Date: December 17,
2001
From: Domini Social Investments
To: Friends of Domini
Subject: Domini Social Investments Unveils New Web Site
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In this Message
1. Announcing the New domini.com!
2. New Features on domini.com
3. A Complete Domini Resource
4. “Triple Bottom Line” Investing – the
Domini Approach
5. Enhanced Shareholder Information and
Account Access
6. A Special Message from Amy Domini
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1. Announcing the New domini.com
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Dear Friends:
Domini Social Investments is pleased to announce the new
domini.com, the most comprehensive treatment of Socially Responsible Investing
(“SRI”) on the Internet. The new site
will benefit our shareholders as well as the wider community of individuals and
institutions exploring socially responsible investing.
Shareholders will find improved access to key information
about their investments, and extensive information on the social and
environmental impacts of their investment decisions.
Newcomers to SRI will find everything they need to evaluate
whether SRI is right for them.
Experienced social investors who wish to dig deeper will
find the most comprehensive treatment of SRI on the Internet.
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2. New Features
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Some of the site’s new features include:
Visit http://www.domini.com to begin exploring these and
other new and exciting features.
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3. A Complete Resource
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Domini.com is a complete resource for information about
Domini Social Investments, our investment approach and the companies we invest
in. You have access to:
COMPANY: Merck & Co., Inc.
STRENGTHS: Merck has been notably
successful in avoiding most product safety concerns -- the company reportedly
has never been ordered to withdraw a drug due to safety concerns. Merck has
also shown a consistent effort in its community relations outside of the United
States. The company’s non-U.S. in-kind giving is innovative and generous. The
major portion of Merck's in-kind contributions is in the form of Mectizan, the
firm's drug for the treatment of river blindness. As of 1998, according to the World Health Organization,
approximately 20 million people are treated yearly. Merck has also launched
recent initiatives to make its AIDS drugs more available to HIV infected
patients in Africa. In May 2000, in collaboration with the United Nations,
Merck and four other pharmaceutical firms announced plans to cut the prices of
AIDS medicines for African countries. Merck then went a step further in July
2000, when the company announced that in collaboration with the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation, it would commit $100 million in financial assistance
and medicines to Botswana over the next five years to fight HIV and AIDS.
CONCERNS: In February 1999, several major pharmaceutical
companies, including Merck, agreed to a proposed settlement of $176 million for
allegedly overcharging California consumers for drugs purchased at small
pharmacies. The class action suit was filed by independent pharmacies that
alleged that the drug companies were following a dual pricing system in the
early 1990s. Merck will pay the largest share of the settlement, estimated at
$23 million.
Read
more about Merck, and all the companies in the Domini 400 Social IndexSM.
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4. “Triple Bottom Line” Investing
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At Domini Social Investments, we seek to provide our
shareholders with competitive performance on three levels – financial, social
and environmental. The new domini.com not only explains what we mean by ”triple
bottom line” investing, but provides specific examples of how we work to
achieve these goals through our investments.
You’ll learn about how and why we apply social and environmental
screens, how we promote corporate accountability through shareholder advocacy,
how we invest in communities and what we are doing to advance the cause of social
and environmental responsibility.
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5. Account Access, Information and
Transactions
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Of course, you can still access
your account(s) 24x7 at domini.com.
By visiting the website, you can:
- view
your account balances and current
value
- view
your transaction history and distributions
- purchase
and redeem shares from your account
- exchange
assets within our fund family
- download
forms (change of address, beneficiary, etc.)
If you haven’t signed up for online account access, please
call customer service at 1-800-582-6757 to receive a PIN.
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6. A Special Message from Amy Domini
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We are very excited about the changes to Domini Social
Investments’ presence on the Internet.
Domini.com has evolved into the premier tool on the Internet for people
interested in socially responsible investing.
Our shareholders will find improved access to key information about
their investments, but they will also discover that we have built a transparent
framework around that financial information that, we hope, will help them
better appreciate the broader impact of their investment decisions.
If you haven’t visited http://www.domini.com in a while, I
hope you will soon. And when you do,
please let us know what you think. Your
feedback is always important to us and will help us continually improve your
experience at domini.com.
Enjoy,
Amy
amy@domini.com
View
our Privacy Policy.
The
Domini Social Equity Fund and the Domini Social Bond Fund are subject to market
risks and are not insured. You may lose
money.
As
of 9/30/01 Merck & Co., Inc. represented 3.06% of the Domini Social Index
Portfolio's (DSIP) holdings. The DSIP's
holdings are subject to change. Unlike other mutual funds, the Domini Social
Equity Fund (DSEF) seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing all
of its investable assets in the DSIP, a separate portfolio with an identical
investment objective. The Domini 400 Social Index is an index in which direct
investment cannot be made. Some of the
Domini Social Bond Fund’s community investments may be unrated and carry
greater credit risks than its other holdings.
Although the Domini Funds are no-load, certain fees and expenses
apply to a continued investment, which are described in the prospectus. Please
obtain a prospectus by calling 1-800-762-6814 or online at www.domini.com. Read
it carefully before you invest or send money. DSIL Investment Services LLC
(DSILD), Distributor. The Domini Funds
are not affiliated with any bank. DSILD and ShoreBank are
not affiliated.
12/01
KLD
Research & Analytics, Inc. ("KLD") is the owner of the Domini 400
Social Index (the "Index"). KLD determines the composition of the
Index but is not the manager of the Domini Social Equity Fund. Domini 400 Social
Index is a service mark of KLD and is used under license. The Index social
profiles are copyright © 2001 by KLD, and are reprinted here by permission.
