Faith-based investing has been a key part of the development of Responsible Investment. The modern roots of ethical investment in the UK can be traced back to the 1920s when the Methodist Church wished to start investing in the stock market whilst avoiding companies involved in alcohol and gambling.
Today there are opportunities for many faith-based charities to invest in line with their values and beliefs.
Considering the wider range of ethical issues this website discusses may be of relevance to your charity. Issues such as gambling, alcohol, pornography and military are commonly considered by pooled investment funds and they have traditionally been concerns of ethical investors.
A selection of pooled investment funds have been designed specifically to align with the general views of particular faiths – such as for Methodist, Catholic and Islamic investors.
A range of organisations and networks specialise in faith-based investing. These include:
Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) www.eccr.org.uk
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) www.iccr.org
Islamic Bank of Britain www.islamic-bank.com