PND (4/25/2000) -- Socially Responsible Mutual Fund Presents Awards for Outstanding Corporate Programs

The Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based Citizens Funds, one of America's largest socially and environmentally responsible mutual funds, has awarded Corporate Citizenhip Awards to 12 of the companies represented in its Citizens Index Fund. The awards were presented April 19 as part of an event celebrating the fifth anniversary of the fund.

Cox Communications, Nextel Communications, and the Starbucks Corporation won for their community programs; Bell South, American Express, and Avon received awards for diversity; the McGraw-Hill Companies and BJ's Wholesale Clubs won in the field of Education; Liz Claiborne, Inc. received the Human Rights award; and Tellabs and Apple Computer won in the Environment category.

"All 300 companies [in the fund] pass the screens in all of these ares," said Joe Keefe, executive vice president of the fund. "But these companies are those whose efforts and innovations stood out."

The Citizens Index Fund is a passively managed mutual fund invested in the Citizens Index, which is designed to serve as the benchmark for socially responsible investing in much the same way that the S&P 500 Index is meant to reflect the large-cap market as a whole.

"Citizens Funds to Recognize Companies for Corporate Responsibility." Citizens Funds Press Release 3/29/2000.

Harris, Steven. "Good Corporate Citizens." Christian Science Monitor 4/24/2000.

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