Published by Ignites.

By Joe Morris March 30, 2012

The advocacy group Investors Against Genocide is focusing on fund managers and other institutional investors in a proxy campaign at JPMorgan Chase.

The group, which protests investment linked to ethnic fighting in Sudan, is funding advertisements and mailings to JPMorgan’s institutional investors calling attention to its “genocide-free investing” shareholder proposal. The measure will appear for a second year on the ballot at the bank company’s annual meeting in May.

“Since 74% of shares of JPMorgan Chase are held by institutions, rather than by individual shareholders, IAG is seeking to engage influential voters ranging from asset managers to pension funds via direct mail, advertising and trade conferences,” the group said in a statement.

The ballot measure would have JPMorgan’s board “institute transparent procedures to avoid holding investments in companies that, in management’s judgment, substantially contribute to genocide or crimes against humanity, the most egregious violations of human rights.”

Last year, JPMorgan investors including T. Rowe Price, Turner Funds, Bridgeway Funds and Schroder Global Series Trust voted for the proposal, according to IAG.

JPMorgan is being targeted for its holdings in PetroChina, which does business in Sudan.