Funds and fund managers
In this section:
For advisers
Helping charities to find funds and fund managers
For fund managers
What charities will want to know about your services, and what others are doing
Further information
Sources of information on funds and fund managers
For advisers
Charities may need your support in selecting a fund manager that can meet their financial needs and social, environmental and ethical (SEE) objectives.
This involves carefully researching what is available and questioning fund managers about their approach and expertise.
UKSIF’s free online training course gives guidance on providing advice on “green” and ethical investment. It includes a section on the selection of fund managers and pooled investment funds. The course is specifically for IFAs but much of the information is relevant for any adviser or consultant.
You can use a range of sources to identify investment opportunities, some of which are set out below.
A list of questions you may wish to ask fund managers in relation to Responsible Investment is given in the For charities section.
Charities may also need support to formally review the performance of investments to ensure that fund managers are delivering on the objectives specified in the investment policy.
For fund managers
Charities looking to invest ethically will want to know if your services meet their needs. Responsible Investment is increasingly about using a range of approaches, including positive screening and engagement, rather than simply avoiding particular companies. The diversity of the charity sector means that the SEE issues charities wish to incorporate into investments is likely to be varied.
It may be useful to look at the questions to ask fund managers in the charities section to understand what information charities may be looking for.
The sources included in the further information section below could help you to see how information about your investment services is presented and how these services compare to what else is available.
Further Information
The Database of funds and fund Managers provides details of the SRI services available to charities. It enables you to search for fund managers providing segregated management or pooled funds that fit with the amount a charity has to invest. It provides details of the methodology used to incorporate social, environmental and ethical issues into investment processes and contact details for further information.
The Charity Commission website provides a list of registered common investment funds.
The EIRIS website provides a list of over 90 retail ethical funds. Further information on these funds is available in the EIRIS Guide to Ethical Funds, which provides details of UK-domiciled ethical retail funds.
The Ethical Screening website includes a searchable database of ethical funds which can be used by FSA registered advisers.
The Eurosif Retail Transparency Guidelines aim to create more clarity on the SRI principles and processes of fund managers. The website gives details of which fund managers are signatories to the guidelines and their approach to SRI.
The Eurosif SRI Funds Service provides details of European SRI funds, including information on performance and risk measures.
