Franklin Research & Development (FRDC) [now known as Trillium Asset Management]
FRDC was founded in 1982 by Joan Bavaria. This employee-owned company is dedicated to social change through responsible investing.
...They have a reputation for responsibility and fairness to investors, companies, and social activists. These three groups look to FRDC for information on a wide range of issues including:
- the environment
- employee relations, health care
- corporate citizenship
- international human rights
- renewable energy utilization
- product quality, animal rights
- military procurement and conversion
FRDC publishes Franklin's Insight, a monthly newsletter which rates and recommends responsible investments of all kinds, from community loan funds to stocks and bonds. Insight aims to inform and empower a wide network of investors worldwide, influencing the allocation of capital. Investors and others concerned with corporate responsibility get practical information on how to evaluate corporations on a broad range of issues -- the environment, community reinvestment, employment practices and international operations, etc.
Their interactive research style involves comprehensive, direct dialogue with companies.
FRDC offers an outstanding resource for the socially concerned investor. Their social research assesses companies through a proprietary rating system. In addition to standard social screens they focus on issues not addressed by other managers, such as new Standards on International Human Rights. Company evaluations, international in scope focus on the following areas:
- environmental sensitivity
- employee relations, corporate citizenship
- South Africa, International human rights
- renewable energy utilization
- military procurement
- product quality, enhancement of quality of life
FRDC rates socially responsible mutual funds on a variety of issues...
FRDC manages the Better World Fund, a pension investment fund launched by General American, a life insurance company...
Patrick McVeigh, Vice President of Franklin Research & Development Corporation has provided GreenMoney with the following inside look:
'Though socially responsible assets under management at FRDC have grown steadily over the past decade to approximately $380 million, our vision of the future is more about redefining investments than about how fast the field can grow.
...Over the past year, FRDC has been involved in a number of activities that we believe have taken steps in this direction. We worked very closely with Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, in writing a code of conduct for its suppliers. ...We also worked with McDonald's to get them to endorse the belief that 'the humane treatment of animals is a moral responsibility' and require that their suppliers follow a tough set of guidelines.
Other achievements include getting a growing number of large companies to agree to the need to submit to an annual, standardized reporting on their environmental impact...
Through our investment management services for individuals, institutions and 401k retirement plans, and our newsletter, Investing for a Better World, we look forward to continuing to play a role in redefining investment possibilities.'
For more information write or call: Franklin Research & Development Corporation (FRDC), 711 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA. 02111, Phone (617) 423-6655."
Maintained by Rory O'Brien robrien@web.net
Last update of this page September 12, 2000