NATIONAL CATHOLIC COALITION FOR RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT

The National Catholic Coalition for Responsible Investment (NCCRI) was begun in February 1973 as a joint project of the National Federation of Priests Councils, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, the National Assembly of Women Religious, the Catholic Committee of Urban Ministry, and the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice. Coordinators of NCCRI since its foundation have been Reverends Eugene Boyle, Donald Bargen, OMI, and Michael Crosby, OFM Cap. NCCRI has a twofold purpose: to educate Catholic institutions about the desirability and manner of becoming involved in corporate social responsibility; and to facilitate the effort of Catholic institutions in their involvement.

The educational component of NCCRI was given in over 500 Catholic dioceses, religious congregations, schools, and health-care centers in 17 regional meetings since 1973. As a result of most of these seminars, regional coalitions were formed to achieve the second goal of NCCRI, the active effort of Catholic institutions in the corporate responsibility movement. By 1978 ten regions, comprising over 150 portfolio-holding Catholic institutions, became actively involved through membership in the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) in New York, a joint project of both NCCRI-related organizations and major Protestant denominations and agencies. In 1977, Sister Regina Murphy, SC, was elected the first Catholic chairperson of ICCR. In 2001, ICCR had over 275 Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish institutions that used their investments in the marketplace to promote social change.

[m. crosby/

p. hayes]