SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING: An Internet Source Guide

This guide is intended to serve as an introduction to socially responsible investing for the individual who understands some of the basics of investing in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, and is interested in choosing investments that are consistent with environmental practices, fair labor standards, human rights, corporate accountability, and other personally-held values.  This information is not meant to provide investment advice or financial planning services and should not be substituted for professional advice.

The DMOZ Open Directory Project is an entirely free, human-edited directory to the World Wide Web.  Calling itself the Web’s largest, most comprehensive directory, DMOZ recently yielded 190 hits under the heading of Business: Investing: Socially Responsible.  Subheadings include Information for Investors; Mutual Funds; Research; Animal Cruelty-Free Investing; and Serious Critiques of SRI.  Links to related sites range from individual home pages to the pages of national nonprofits and financial services companies.  DMOZ is searchable by key words, and the links are annotated.

Good Money, Inc. is a commercial enterprise providing information on socially responsible investing/consuming and corporate social responsibility.  The web site requires no registration, is searchable by key words and phrases, and offers features such as company lists and profiles; articles and studies; how-to guides; information on social funds, banks, and ecotravel, as well as a directory with links to individual companies and investment sites; professional organizations, and activist groups.  A disclaimer states that Good Money, Inc. doesn’t “give, buy, hold, or sell recommendations [or} invest in companies or other investment opportunities.”

Co-op America is committed to helping consumers and investors make purchases and investments that are consistent with their values.  Co-op America provides information on sweatshops and environmentally unsafe products and practices, and links to sites that deal with personal finance, socially responsible investing, environmental issues, and other “green” issues.  A paid membership ($20 a year for individuals subscribing online) provides subscriptions to several of the organization’s publications, but there is a great deal of free information available from the web site.

The Social Investment Forum  is a national nonprofit organization that provides a wide range of resources for individuals and financial professionals who are interested in socially responsible investing.  The SIF web site offers links to financial services, company profiles, recent news articles, ongoing research, and other resources that promote ethical and socially conscious investment practices.  The site is open to anyone and is easily navigated; a paid membership offers to provide financial professionals the opportunity to “gain new SRI customers,” and “serve your clients better.”

SocialFunds.com  is a comprehensive personal finance site covering socially responsible investments, financial services, education, and news.  The site’s Education and Dialog section discusses screening of investments, community investing, and shareowner action; the financial services center provides links to money managers, planners, brokers, and an online mutual funds advisory newsletter.  Information on mutual funds, corporate social and environmental records, and banking reside in the site’s Investments section, and the SRI News section has up-to-date news on subjects such as corporate social responsibility, shareowner action, and other topics, as well as current values for social investment and conventional financial indexes.

The Socially Responsible Investment Coalition is comprised of individuals, institutions, and congregations who wish to manage their investment and consumer practices in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs.  A member of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, the SRIC provides education about social issues and corporate responsibility, works to influence corporate policy, and conducts research into a variety of social concerns, particularly as they impact the South-central United States.  Their web site provides links to a wide variety of educational and research sites as well as to services of interest to investors and consumers whose social consciousness is faith-based.

Michael Bluejay’s List of Socially-Responsible Stocks  is precisely what it claims to be.  In addition, Mr. Bluejay provides a clear rationale for choosing socially responsible investments as well as criteria to be used to distinguish desirable investments from not-so-desirable ones.  Other features include a guide for first-time homebuyers, and annotated lists of socially responsible companies in categories that include energy producers, financial services, natural foods and supplements, railroads, and pharmaceuticals.    Back to top

Goodfunds.com  is a web site sponsored by financial planner, Eric A. Smith, who specializes in socially responsible investing.  Goodfunds provides annotated links to periodicals and research dealing with socially responsible investment issues.  The site has an FAQ section as well as a bookstore of titles on socially responsible investing.  The site is searchable, and the sponsor invites requests for information as well as feedback on the site.

Business Ethics Corporate Social Responsibility Report  is an online magazine covering a variety of topics associated with socially responsible investing.  Business Ethics sponsors annual awards for the 100 best corporate citizens and provides information about business schools in the U.S.  The site also provides links to articles in current issues (there is a charge for back issues), related books and other products, and a free monthly email newsletter.  A subscription to the print version of Business Ethics Magazine costs $25 for one year (6 issues), but there is quite a bit of information available for free from the web site.

The Ecologic Investor  is a news service providing frequently updated coverage of ecological investment issues, clean energy, manufacturing and retail.  Recent articles discuss ExxonMobil shareholders’ vote against clean energy, bans on genetically engineered food, taxpayer funding of a nuclear waste repository in Nevada, and green companies seeking investors.  The site is free.

The Green Money Journal  is a comprehensive online journal dedicated to providing information on socially and environmentally sound business and investment practices.  Issues are archived back to 1999, and contact information is provided for those who wish to request issues prior to that year.  The site is searchable, provides opportunities to purchase books on related topics, and includes additional features such as a list of sponsors, links to related sites, and an events calendar.  A subscription to the print journal costs $50 annually (6 issues), but many, if not most, articles are available in full-text from the online version.

Studies in the Field of Socially Responsible Investing evaluates the quantitative aspects of SRI and the impact of screening on investment performance.  The site includes an annotated bibliography of SRI studies, a bibliographic essay, a list of 12 selected studies that the site sponsor deems especially relevant, and links to related sites.  The site is sponsored by Lloyd Kurtz, a financial analyst and director of quantitative research at a San Francisco money management firm.  The site provides useful information, but its design, which uses dark-colored backgrounds and small print, makes it difficult to use.

Corporate Governance is an online journal providing news, forums, commentary and conversations, educational information, library and corporate sites, along with related links, all designed to offer the investor up to date information about creating wealth while promoting corporate accountability and maintaining a free society.  This free site is searchable, with search hints provided, and also offers an annotated bibliography of articles and books related to corporate governance, as well as information about classes, conferences, and corporate sites.   Back to top

Calvert Online is the web site of the Calvert Group, Ltd., an early entry into the field of socially responsible investment companies.  The site offers an extensive list of services, including information for individual and institutional investors, shareholders, and financial planners; product profiles and prospectuses, a comprehensive “financial learning center” and retirement planning section, an advisor finder service, online account access, and free online tools, including an interactive service that screens mutual funds for holdings in areas of concern to socially responsible investors.

Citizens Funds is an investment firm that employs qualitative and quantitative analysis of companies’ financial status and corporate citizenship in order to select socially responsible firms for their clients’ retirement plans.  The web site lists daily prices for all of Citizens’ funds, charts fund performances, provides background information on socially responsible investing, and provides a description of its screening process and a list of indexed firms.

The Clean Yield Group works exclusively with socially conscious investors, researching and advising their clients about investment products that meet their financial goals and social values.  Clean Yield maintains an extensive list of social screens, and the site details these as well as offering information on SRI, a newsletter, and links to related sites.

Domini Social Investments supports investments that consider social and environmental issues as well as individual financial goals.  Its web site offers a wide variety of services to individuals and institutional investors, including online account access, an FAQ section, daily fund prices and performances, and a learning and planning center.  A free newsletter is available via email, and their screening criteria are presented in detail.

Trillium Asset Management calls itself the “oldest and largest independent investment management firm dedicated solely to socially responsible investing.”  Its web site provides information about SRI, social advocacy, consulting services for social investing, socially responsible mutual fund investments, and links to related sites.  The site is searchable, and offers a free email newsletter as well as a “news and announcements” section reporting recent company-related financial news. Back to top