Only the individual can answer that, investment experts say. People wanting more direct involvement in social causes can try community investing. By putting money into community-development financial institutions, which make loans in disadvantaged neighborhoods or even countries traditional banks shy away from, the world's poorest people get access to capital. While the returns range typically from 0 to just 5 percent, the potential good they do might be reason enough to invest. Shareholder resolutions rarely pass, but often just the threat of one can get policy changed.
Some companies respond to the shareholders more than they do to people in the street.
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