In fact, the government-chartered home mortgage lender was removed completely from this year's list due to investigations surrounding its accounting. On the flip side, Xerox Corp. returned to the "best" list after several years' absence, having recovered from accounting scandals that led to a fine and settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This year's "100 Best" list added governance as a stakeholder service, or rated category. Excessive CEO pay and accounting restatements were ranked negatively in the governance category. The eight total categories also included shareholders, community, diversity, employees, environment, human rights, and customers.

At the top of the list is Cummins, Inc., a Columbus, Indiana-based engine manufacturer cited as a world leader in emissions reductions. Cummins has made the "100 Best" list every year since its inception six years ago. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters of Waterbury, Vermont, came in at number two, hailed as "a pioneer in helping struggling coffee growers by paying them fair trade prices." St. Paul Travelers Companies received the third-best rating, cited for community service.

Five of the top 10 companies listed -- Cummins, St. Paul Travelers, Intel Corp., Hewlett-Packard and Procter & Gamble -- have made the "100 Best" list every year since its inception six years ago. Two of those companies, Hewlett-Packard and Procter & Gamble, have made the top 10 list six years in a row, while St. Paul Travelers has made it for the last five years. Rounding out the top ten this year are Nuveen Investments, Wells Fargo & Co., Novell, Inc., and Xerox Corp.

"What distinguishes the 100 Best Corporate Citizens from their peers is a commitment to higher standards," said Marjorie Kelly, Editor of Business Ethics. "The list represents the top 10 percent of Russell 1000 firms when it comes to corporate social responsibility -- those that perform to a higher standard in serving a variety of stakeholders with excellence and integrity."

Many of the companies will be recognized at a New York event, the Business Ethics Summit, to be held on April 21, 2005.

More details regarding the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list are available on the Business Ethics Web site at http://www.business-ethics.com.