Domini Investments

A growing number of shareholder activists are finding that it’s possible to profit from investments customized to fit their personal beliefs. However, the community of financial professionals dedicated to “socially responsible investors” remains small more than 20 years after the term was coined according to one southwest Michigan expert.

“There are still not too many investment advisors who offer this service to their clients. If you call 10 companies you might find one that does,” said Coleman Long, vice president and senior research analyst for Greenleaf Trust in Kalamazoo, MI.

“We don’t take a particular (social) view ourselves. What we’re looking at are the best opportunities in the market for clients interested in socially responsible investing, whatever that means to them. We’re the responsible fiduciary to make sure our clients are investing in ways that match their values. The best case is when you work with them to match their values to strategies that earn them competitive returns.”