- INVESTING IN THE FUTURE Ethical Investing: How to Make Profitable
Investments Without Sacrificing Your Principles
Amy L. Domini with Peter D. Kinder Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1984
$17.95, 288 pp.
Ethical Investing offers a complete overview of the hows and whys of socially-responsible
money management. Starting with easy to understand explanations of the
basics of the investment business, Domini goes on to show readers how to
understand corporate finances, annual reports, and other sources of information
that can reveal a corporation's social track record. In addition, the book
presents step-by-step outlines for the socially-responsible investor, including
a financial "Self- Assessment" chart to use in determining the best types
of investments. Domini also discusses the different types of investment
opportunities, from mutual funds to retirement plans, and the issues to
consider in selecting them. Finally, the book presents a wealth of information
on companies, such as "Top Ten Sponsors of Sex, Violence and Profanity
on TV," most in easy to read chart form. While many of the appendices and
charts on corporate behavior are now outdated, Domini gives readers enough
sources and instruction in the body of the book to keep current without
much difficulty.
- Directory of Socially Responsible Investments
The Funding Exchange New York, The Funding Exchange, 1984
$5.00, 26 pp.
The Directory of Socially Responsible Investments includes brief descriptions of mutual
funds, conventional interest-earning instruments, alternative investments
and investment advisors and brokers. Information provided includes address
and telephone number, minimum investment needed, investment options and
company history.
- Economics as If the Earth Really Mattered
Susan Meeker-Lowry Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1988
$9.95, 294 pp.
Meeker-Lowry goes beyond the traditional"investment" perspective of socially-responsible
economics to detail such diverse subjects as home loans, minority-owned
banks, revolving loan funds, worker cooperatives and recycling-all with
an ethically- minded, profit generating slant. In addition, Economics as
If the Earth Really Mattered lists hundreds of specific investments for
people concerned with Third World Development, U.S. policy in Latin America,
and alternative energy. The book features profiles of organizations, case
studies, contact and resource lists, and an extensive bibliography.
- Directory of Alternative Investments
Michael Kilcullen New York: Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, 1985
$25.00, 200 pp.
Focusing on community development investment opportunities, the Directory of Alternative Investments
profiles 54 community-based financial institutions, enterprise development
groups, low- and moderate-income housing developers, and cooperatives.
Each profile includes a description of the organization, an outline of
the nature of the investment and financial information on the investment,
including amounts requested, rates of return, and the availability of business
plans and audits. Indices by geographical location and type of investment
provide easy cross- referencing and tailoring for interested investors.
- Rating America's Corporate Conscience
Steven D. Lydenberg, et. al. New York: Council on Economic Priorities, 1986
$14.95, 499 pp.
Like its Shopping for a Better World, the Council on Economic Priorities' Rating America's
Corporate Conscience is a guidebook to the corporations that produce and
market commonly used consumer items. The guide is divided into sections
on food, health and personal care, travel and household goods. Each section
features "Product Charts" that rate corporate behavior on charitable donations,
women and minority advancement, South Africa, general military and nuclear
weapons contracting, and information disclosure. "Company Charts," in addition
to cross- referencing the above information, include PAC contributions,
with Democratic/Republican breakdowns, and more detailed explanations of
the criteria in the Product Charts. While Rev. Sullivan's renunciation
of the Sullivan Principles has made this aspect of the book's rating system
obsolete, much useful information, including brief essays on corporate
histories and performance, remains to guide the careful shopper.
- Unified List of U.S. Companies Doing Business in South Africa and Namibia, 2nd
Ed. Richard Knight and Roger Walke New York: The Africa Fund, 1988
$8.00, 84 pp. ($30 for institutions)
The Unified List is a comprehensive directory
of U.S. companies doing business in South Africa or Namibia. The list traces
the often complex trails U.S. companies use to hide or minimize their South
African involvement. Each entry includes the company name, its current
South Africa/Namibia status (e.g. ownership or licensing), the names and
ownership shares of both U.S. and South Africa subsidiaries, product or
service provided, the number of South Africa employees, and the sales and
assets of the South Africa business. Cross-referencing eases identification
of parent companies for the reader. The Unified List is an essential resource
for the individual investor who manages his/her own portfolio.
- How Institutions Voted on Social Responsibility Shareholder Resolutions in the 1988 Proxy
Season
By Rebecca A. Williams IRRC Washington, D.C.: IRRC, Sept. 1988
119pp., $25.00
An annual series from IRRC, How Institutions Voted, examines
each shareholder resolution on social responsibility issues, discussing
why institutions voted as they did on the major issues of each proxy season.
Each entry lists resolution sponsors, how major institutions voted, the
total percentage voting in favor of the resolution, and the percentage
required for automatic reconsideration next year. It is divided into issue-specific
sections, ranging from South Africa withdrawal to pesticide and chemical
hazards.
- EthInves: The On-disk Almanac of Ethical Investing
Jerry Whiting, Seattle, 1988
Ethinves is a shareware almanac that provides reference material
on socially responsible investing. ("Shareware" refers to free computer
software that users are encouraged to pass on to others.) Ethinves is available
in either IBM (and compatible) or Macintosh versions. The information can
be retrieved by any word processing program. Ethlnves' files are crammed
with lists: utility companies with nuclear power plants; the top 100 defense
contractors and companies involved in South Africa. -Louis Nemeth .
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