The faiths should be a
natural powerhouse
for ethical, faith-based
and impact investing.
FOR PEOPLE
AND PLANET
Donate
FaithInvest is an international, non-profit organisation that supports faiths to invest in line with their values for the benefit of people and planet. We believe this will help to achieve a just and sustainable world. But not all faiths have access to the expertise or resources they need to tackle the complexities of the financial world. Your gift or donation can help a smaller faith group to begin their journey towards aligning their finances with their beliefs and values.
HOW WE CAN HELP
FaithInvest was founded in 2019 to grow the scale of faith-consistent investing (FCI) worldwide for the benefit of people and planet.
We are motivated by a passionate conviction that by supporting faiths to invest in line with their values – and therefore actively use their investments for the benefit of people and planet – we will achieve a just and sustainable world.
Our work builds on the rich tradition and commitment of the major faiths to core values and principles such as human rights, social justice, environmental protection, and care of the poor and vulnerable.
We support faiths to do something that is both simple and complex – to ensure that where they place their financial assets on the global stock markets is as important as the good work they do with the income they receive from their investments.
For us, that also means promoting awareness of investments which further the aims of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the world's governments in 2015. These include initiatives that address the climate crisis, support the environment, promote social justice, tackle global poverty – on which virtually all the major faiths have clearly stated policies and goals
WHAT WE BELIEVE
The faiths have billions of dollars invested on the global markets. They should be a natural powerhouse for ethical, faith-based and impact investing that supports the aims of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Yet for many faith groups, this is currently more of a potential than a reality, and the potential impact of the faiths has not yet been fully realised. Why not? We explain some of the reasons below.
OPPORTUNITIES
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Faith beliefs naturally align with environmental, social and governance (ESG) or socially responsible (SR) investing.
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They are deeply and strongly motivated.
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They represent a large pool of investable assets as well as vast ownership of property and land.
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Together, the faiths represent a significant investment bloc in the financial world.
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They have unique grassroots reach that can generate investable projects, local know-how and operating infrastructure in almost any part of the world.
CHALLENGES
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Many faith groups are complex and opaque to outsiders – especially the commercial world.
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Faith groups are not monolithic: their beliefs vary, their approaches differ, they express themselves differently.
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It is hard for outsiders to know who to engage and how.
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Faiths diverge widely in their investment experience and goals.
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Many faiths have traditionally relied on charity for impact.
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Their investments have historically focused on what not to do rather than proactive investing.
HOW YOUR GIFT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Faiths have huge outreach, with 845% of people globally identifying with a religion according to the Pew Research Center. Christianity is the world's biggest religion (31%), followed by Islam (23%), Hindus (15%) and Buddhists (7%). Around 16% of people are unaffiliated. Faith groups are also major stakeholders in the planet, owning large amounts of land and buildings as well as billions of dollars of investments.
LAND
Faiths manage 7-8% of the habitable landmass of the planet, including 5% of commercial forests (22% in Sweden and 28% in Austria). They also have influence over another 15% that is considered to be sacred, according to an Oxford University study.
EDUCATION
Faith groups run half of all schools worldwide (64% in sub-Saharan Africa according to UNICEF). The Catholic Church runs the world's biggest non-governmental school system, with more than 100,000 primary schools and nearly 50,000 secondary schools.
HEALTH
Faiths are also heavily involved in healthcare, providing 30-50% of health provision in many developing countries. The Catholic Church alone runs 26% of the world's health facilities, including at least a quarter of all HIV and AIDS initiatives across Africa.
Make a donation or give a gift today, for people and planet.
HOW FAITHINVEST WORKS
FaithInvest:
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Supports faiths in developing faith-consistent investment policies and goals for pro-active investing;
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Works with partners to grow the Movement of values-based, faith-consistent investing;
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Hosts a network of faith-based asset owners for collaboration and information sharing;
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Expands knowledge about faith investing through research partnerships and thought leadership
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Brings faith groups and faith-based asset owners together to create opportunities for values-driven environmental and sustainable investments;
We do not make investment decisions, manage funds or provide financial advice.