Professional Focus and Services

Michael Kramer, Managing Partner of Natural Investments LLC (NI), is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® and the only investment advisor in Hawai`i to exclusively provide socially responsible investment (SRI) advisory services. Serving a select number of individual, non-profit, foundation, family office and business investors nationwide, Michael uses his understanding of their unique characteristics and needs to develop a customized investment program which suits their financial and social goals.

Michael is also the NI Director of Social Research, through which he maintains the NI Social RatingSM, the industry’s sole social rating system which assesses the breadth and depth of social criteria employed by the nation’s major SRI mutual funds.

Natural Investments LLC maintains its own managed asset programs according to varied risk levels. Michael uses the following tools to fulfill clients’ needs:

• Mutual Funds
• Retirement Plans
• Financial Planning
• Education Savings Plans
• Individual “Green” Stocks
• Fiduciary Audits
• Separate Accounts

Natural Investments LLC is also the subadvisor to the McCabe Natural Investments SRI Insurance Fund, the first SRI private placement life insurance product in the United States, offered by Prudential.

Professional Affiliations

Michael has been a Network Adviser of First Affirmative Financial Network and a member of the Social Investment Forum since 2001. Michael is a member of the Co-op America Green Business Network and the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce. Natural Investments LLC is also a founding B Corporation and has signed the UN Principles of Responsible Investment.

Education and Experience

Michael earned degrees in Political Science and Child Development from Tufts in 1988 and a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard in 1990. He earned the Series 63 license from the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2000 and has been an advisor with Natural Investments LLC ever since. He earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary, or AIF®, designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies in 2003 and remains one of only a handful of designees in Hawai`i.

Michael’s entire career has focused on sustainability. He founded and directed Youth Ecology Corps and helped to spawn the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and the New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps Leadership Program. He was also an independent non-profit consultant, helping dozens of organizations with fund development, program planning and evaluation, and strategic planning.

Michael earned permaculture (sustainable) design certification in 1993 and has been teaching it ever since, including permaculture teacher trainings with fellow NI advisor Christopher Peck since 1998.

Community Involvement

During the 1990’s in Santa Fe, Michael participated in civic affairs through the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Task Force, the Mayor’s Task Force on Apprenticeships (which he chaired), and the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission, which he founded. He participated in legislative efforts to increase funding for youth prevention programs. Michael served on the Board of Directors of the Center for Service Learning Opportunities in Education, Youth Ecology Corps, and Community Economic and Ecological Development Institute.

In Kailua-Kona, where he lives today, Michael served for several years as a member of the Hawai`i Coalition for Dads and completed a two-year Governor appointment to represent West Hawai`i on the Hawai`i State Commission on Fatherhood. Michael is a member of Hui Laulima, a coalition of private and public sector organizations interested in helping youth throughout the community.

To bring the principles and practices of SRI to the local economy, Michael created and chairs the Kuleana Green Business Program, a social and environmental performance program for the 700-member Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce. He is also a co-founder and steward of the Kona Earth Festival, through which he produces an annual Kuleana Green Business Conference & Trade Show. Michael also serves on the Chamber’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee, through which he develops legislative positions on environmental and sustainability issues and is currently developing a sustainability indicators program with Hawai`i County.

Disclaimer
Michael Kramer subscribes to a package of professional services offered by First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC (FAFN). He is not an investment advisory representative of FAFN. First Affirmative is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments LLC. Natural Investments LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Back to Top

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