Threshing Session on NYQM Finance and Investments

A threshing session is a meeting for worship on a specific topic with the expectation of more vocal ministry on that topic.

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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84257217727?pwd=NXpicKkVIaRs1FPl64LZF1M4M8CRza.1

Meeting ID: 842 5721 7727
Passcode: 609007

Here's the relevant minutes from the April 2026 meeting of the NY Quarter:

2026.04.03.  Dan Seeger, from Morningside and clerk of Trustees, presents a summary of the first reading of the Trustees' proposed actions in response to Friends’ concerns about NYQM’s investments.

Friends Fiduciary, the company that holds the quarter’s investments, includes Amazon and other tech companies in its portfolio. These companies provide infrastructure used by US and Israeli militaries in Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon. 

The Trustees have been following Friends Fiduciary (FF) and American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)’s strategy of pooling Quakers together and staying engaged as shareholders to be more effective and have a stronger impact on corporations.  

2026.04.04. John Choe, a member of the People of Color Worship and Reflection Group and Flushing Meeting, responds. We, Friends of the quarter, seem to have outsourced our spiritual discernment to a third party (Friends Fiduciary). The quarter’s funds are invested in companies that provide Israel and the US with cloud computing and AI technology that enable atrocities against Palestinians. We have a choice to remove the quarter’s investments from FF and invest our money in ways that reflect our values. 

2026.04.05. Ethan Birchard, Executive Director, and Aangoo Tucho, Chief Financial Advisor, of Friends Fiduciary introduce themselves. FF and its all-Quaker board use deep discernment when evaluating companies on their strengths and weaknesses and their openness to shareholder engagement. They believe they can have more impact by engaging as shareholders. A recent dialogue with Microsoft led to Microsoft withdrawing their products from military use in Gaza. FF shares in the concerns being raised today.

....

2026.04.08. The meeting returns to discernment over the question of the quarter’s investments. Friends discussed the importance of staying in dialogue with companies to better advocate for Friends beliefs and to effect change. Friends also said that our testimony of integrity means we must disinvest in these companies lest we be complicit in the evil done by them. What can we, as Quakers, accept? How can we best bring about social change? Many Friends advocated for Friends Fiduciary to be more forceful with engaging with these companies, if we are to continue investing with them. A Friend asks FF to provide the names of companies on their screened list and how FF engages with Quaker meetings. 

No further decision is reached today.