I don’t have investments in wall street, but I do have money in a bank

Step 1

Identify which bank(s) you have money in. Remember that you may have opened accounts in the past that are no longer your primary account.
- You can request a free Chex System report if you’re unsure about past accounts.
Learn what your bank invests in here.
- If this resource provides you with specific funds or holdings of the bank, use the research tools to assess whether your bank is funding violence.

Depending on what you learn from your research, search for active campaigns that target your specific bank and learn about how to get involved.
Send a letter to your bank representatives demanding that they divest from violence using a sample letter and encourage your friends, family, co-workers and community to do so as well.
Based on what you learn and the specific demands and calls to action, choose whether or not to divest from your current bank. When doing so, be sure to communicate clearly to your representative that you’re doing so because of their continued investment in violence.

Learn more about values-aligned financial institutions such as local credit unions that are investing in community well being. Learn more about where their funds are invested here.
When initiating a new account, make clear that you want to be sure that they do not invest in violence using the following questions and talking points.

Investigate: Investigate is a uniquely comprehensive online database of 300+ reports on corporate involvement in state violence, using American Friends Service Committee’s in-house human rights rating system and investment screening recommendations and tools. Investigate is used by grassroots groups, students, unions, funders, investors, institutions, and journalists.
Invest Your Values: Invest Your Values is a free online tool, managed by As You Sow, that analyzes the climate and social impacts of thousands of U.S. mutual funds, ETFs, and 401k plans. Invest Your Values includes data from Weapons Free Funds, Fossil Free Funds and Prison Free Funds.
Who Profits: Who Profits Research Center is an independent research center dedicated to exposing the commercial involvement of Israeli and international corporations in the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Syrian land and population.
BDS Movement: The BDS movement uses the historically successful method of targeted boycotts, inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the US Civil Rights movement, the Indian anti-colonial struggle, among others worldwide. This list is used to identify key corporate divestment targets.