Once considered a fairly radical strategy, socially responsible investing has increasingly gained in popularity. And as interest has grown, the options available to those investors have also grown: Investment research company Morningstar says there were 303 sustainable open-ended mutual funds and exchange-traded funds in 2019, up from 111 in 2014.
Whether you’re an individual or institutional investor, we encourage you to check out the resources below for more information about how to get involved in socially responsible investing, including a few of the organizations that IHM Sisters partners with in our own SRI work.
- A Beginners Guide to Socially Responsible Investment
If you’re new to investing and interested in putting your money into causes you care about, socially responsible investing (SRI) may be a good option. Over the past few years, a heightened public focus on issues like the climate crisis and environmental sustainability has fueled its popularity — especially with younger investors. Even so, it’s not always easy to tell which publicly traded stocks and funds truly align with your values as an investor. Here’s how to get started. - Sustainable Investing’s Boom Is Here to Stay. What’s In Store, According to an ESG Pioneer
Amy Domini, the founder of Domini Impact Investments, says sustainably managed portfolios represent $8 trillion in global assets—a figure that’s on track to quadruple by the end of the decade. - FOR Investment Partners
FOR Investment Partners is an independent firm of Accredited Investment Fiduciaries who focuses on Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing for Charitable Organizations, Endowments, Individuals & Foundations. Their goal is to help align investors’ financial resources according to the values of the organization or individual without sacrificing returns. - Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR
Membership in ICCR is open to any institutional investor regardless of the size of its portfolio, faith-based or secular, interested in the promotion of corporate social responsibility. Levels of involvement vary by institution from the more passive proxy-voting in support of ICCR-member resolutions to hands-on strategic development and active participation in corporate engagements and all the levels in between. - Investor Advocates for Social Justice
Investor Advocates for Social Justice (IASJ) represents investors with faith-based values who seek to leverage their investments to advance human rights, climate justice, racial equity, and the common good. On behalf of their Affiliates, they engage companies to address strategic environmental, social, and governance issues and advocate for change. IASJ uses a variety of shareholder advocacy strategies to encourage corporations to adopt more ethical and sustainable business practices and believes in seeking out and building collaborative partners who share similar goals, in an effort to increase the effectiveness and impact of their work.