Gourt > Business > Investing > Socially Responsible > Mutual Funds
- This article deals with U.S. mutual funds. For other forms of mutual investment see the article, Collective investment schemes.
A mutual fund is a form of collective investment that pools money from many investors and invests the money in stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, and/or other securities. In a mutual fund, the fund manager trades the fund's underlying securities, realizing capital gains or loss, and collects the dividend or interest income. The investment proceeds are then passed along to the individual investors. The value of a share of the mutual fund, known as the net asset value (NAV), is calculated daily based on the total value of the fund divided by the number of shares purchased by investors.
Legally known as an "open-end company", a mutual fund is one of three basic types of investment companies available in the United States. Outside of the U.S., mutual fund is a generic term for various types of collective investment. In the UK and western Europe (including offshore jurisdictions) other forms of collective investment are prevalent including unit trusts, Open-Ended Investment Companies (OEICs), SICAVs and unitized insurance funds.
History
The first open-end mutual fund, Massachusetts Investors Trust was founded on March 21, 1924, and after one year had 200 shareholders and $392,000 in assets. The entire industry, which included a few closed-end funds, represented less than $10 million in 1924. More on [ Mutual fund ]
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Acuity Funds - Canadian company offering several clean environment mutual funds and social values funds.
Meta Description: [ At Acuityfunds.com you will find up to date information on Canadian, social, environmental, mutual, and pooled funds as well as Private Wealth information. ]
Allegiance Fund - Utilizes negative screens. Avoids companies involved in the alcohol, gambling, tobacco and certain health care industries. United States.
Meta Description: [ American Trust Company Is Dedicated To One Purpose: To Provide Personalized Investment Management For Our Clients. We Are An Independent Trust Company Chartered By The New Hampshire Banking Department In 1991. We Provide Investment Management And Trust Services For Individuals And Institutions... ]
Amana Mutual Funds Trust - Family of religious-based funds incorporating Shari'ah-based Islamic principles. United States.
Aquinas Fund - Fund family based on Catholic values of stewardship and economic justice. Named after St. Thomas Aquinas. United States.
Ariel Mutual Funds - Fund family employing ethical business practices and other screens. Minority owned and operated management company. United States.
Meta Description: [ The Ariel Mutual Funds are a no load family of mutual funds.Our site contains detailed fund descriptions and information to help you make the right investments for your future. Retirement planning, college planning and our step by step investment guide Investing 101 can all be found here. ]
Azzad Funds - Family of religious-based funds incorporating Shari'ah-based (Islamic) principles. United States.
Calvert Group - Provides mutual funds that invest in socially and environmentally responsible companies.
Meta Description: [ Calvert socially responsible mutual funds. Calvert: Investments that make a difference. ]
Calvert Mutual Funds - Family of funds incorporating comprehensive social screening, shareholder activism, and community investing. Site tool offers opportunity for public to check whether stocks in other mutual funds meet certain criteria. United States.
Meta Description: [ Calvert socially responsible mutual funds. Calvert: Investments that make a difference. ]
Catholic Funds, Inc. - An SP 500 index fund that screens out companies that do not adhere to Catholic values. The Funds also advocate for corporate responsibility. United States.
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Christian Stewardship Funds - Provides several index mutual funds designed for Evangelical Christian investors, avoiding equities involved with abortion, alcohol, gambling, pornography, and tobacco. United States.
Citizens Funds - Family of broadly screened funds. Involved in shareholder advocacy and activism campaigns with their holdings. United States.
Meta Description: [ Citizens Funds has been a leader in serving the socially responsible needs of retail investors and institutional investors since 1982. ]
CRA Qualified Investment Fund - Institutional fund invests according to the Community Reinvestment Act guidelines. United States.
Meta Description: [ Community Capital Management's investment philosophy is to provide relative value via actively managed fixed income portfolios while promoting economic and community development throughout the United States. The social benefits of each investment are analyzed as rigorously as the financial charac... ]
Domini Social Investments - Family of SRI funds including an index fund. Utilizes screening, shareholder activism, and community investing. United States.
