable treatment of our investors. Our corporate governance framework and policies are guided by OECD Principles of Corporate Governance, UN PRI, UN DESA, CFA Institute, and ILPA.
Sundance Bay has a code of ethics (including conflicts and whistleblower policies) to ensure that a high level of integrity and ethics is upheld.
We prioritize our fiduciary responsibility in aligning our interests with stakeholders through meaningful Sundance Bay principal investment, key person clauses, strict conflict of interest policies, legal and regulatory compliance, and engaging compliance oversight (Chief Compliance Officer) throughout our financial and marketing processes.
Established in 2018, the board is composed of four (4) strategic advisors, who advise on strategic and growth decisions and ensure the long-term success of Sundance Bay. Members of the board come from diverse professional backgrounds with extensive experience, depth of knowledge, judgment and vision needed to provide insight and guidance on Sundance’s policies and practices.
The board continuously reviews the internal structure of the company to ensure there are clear lines of accountability for management throughout the organization. Additionally, it upholds high expectations for Sundance Bay to consistently improve its economic efficiency, sustainable growth, and financial stability. The Advisory Board meets 2-4x per year and supports key decisions across a broad range of issues and competencies. Members of the Advisory Board are also members of topic-specific subcommittees.
We place integrity before profit and returns.
The various Sundance Bay funds have established respective Limited Partners Advisory Committees (“LPAC”), consisting of select limited partners, to independently and objectively consult in major decisions relevant to management of the fund, including conflicts of interest and competing demands.
We also have a fiduciary duty and obligation to our investors to provide disclosure of our financial and operating results, major capital events, business plan objectives, and risk factors. These are disseminated through the quarterly reports and periodic investor communications as well as posted on Sundance Bay’s proprietary investor portal. Our financials are audited annually by a third-party PCAOB-registered accounting firm.
Sundance Bay employs a responsible contractor policy that requires subcontractors to receive a fair wage and fair benefits based on state and local laws.
The firm’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for all aspects of the firm’s compliance program and privacy policies, and is supported by ACA Compliance Group, a third-party compliance consulting firm. Sundance Bay mandates annual compliance training for all employees.
Sundance Bay’s cybersecurity compliance requirements are strictly enforced to all users, including employees, contractors, consultants, or any person with access to our network, to safeguard the security of our data and technology infrastructure. We have formed a dedicated IT Committee, which consists of four (4) senior members of the firm, to oversee the organization’s cyber hygiene and devise/update defense strategies. We have engaged a third-party consulting firm to assist us with strengthening our cybersecurity infrastructure.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At Sundance Bay, championing diversity, standing for equality, and fostering inclusion are not only core values that make us a better firm, but we believe leads to better business outcomes and contribute to a society that empowers people to be their best, authentic selves. We strive to create an inclusive culture that values different approaches and perspectives with a unified, shared commitment to excellence and integrity.
Diversity and Inclusion Council: Our commitment starts at the top. In 2021, the Diversity and Inclusion Council was created to foster an environment in which all our stakeholders feel respected, confident, and uninhibited in communicating their distinct perspectives, irrespective of race, ethnicity, age, religion, (dis)ability, veteran status, gender identification, and sexual orientation.
We believe when an organization embraces diverse perspectives and reflects a just, inclusive community, we all benefit.
Our team members are held accountable for treating one another with dignity and respect, and for upholding an inclusive and equitable culture for our employees, tenants, co-investors, vendors, advisory board members, and other stakeholders impacted by Sundance Bay.
Much of the gender-responsive governance and policies at Sundance Bay are influenced and guided by the direction, objectives, and approaches outlined in the UN Women Strategic Plan 2018-2021. To support a sustainable pipeline of diverse talent, we demonstrate our commitment at a practical level through the Sundance Bay Women’s Fellowship — our recruiting and mentoring initiative to attract and develop future female leaders in the real estate industry. The fellowship interns are trained to fulfill full-time Analyst/Associate roles at Sundance Bay upon graduation.
Sundance Bay Women’s Fellowship cultivates and supports future female leaders in the real estate industry.
Additionally, the professionals at Sundance Bay are active speakers and attendees of workshops and panels, support and partner with organizations, and regularly contribute to benchmarking surveys — all of which are dedicated to fostering equal opportunities and resources for all.
Workforce Demographics
Our team of diverse, talented, and committed professionals drives our mission. Our 79-person workforce is made up of 32% women and 37% people of color. At the executive management level, 38% is women and/or minority professionals, compared to 15% in the real estate industry (source: NAREIM-Ferguson Partners D&I Survey 2021).
54% of All Employees are Female and/or BIPOC
38% of Executive Management is Female and/or BIPOC
White: 63%
African-American: 15%
Hispanic/Latio: 4%
AAPI: 4%
Two Races or More: 1%
Other: 13%
Total Persons of Color: 37%
(As of April 1, 2021)
Sundance Bay is an equal opportunity employer; we continue to invest in our ongoing efforts to hire diverse talent and provide women and people of color an equal opportunity for career development. Our HR management implements training programs on topics, including micro-inequities and implicit and unconscious biases, and inclusive hiring practices.
Councils and Committees
Sundance Bay’s ESG Committee is a cross-functional management committee made of senior executives dedicated to developing, monitoring, and improving the ESG practices at the firm. The group meets biweekly to evaluate the measures put in place and procure partnerships with aligned values and standards, including sustainability consultants, benchmarking/reporting organizations, educational institutions, charities, among other industry organizations.
As previously mentioned, we have also established a dedicated Diversity and Inclusion Council to support an inclusive environment, ensure accountability, assess diversity within corporate governance, and further improve DEI practices for all internal and external stakeholders.
Sundance Bay’s Advisory Board has also formed three subcommittees each consisting of three-to-four individuals who meet semi-annually or more frequently. The three subcommittees are as follows: (1) ESG (2) Compensation, and (3) Fund Management.
Forward-looking Goals and Objectives
Sundance Bay’s goal is to reduce our environmental footprint, refine our resource efficiency, integrate more sustainability solutions into our business, and demonstrate a positive social and environmental impact through internal and external collaboration.
We are in the process of implementing a number of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive tools to analyze our sustainability data and define key performance indicators (KPIs); these will help us reflect on the direction of our business, track progress against our set goals, and derive solutions for continuous improvement. Once we have gathered sufficient data, our intent is to report results to the relevant benchmarks and assessment platforms. We are also considering participation as signatories of UN PRI and ILPA’s Diversity in Action initiative.
