Socially responsible investing (SRI) is an investing strategy that aims to generate both social change and financial returns for an investor. Socially responsible investments can include companies making a positive sustainable or social impact, such as a solar energy company, and exclude those making a negative impact.
SRI tends to go by many names, including values-based investing, sustainable investing and ethical investing. The abbreviation “SRI” has also come to stand for sustainable, responsible and impact investing. Some SRI practices use a framework of environmental, social and governance factors to guide their investing. This is generally referred to as ESG investing. The IHM community has been among the earliest religious organizations to commit to using the principles of SRI investing in our overall investment strategy. Since the mid-1970s, IHM has directed its financial managers to follow the IHM SRI guidelines. These guidelines are updated every six years or as needed. Our current guidelines can be found here.