The Frohlich Social Enterprise Fund (FSEF) is a project that examines the relationship between profitability and ethical investing by creating a portfolio of 40 socially responsible companies. The goal is to determine whether investing with a focus on social entrepreneurship and sustainability can yield competitive financial returns. I chose this project to combine my interest in financial markets with my passion for ethical and socially conscious business practices. Since I began investing my personal salary into the stock market, I’ve been curious about whether it’s possible to align my investments with my values while still achieving growth.

To test this, I selected three financial benchmarks: the FSEF to represent ethical investing, the Comparison Fund to explore growth in stocks I believe are primed for success, and an S&P 500 index as a standard for market performance. These benchmarks allow for a comprehensive comparison of socially responsible investing against traditional growth strategies and the broader market. By exploring these concepts, I hope to challenge the idea that financial success and ethical responsibility are mutually exclusive.