and doesn't speak the social language. It is a reflection of our cultural split. My remedy is that every single investment committee for a local church endowment should have a "token" social activist. That person needs to be able to articulate social investing so that financial people can understand it. You have to speak the financial language. That's not the whole picture because there are local churches that have taken social investing seriously. CUE: What would you suggest for a local church interested in SRI? REECK: First of all they have to decide what sorts of resources they have and how long they can commit them. Even a church that is saving for a building fund can invest those short term resources in a socially responsible way. If they happen to be in a denomSocially Responsible Consuming? For another angle on "social responsibility," consider two new books and two publications that help consumers (and investors) find out more about the companies from which they buy products. Rating America's Corporate Conscience evaluates the social performance of 130 companies and their brand name products. The 500 page book is published by the Council on Economic Priorities (see Access) and is available for $14.95, paper, and $21.95 hardcover. NFA’s Guide to Boycotting the Nuclear Weapons Industry provides an analysis of the top 50 nuclear contractors and information on how to boycott their products. Published by Nuclear Free America (see Access), the 96 page book costs $6.00, paperback. A number of organizations are sponsoring boycotts of specific companies. INFACT, which ran a successful boycott against Nestle, has now tar- getted General Electric. GE is involved in more nuclear weapons systems than any other company. For information on a number of consumer boycotts, subscribe for $5 a year to The National Boycott Newsletter (6506 28th Ave., NE, Seattle, WA 98115, 206-523-0421). To direct your consumer dollar to cooperative or worker-owned businesses, join Co-op America (2100 M Street, NW, Suite 310, Washington D.C. 20063, 800-424-COOP), which publishes Building Economic Alternatives. The Summer 1986 edition lists 15 groups that import products made by Third World people. ination with a foundation, for instance the United Presbyterian Church, they can invest their funds in the foundation and they will follow social guidelines in investing those funds. In other cases, they can go shopping for a [socially screened] mutual fund. They need to go through an assessment process in terms of their social interests as well. What is it in which they want to avoid investing? Too many churches stop there. The second step is: What is it they want to positively support? It's a question of not just divestment, but investment. They can establish their social and financial goals and then they can go shopping. A variety of groups can help them find the right investments. Essentially, I think they are limited to investments in mutual funds, banks that have a particular social responsibility, or possibly credit unions, it ACCESS: Community Development Lending Industrial Cooperative Association, 249 Elm St., Somerville, MA 02114, 617-628-7330 Institute for Community Economics, 151 Montogue City Rd., Greenfield, MA 01301, 413-774-7956 National Association of Community Development Loan Funds, 151 Montogue City Rd., Greenfield, MA 01301, 413-774-7956 National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, 29 John St., Rm. 903, New York, NY 10038,212-513-7191 National Training and Information Center, 954 West Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607, 312-243-3035 Self-Help Credit Union, 413 East Chapel Hill St., Durham, NC 27701, 919-683-3016 South Shore Bank of Chicago, 71st and Jeffrey Blvd., Chicago, IL 60649, 312-288-7017 Woodstock Institute, 53 West Jackson Blvd., Ste. 304, Chicago, IL 60604, 312-427-8070 Page 23
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