March 6, 2008 - Socially responsible investing (SRI) in the U.S. is growing much faster than managed assets as a whole, according to a new report by the nonprofit Social Investment Forum. The report found that, from 2005 to 2007, SRI assets increased more than 18% while all investment assets under management edged up by less than 3%.

The report identifies $2.71 trillion in SRI assets, as defined by one or more of three core SRI strategies - screening, shareholder advocacy, and community investing. Today, nearly one out of every nine dollars under professional management in the U.S. is involved in socially responsible investing - about 11% of the $25.1 trillion in total assets under management.
 
The report credits rising institutional investor interest, growing demand for climate-related renewable energy alternatives, concerns about the Sudan humanitarian crisis, and the emergence of new products as key drivers of SRI growth.

Download the executive summary of the report here (PDF).