More investors and organizations are looking to invest in socially-conscious and green companies with policies in line with their own values. (OTAPHotos/Flickr)
Krull was an early adopter of a growing trend – people wanting to ensure their money isn’t funding companies where strategies and business practices run counter to their beliefs.
“If you invest with your values, you can get competitive returns,” Krull insists. “I think that our clients and the people who come to us realize that when they own something in their investment portfolio that isn’t aligned with their values, that there’s a certain discontinuity with who they are.”
There are now hundreds of green stocks for investors to choose from.
Krull and others like him look for companies that focus on product safety and quality, or that have policies that empower shareholders, good environmental records and employee-friendly policies. He also places a special emphasis on community-based companies, so the money stays local.
Krull says he also works with schools, churches and nonprofit organizations to make sure their endowment investments are in line with their beliefs.
“I do believe it matters what you own, not only with individuals but also with churches and nonprofits, and helping congregations take a look and see what’s in their endowments and if those investments align with their values,” he states.
Krull says many clients looking to invest money for their retirement and children’s schooling want specifically to know their money isn’t supporting fossil fuels, or companies operating without a social ethic.
