Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) involves monitoring our investment portfolio from a moral and ethical perspective and exercising our rights and responsibilities as shareholders to hold corporations accountable for their social and environmental policies and practices.

Shareholder Advocacy

What is Shareholder Advocacy Managing Tasks

Community Development Loans

Investing for Community Development Why do we Invest this Way Allocating Investments

Corporate Engagement

Annual Summary of Shareholder Activity Active Actions

Why Do We Engage in Corporate Social Responsibility

We engage in Corporate Social Responsibility in order to fulfill the congregation’s mission to “direct our corporate resources to the promotion of justice, peace, and reconciliation” and thereby to effect change toward social and environmental justice.

Corporate Engagement 2021-22

It is that time again when the Corporate Social Responsibility Office gets a little “antsy” because we’re still voting proxies, virtually making last-minute decisions on corporate resolutions with “not so happy” corporations, and preparing for corporate annual general meetings (AGM). However, when we reflect on our ministry, we are privileged to be participants in this most important work. We are inspired by Pope Francis, who reminds us:

“A better future can exist only if it is built by everyone for everyone. No one must be excluded!”
108^th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, May 5, 2022

Actually, that is our mandate as we witness to living the Gospel and practicing justice and solidarity with the many and diverse organizations and corporations that we work with every day. Our shareholder advocacy work with corporations and people on the margins or at the bottom of the pyramid is very much aligned with the message of Francis. We witness to the daily tragedies around our neighborhoods, cities, nation, and global community. Mass shootings, such as the deadly incidents in Buffalo and Uvalde, have been fueled by purposely hateful speech and facilitated by unfettered access to lethal, military-grade weapons. For two years we’ve all lived through a national and global pandemic/climate crisis, political ill will, and severe human rights abuses. We now add the war in Ukraine, which will continue to impact every aspect of our lives—spiritually, socially, economically, emotionally, and otherwise. The global supply chain has been interrupted; there are millions and millions of migrants and climate/war refugees; the oil/gas industry (one of the most egregious) has been told to drill; and there is little evidence of diplomatic progress.

Click here for brief action summaries giving insight into our shareholder engagement for 2020-21.

More Important Information!

DID YOU KNOW?

THE CONGREGATION HOLDS ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP IN:

Philadelphia Area Coalition For Responsible Investment (PACRI)
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR)
Northwest Committee for Responsible Investment (NWCRI)
Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN)

Our membership in the organizations listed above as well as our active collaboration with organizations such as Ceres, Franciscan Action Network, Christian Brothers Investment Services, Walden Asset Management, Boston Common Asset Management and many other SRI managers enable us to effect change at the corporate level.

We also maintain a collaborative relationship with several other Responsible Investor Coalitions

Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI)
Neumann University
The Catholic High School of Baltimore.

Read some of the outcomes of our work in Corporate Social Responsibility.

For more information about Corporate Social Responsibility, contact us.

Social Justice Fund Grants

Since the early 1980s the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia were fortunate to be able to award Social Justice Fund grants, and have been blessed to learn of the difference these grants have made in the lives of those who are poor and/or marginalized. However, due to the present changing times, our congregation finds it necessary to reorganize its distribution of charitable funds. Because of this development, the Sisters of St. Francis will no longer be awarding Social Justice Fund grants.

It is our hope and prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide you to another source of funds.

Peace and all good! Read a highlighted success story here.

Active Action

An essential component of our corporate social responsibility commitment is shareholder advocacy. We actively engage with corporations on a variety of issues that we believe enable them to be more accountable for their policies and actions. To read what active actions we are currently pursuing, click here!