Website address: http://www.gbophb.org/
First Things First - Putting Our Values Upfront
"All of our investments are screened according to policies adopted by our board
of directors in accordance with the Social Principles of The United Methodist
Church."
"As a socially responsible investor, all of the General Board's investments
are screened according to investment policies adopted by our board of
directors in accordance with the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church.
These policies exclude investments in companies earning significant revenues from gambling or from the manufacture, sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages, tobacco-related products, pornography, weapons, or the management or operation of prison facilities."
"The General Board was one of the original signatories to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to promoting and incorporating environmental, social and governance factors into investment decision-making."
Clear Values, Transparency, and full Disclosure
Each year a FaiIed / Ineligible Investments List is published specifying scores of companies evaluated and considered not aligned with the church's values.[http://www.gbophb.org/UserFiles/File/sri/ineligible.pdf]
A set of Portfolio Screening Guidelines are openly published (also available in the website). We learn that, in addition to the core principles specific to the Church, investments are guided by broad but clear social ethical standards:
"Some investments may be ineligible because of reputation, public image or any specific business practices determined to be a gross violation of the Social Principles (such as human rights violations, abusive labor practices including the exploitation of child labor, flagrant or egregious damage to the
environment, and unethical business practices)."
Real Life - Real Values
A UMNS Report, By Heather Hahn* January 5, 2012
Private prison companies are big business. But, is it moral for United Methodists to make a profit from the incarceration of people?
The United Methodist Church’s pension agency has pondered that question since May. The Board of Pension and Health Benefits announced Jan. 3 its decision to prohibit investments in companies that derive more than 10 percent of their revenue from the management and operation of prison facilities. “It came down to that profiting from the incarceration of others was just not consistent with our view of what the (denomination’s) Social Principles ask for,” said David Zellner, the board’s chief investment officer. The agency has the authority to make investment decisions.
The week after Christmas, the board sold about $1 million in stock in two companies that fell under the new screen — Corrections Corporation of America, more commonly called CCA, and the GEO Group.
With almost $17 billion in assets, the United Methodist program is the largest church pension fund — and 80th largest pension fund — in the United States. Some 74,000 clergy and lay personnel participate in the denomination’s pension and benefits programs.
First Things First - Putting Our Values Upfront
"All of our investments are screened according to policies adopted by our board
of directors in accordance with the Social Principles of The United Methodist
Church."
"As a socially responsible investor, all of the General Board's investments
are screened according to investment policies adopted by our board of
directors in accordance with the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church.
These policies exclude investments in companies earning significant revenues from gambling or from the manufacture, sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages, tobacco-related products, pornography, weapons, or the management or operation of prison facilities."
"The General Board was one of the original signatories to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to promoting and incorporating environmental, social and governance factors into investment decision-making."
Clear Values, Transparency, and full Disclosure
Each year a FaiIed / Ineligible Investments List is published specifying scores of companies evaluated and considered not aligned with the church's values.[http://www.gbophb.org/UserFiles/File/sri/ineligible.pdf]
A set of Portfolio Screening Guidelines are openly published (also available in the website). We learn that, in addition to the core principles specific to the Church, investments are guided by broad but clear social ethical standards:
"Some investments may be ineligible because of reputation, public image or any specific business practices determined to be a gross violation of the Social Principles (such as human rights violations, abusive labor practices including the exploitation of child labor, flagrant or egregious damage to the
environment, and unethical business practices)."
Real Life - Real Values
A UMNS Report, By Heather Hahn* January 5, 2012
Private prison companies are big business. But, is it moral for United Methodists to make a profit from the incarceration of people?
The United Methodist Church’s pension agency has pondered that question since May. The Board of Pension and Health Benefits announced Jan. 3 its decision to prohibit investments in companies that derive more than 10 percent of their revenue from the management and operation of prison facilities. “It came down to that profiting from the incarceration of others was just not consistent with our view of what the (denomination’s) Social Principles ask for,” said David Zellner, the board’s chief investment officer. The agency has the authority to make investment decisions.
The week after Christmas, the board sold about $1 million in stock in two companies that fell under the new screen — Corrections Corporation of America, more commonly called CCA, and the GEO Group.
With almost $17 billion in assets, the United Methodist program is the largest church pension fund — and 80th largest pension fund — in the United States. Some 74,000 clergy and lay personnel participate in the denomination’s pension and benefits programs.