MRTI dialogues with Target, Best Buy and General Mills

At the most recent meeting of the Mission Responsibility Through Investment committee in Minneapolis, Minn., the group engaged in dialogue with senior executives from the corporate headquarters of Target, Best Buy and General Mills. MRTI took the opportunity to engage these corporations in dialogue around issues such as reduction of greenhouse emissions as they relate to the manufacturing and transportation of goods, sustainable energy, reducing solid waste, the marketing of violent video games, child labor practices and more.

The conversations were initial dialogues and an attempt to open the door for further conversations and relationships with the companies as they might pertain to socially just and environmentally sound business practices. These types of corporate dialogues are common during MRTI committee meetings as the committee consistently seeks ways to educate themselves on corporate behavior while at the same time monitoring that behavior through direct conversation.

All three businesses have online reports about their corporate responsibility that covers items such as company ethics, community involvement, diversity in the workplace, standards and policies for working with foreign suppliers/distributors, disclosure of financial information and others. To find out, visit Best Buy, General Mills and Target.

Faith-based investing

God's call for justice, compassion and humility requires Presbyterians to respond. We believe a faithful response requires the whole of our lives, including our financial investments.

It is more than a practical question. It gets to the very essence of our faith. It is faith-based investing.

Faith-based investing involves thinking about one's financial resources and investments as part of a faithful life.

Sometimes called "socially responsible investing," faith-based investing is the stewardship of God's resources as entrusted to the church.

A faithful journey

One person's quest to know more about socially responsible investing

Not long ago, the simple, yet disturbing statement, "All shareholders care about is the bottom line," inspired me to become someone whose investments change the world for the better — in other words, a socially responsible investor.

Read this article written by Jacque French in Horizons, July-August 2004.

2009 General Assembly Divestment List

Confirmed By The Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment, Peace and Justice Ministries, General Assembly Council

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) urges divestment and/or proscription of some corporations due to their involvement in military-related production (MR), tobacco (TO) or human rights violations (HR).  This document contains a comprehensive list of corporations or securities affected by those General Assembly policies. View the quick list of affected corporations and securities and download the 2009 GA Divestment List

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