No politics. No religion. We're taught to avoid delicate subjects at the dining room table.

There's no longer any need to avoid these issues when it comes to investing, though. Now, investors can cling to their values using socially responsible funds. Very broadly, socially responsible investing (SRI) weaves values-based, nonfinancial criteria into the investment process.

But that definition is pretty broad. The SRI label can apply to various, even contradictory, investing strategies. For example, Citizens Value MYPVX screens out firms that are inhospitable to gay and lesbian employees, while the Christian-oriented Timothy Plan Small-Cap Value Fund TPLNX avoids companies that provide domestic-partner benefits.

Despite the complexity, though, there are really just five basic questions you need to answer when looking for an SRI fund.

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