At the risk of presenting what may seem like just another list for the New Year, I’d like to offer some specific actions we can take to move toward a more sustainable society. This is intended to be a straightforward, real world guide for creating meaningful change, not just another batch of hopeful New Year’s resolutions that will be forgotten before the end of the first quarter. Here we go:

1. Define and prioritize your social, ethical and environmental goals and beliefs. Terms like “socially responsible”, “sustainable” and “green” mean very different things to different people so it’s important to define what this all means to you. This will allow you greater control and flexibility and make it more likely that your actions will create the impact you seek.
2. Once you’ve got your basic, personal social/environmental profile in place, take a look at what investments you own and whether they’re aligned with your priorities. Calvert Investments “Know What You Own” program (http://calvert.com/sri-kwyo.html) allows you to enter the name of stocks or mutual funds, select specific issues you’re concerned about and determine if these holdings are in concert with your views. You can also search to see if a particular company is held in a mutual fund you own. While investment decisions shouldn’t be made based on this information alone, and you may have investments which aren’t in their data base, this can be a great place to start.
3. Look at how the cash reserves portion of your savings is currently invested. Do business with financial institutions who have demonstrated a real commitment to your community. Emphasize local and regional banks and credit unions whose success depends on the long-term health of your community.
4. Consider investing a portion of your savings with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI’s) which support affordable housing, women and minority-owned businesses and essential non-profit organizations in your area. The Community Investing Center (www.communityinvest.org), a joint project of the Social Investment Forum Foundation and Green America, offers a wealth of resources including a searchable directory of organizations based on their missions and geographical area. Since many of these institutions are, by their nature, not insured, sound financial management is extremely important so be sure to do your homework before investing.
5. If you participate in a company-sponsored retirement plan, see what green investment options are available. If they’re insufficient, make a request to your employer to add some of these choices. It is in your employer’s best interest as a fiduciary to offer a broad range of options and they often just need a bit of gentle prodding to make it happen. If you’re self-employed, consider incorporating green options in your IRA, Roth IRA or other individual account.
6. Encourage sustainable and responsible practices in your workplace. Exercise whatever influence you have re: materials purchased, energy choices, encouraging use of car pooling and public transit, etc.
7. Along with being aware of the impact of your investment dollars, remember that every dollar you spend as a consumer is in effect an economic vote for a company and their way of doing business. Whenever possible, support businesses who are aligned with your values and who act responsibly toward all stakeholders in the community, not just their shareholders.
8. Since global climate change may be the greatest single challenge facing this generation, identify 3 things you can do this year to reduce your “carbon footprint”. Selecting one of the renewable, clean energy options from your local utility for your home and/or business is one high impact way to accomplish this since so much of our carbon output is associated with power use. While this is of course much more than a financial issue, without meaningful progress on this front, many financial matters will become relatively insignificant in the overall scheme of things.

With any of these items, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good! Everything we do counts and we don’t need to achieve perfection to make a real difference. While reducing our high consumption lifestyle as a society is certainly a major part of any sustainability action plan, it’s clear that we can still lead happy and fulfilling lives by emphasizing people, relationships and connection over short-term profit, consumerism and material possessions.  I believe we have a much greater probability of success and have much to look forward to if we remain positively focused on the more peaceful, prosperous and healthy world we can create.


Please drop me an email if you have any suggestions or feedback regarding this list or have personal stories you’d like to share on how you’re using your financial resources to create positive change. I wish you all the best in 2010 as we continue this journey together.


Harry Moran helps socially conscious investors define and achieve their highest goals by aligning their money with their values. A 23-year veteran of the financial services profession, Mr. Moran has held the Certified Financial Planner® designation since 1991. He is a network member of First Affirmative Financial Network, a national professional organization dedicated to meeting the needs of the socially conscious investing community. Mr. Moran can be reached directly at Cornerstone Financial Advisors at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 518-877-8800.

Mention of specific securities, funds, or companies should not be considered an offer or a recommendation to buy or sell the security, fund, or company. To determine the suitability of any particular investment, please consult with your investment adviser. Remember, past performance is no guarantee of future results and no investment strategy can assure success. The opinions expressed are those of the author and may change without notice. Harry Moran is a registered representative offering securities through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc., member FINRA SIPC. Cadaret, Grant is not affiliated with
Cornerstone or First Affirmative.