Socially Responsible Investing

In the past, whenever I've researched socially responsible funds, they've all seemed to come up short, with sub-par returns and/or overpriced expense ratios. It's been a few years since I last researched the subject, though, and I've been hearing about it more lately through various channels. My favorite podcast, Marketplace Money, even did a segment on it recently which claimed that it was possible to invest in a way that was responsible to your own financial future while simultaneously being socially and environmentally responsible. I'm hoping that this round of research will lead to a positive conclusion for me, either because better funds are available now or because I didn't know where to look before. Also, I think I could get a lot more people excited about saving and investing if I could tell them how to save the world at the same time.

I have both friends and friendly strangers helping me with my research, and I am really enjoying exploring the websites they've sent me to already. Over the next few weeks, I will post regular updates on what I learn as I attempt to answer the question, "Is it possible to invest wisely in your future without selling out on your values?" Please feel free to send me your opinions and your favorite resources on this topic.