New case study published about our work with the Society of the Holy Child Jesus
FaithInvest and NEPC release paper on Faith-based Investment Governance
Our next offering of the online course Faithful Finance starts May 7
The next FCI Interest Group Forum is set for June 6
Full of praise and growing confidence, faith-based investors complete our first-of-its-kind FCI course
FaithInvest's first online course on faith-consistent investing (FCI) was recently completed by a group of faith-based asset owners – and we're delighted by how it went.
One participant in the four-week course, Faithful Finance: An Introduction to Aligning Investments with Faith Values, said: 'The course has empowered me to embody the knowledge and own what we are about as a congregation.' Another added: 'The whole area is not as daunting as I had IMAGINED it to be, hence my shift in confidence.'
Many participants said they felt more confident about getting involved in discussions with investment advisors or managers as a result of the training – and this was precisely the outcome we'd hoped for and one of the main reasons why we developed the course.
Reflecting on the course, Mathew Jensen, CFA, FaithInvest's Director of FCI Programmes, said: ‘As a multi-faith offering with a focus on practical application, the course represents a novel development in the field of FCI education, and we were delighted with the enthusiasm and engagement of our first group of participants.’
If you missed this course, not to worry, the next session starts on May 7! Details can be found later in this email.
New case study published about FI's work with the Society of the Holy Child Jesus
We are happy to share our new case study describing our recent faith-consistent investing project with the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.
The Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ) is an international Roman Catholic religious congregation of women that spans four continents. Founded by Cornelia Connelly in 1846, the guiding principle of the SHCJ is the enhancement of human dignity, which inspires actions towards a more just, compassionate and harmonious world informed by Catholic Social Teaching.
To create an Investment Policy and Guidelines statement (IP&G) more in line with their values, members of the SHCJ's European Province chose FaithInvest to guide and accompany them on their faith-consistent investing journey, a process conducted over several months.
It included regular and ongoing sessions of the core team, presentations to the trustees, and convenings among the various stakeholders.
The SHCJ’s goals at the outset of the process were to enhance its IP&G and essential governance elements to integrate faith values more fully, consistent with existing liquidity, risk, return, and expense parameters and expectations, and to consider establishing an ongoing process for faith values integration and timely ethical decision making.
Ethics 'an essential element in investment governance for faiths', says a new paper by FaithInvest and NEPC
Ethics represent a unique and essential element of investment governancefor faith groups. That's the message in a new paper from FaithInvest and investment consultant NEPC, titled Faith-based Investment Governance.
An earlier FaithInvest paper, From Faith Values to Investment, focused on the importance of investment policy statements and guidelines as the essential governing documents required for the successful integration of faith values with investments.
The new paper looks beyond investment policy statements to the broader framework of investment governance, described by the CFA Institute Research Foundation as ‘...the effective use of resources – people, policies, and systems – by an individual or governing body seeking to fulfill a fiduciary duty to a principal in addressing an underlying investment challenge’.
Faiths, as values-based organisations serving a public purpose, operate in an environment that also requires a range of faith-based considerations, because many faith groups hold that investment governance should reflect faith-specific values, integrated throughout the governance framework.
New dates – and a Spring Offer – for Faithful Finance
Our second online, live-taught course on Faithful Finance: An Introduction to Aligning Investments with Faith Values begins on May 7 – and we're offering a special discount of 15% off the cost – just £250 – for those registering before April 12. Visit our Training page to find out more.
The next FCI Interest Group Quarterly Forum June 6
We've spent the last 12 months accompanying many of you on FCI journeys - through our training, research and projects - and we have trends and learnings to share. We'll be joined by two FBAOs to share insights from their recent investment work. This session is appropriate for FBAOs - as always - and we also invite investment service providers interested in working more effectively with the faiths to join.
Join our FCI Interest Group and obtain a complementary analysis of your faith organisation's Investment Policy and Guidelines. Reach out to us HERE.
Help us develop tools & resources to support others
If you are able to, please consider supporting FaithInvest. By donating to FaithInvest, your gift helps us develop the free-to-access tools, programmes and resources needed to support faith groups across as wide a range of geographies and capacities as possible.
