The Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR), a church-based investor coalition which advises its 80-plus members on more than £17.5bn of invested assets, has become a registered charity.

ECCR completed registration with the Charity Commission at the end of 2010. It now hopes to secure and extend its work by being able to access a wider range of grants and gift aid donations.

ECCR’s chair, Lee Coates, who has been involved with the organisation for many years, welcomed the charity’s registration:

“After 21 years of advocating higher standards of corporate and investor responsibility, I am heartened that ECCR continues to grow and develop,” said Coates. “Charitable status will help us build on our past achievements and take our work forward.”

Founded in 1989, ECCR’s mission is to promote economic justice, human rights and environmental sustainability. It works through research-based dialogue with companies, faith-based and responsible investors and others on the impacts of business on society and the natural world.

Member denominations and church bodies include the Church of Scotland and the Society of Jesus.

Financial services members of ECCR include Cazenove Capital Management, CCLA Investment Management, Co-operative Financial Services, Ethical Investors, Rathbone Greenbank and Triodos Bank.

Campaigning organisations such as Christian Aid, FairPensions and Traidcraft are also ECCR members.

Current and recent funding partners include Cafod, the Eiris Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

ECCR, which also has individual members, is currently working on the social and environmental impacts of the oil industry in the Niger Delta, the trade in Israeli settlements goods, mining and human rights, and risks associated with deep-water oil drilling and the Canadian oil sands. It will publish a new report on the banking sector in March 2011.