The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has tapped Calvert Funds for two socially responsible investment options for its 529 plan, Christine Teske, vice president of institutional sales, told the MutualFundWire.com. The 529 is a start-up plan for Pennsylvania, and it recently selected Delaware Investments as its managers.

"They will be offering two of our funds as optional investment choices. Those funds are the Calvert Social Investment Fund Equity Portfolio and Bond Portfolio," Teske reported.

The Pennsylvania plan is offered both in-state and nationally. "We will be marketing to our broker/dealer community heavily. We have already seen a lot of demand from clients and potential clients for our funds to be offered on a 529 platform. Pennsylvania's decision helps us respond to that demand," the executive contended.

The 529 program will be available starting in the spring. "We have seen a growing demand for socially responsible products in the marketplace. Now that we are on a 529 platform, there is an additional opportunity for investors to invest in our offerings," she continued.

"Pennsylvania will be a national leader, offering the nation's best known socially responsible funds," added Barbara Hafer, state treasurer for Pennsylvania. "This will be a great opportunity for families to invest their college savings in companies they can be comfortable supporting. At the same time, they can rely on Calvert's record of highly competitive performance." 

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