Council of Institutional Investors is a nonprofit "association of pension funds and other employee benefit funds, foundations and endowments" that "promotes the interests of institutional investors in the United States". It describes its mission as to "educate its members, policymakers and the public about corporate governance, shareowner rights and related investment issues, and to advocate on members' behalf."
The CII was founded in 1985 by 21 public pension fund officials and has grown to include 125 institutional investors (public, union and corporate employee benefit plans and foundations and endowments) whose combined assets "exceed $3 trillion"
It maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C.", and as of mid-2012 its chair was Anne Sheehan (California State Teachers' Retirement System), and co-chairs were Lydia Beebe, Jay Chaudhuri, and Patrick O’Neill.