Meta Description: [
Shareholders in the Domini Funds make a difference in the world. Invest in our mutual funds and money market account and help engage companies on global warming, sweatshop labor, and product safety. Revitalize distressed communities.
]
Dreyfus Premier Third Century Fund, Inc. - Traditional fund family offering a SRI fund that incorporates limited general screening. United States.
Enterprise Global Socially Responsive - Traditional mutual fund family offering a global SRI fund. United States.
Ethical Funds of Canada - Family of mutual funds with some products aimed specifically for Canadian citizens and other products for investors in various geographic areas. Canada.
Meta Description: [ Ethical Funds is Canada's first family of socially responsible mutual funds. Our site includes mutual fund information, pricing, and socially responsible investing (sri) ]
Flex-funds: The Total Return Utilities Fund - Utility sector fund with an explicit non-nuclear screen. United States.
Green Century Funds - Mutual funds founded, managed, and owned by a partnership of non-profit environmental organizations. United States.
Meta Description: [ Green Century Funds - no-load mutual funds investing in environmentally progressive companies, and working towards improving corporate environmental responsibility. ]
IPS Funds - Not strictly an ethical fund by prospectus. Avoids companies that conflict with the manager's animal rights and other views and values. United States.
Meritas Mutual Funds - Fund family incorporating Mennonite values. Utilizes screening, shareholder advocacy, and community investing. Canada.
MMA Praxis Mutual Funds - Family of funds based on Mennonite religious values. Incorporates screening, shareholder advocacy, and community investing strategies. United States.
Meta Description: [ MMA Praxis Mutual Funds helps you make life choices that reflect your faith and values ]
Monaco Environment Development Durable - Sustainability fund of funds managed by Credit Agricole Asset Management of France. Monaco.
New Alternatives Fund - Environmentally screened fund specializing in alternative energy, recycling, and energy conservation issues. United States.
Meta Description: [ New Alternatives Fund is a mutual fund investing in alternative energy and the environment since 1982. ]
Parnassus Investments - Family of screened SRI funds. United States.
Meta Description: [ Provider of no-load mutual funds that invest in undervalued companies with good business practices. ]
Pax World Funds - Family of SRI funds utilizing general social and environmental screens, shareholder activism, and community investing. United States
Meta Description: [ Pax World socially responsible mutual funds, a pioneer in socially responsible investing has offered SRI funds since 1970. Socially responsible investing with a low $250 minimum, IRA, Roth and Education Savings Accounts. ]
Portfolio 21 - Global fund utilizing sustainability SRI principles. United States.
Meta Description: [ Portfolio 21 is a no load global equity mutual fund for individuals and institutions committed to investing in a sustainable future. ]
Real Assets - Funds and managed products incorporating screening and shareholder activism approaches. Canada.
Meta Description: [ Real Assets mutual funds help you invest for your financial goals and build a better world. Our mutual funds and pooled funds promote ethical business practices, fair treatment of workers, and communities and a healthy environment for future generations. ]
Security Social Awareness Fund - Family of traditional funds offering one SRI fund. Available as separate mutual fund or inside a variable annuity. United States.
Sierra Club Mutual Funds - Fund group investing in companies that meet Sierra Club's environmental and social guidelines. Incorporates screening and best-in-class strategies. United States.
Meta Description: [ Sierra Club Mutual Funds - from Forward Management. Unite your financial goals with environmental progress. Securities selected must meet environmental guidelines established by the Sierra Club. ]
Social Awareness Fund - Individual screened fund available through Solomon Smith Barney offices. United States.
The Women's Equity Mutual Fund - Invests in companies that advance the social and economic status of women in the workplace. United States.
Timothy Plan - Fund family based on a set of Christian biblical religious values. United States.
Meta Description: [ The Timothy Plan® is America's first pro-life/pro-family biblically-based mutual fund group designed for morally responsible investors, by offering a biblical investment choice. If you are concerned with the moral issues (abortion, pörnography, anti-family entertainment, non-married lifestyles,... ]
| Daniel Adamson of Blue Investment Management is interviewed on ABC's Money Matters about a new mutual fund called The Blue Fund which invests in socially responsible companies that are net contributors to the Democratic party |
