The Franciscan Sisters of Mary congregation is a socially responsible investor. While we seek to earn market-rate returns from our investment portfolio, we will not compromise by owning companies that operate in industries or do business in ways that conflict with our Catholic and Franciscan values. For a complete listing of our investment criteria, see FSM Investment Criteria.

Fossil Fuel Divestment

In 2014, to our list of excluded companies, we added those that explore for and extract fossil fuels, including the Filthy Fifteen, which are the nation’s largest extractors and users of coal, the dirtiest fuel of all. For more information, see Fossil Fuel Divestment.

Shareholder Advocacy

We intentionally invest in some companies with the goal of using our power as shareholders to influence companies to adopt more environmentally or socially responsible practices—e.g., installing recycling containers, using water sustainably, or providing lower-income employees with better wages or benefits. For more information, see FSM Shareholder Advocacy.