Socially Responsible Investing: a Growing Part of the Investment Industry (2/2)

Shareholder advocacy is another form of socially responsible investing. One example is the movement to stop investing in companies that did business in South Africa during the period of racial separation in that country. Shareholders sometimes sell stocks of companies that do not share their social values. Community investing is the most direct form of social investing. This means providing credit or investing in businesses in a local community.

Today, about half of American families own stock in some form. And more people are considering the effect their investments have. This has caused some companies to consider social issues as well as business plans. 

A recent public opinion study by Harris Interactive and the Wall Street Journal asked people what they thought were the best and worst American companies. The people named the software maker Microsoft as the best company.

One of the main reasons is the company's chairman, Bill Gates. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given billions of dollars to organizations around the world to support health care and education.