Our Approach

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland is committed to ensuring that our endowment funds are invested responsibly and sustainably. Our aim is to be a responsible investor, whilst ensuring that we generate good financial returns from our investments to support local communities, through our grant-making.

Ethical Screening

Our investment managers (Investec) have taken the time to understand the Foundation and what is important to us. We have therefore agreed our investment preferences regarding responsible investments. Ethical Screening is used to screen potential investments ensuring that our ethical constraints and preferences are met.

Negative screening

We avoid investments in companies involved in these activities:

• armaments
• alcohol
• human rights abuses
• tobacco
• pornography

Positive screening

We invest in companies that are involved in these activities and practices:

• companies that show leadership in product design
• positive employee policies
• environmental protection
• human rights practice

We also require our investment managers to ensure that investments selected are not in conflict with our vision and mission.

As a charity that is committed to social justice and a fair and equitable society for everyone, we are committed to an investment portfolio that reflects this.

Monitoring and Reporting

Investec provide quarterly reports to the Trustees which include examples of both positive and negative screening, in addition to investment performance data.

Investec attend Trustee meetings at least twice a year to provide more detailed information and an opportunity for discussion on the investment performance and ethical investments. An annual review of the ethical investment strategy is carried out by Investec with Trustees, to consider whether any changes are required.