From policy to partnership: Insights from the APB conference

FaithInvest had the privilege of joining the Association of Provincial Bursars (APB) conference earlier this month – a gathering that brings together religious treasurers and finance leads from across the UK, writes Catherine Devitt.

This was our second year attending the conference. In 2024, we took part in the Conference Marketplace, where we engaged with attendees about our Faithful Finance training course for faith-based investors. This year, we had the pleasure of hosting a practical session: From Paper to Practice: Strengthening Your Investment Policy & Guidelines for Faith-Consistent Investing. 

As always, we’re grateful to the Association for the opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces, make new connections, and be among faith-based organisations, listening to their everyday realities, what drives them, and the challenges they face in aligning their finances with their faith values. 

Among the highlights was a presentation led by CCLA Investment Management and the Diocese of Westminster, reflecting on the 2022 publication on Catholic investing published by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, Mensuram Bonam, and its call to bring faith to the centre of financial decision-making. 

Enhance, engage, exclude

CCLA's presentation explored the 'three Es' (enhance, engage, and exclude), a simple but practical framework that reminds us that faith-consistent investing is not merely about avoiding harm, but about building relationships that enhance the good and engage for change. 

The presentation discussed the importance of enhancing the Investment Policy and Guidelines. For faith investors, this is about giving new life to a document that too often sits on a shelf.

It also addressed the relationship between investors and companies and the role of ongoing dialogue in bringing about change. Engage captures the idea that faith investors don’t simply divest and walk away; they stay involved, using their ownership to raise concerns, support positive actions, and build long-term change. 

The session from CCLA reminded us that engagement is not a solo act. It’s a partnership. Managers can only act on what they understand, and faith investors can only expect accountability for what they articulate. When the relationship is open and guided by shared principles, both sides can work together to enhance, engage, and when necessary, exclude. 

That theme of relationship also lay at the heart of the session I was invited to deliver on behalf of FaithInvest. 

Why relationships matter 

At FaithInvest, we see relationships as the foundation of faith-consistent investing. A strong Investment Policy & Guidelines (IP&G) document is the basis of the relationship between faith-based investors and their manager. It sets out what matters, what should be avoided, and what should be encouraged. Without it, values often get lost in translation. 

In my session, I shared how an IP&G can become a living expression of faith, helping asset managers understand not just how to manage money, but why it matters. When values are clearly written down whether through faith-based screens, stewardship expectations, or simple reporting requests, managers are empowered to act in ways that reflect mission. 

From generic to grounded in faith 

We explored what happens when IP&Gs are weak or generic – the risks of mission drift, loss of influence, and reputational harm. But we also looked at the power of a strong policy – clarity, trust, accountability, and resilience. For many faith-based investors, this begins with small, practical steps: 

• Adding a short statement of purpose that names faith values; 

• Making clear who is responsible for faith alignment; 

• Introducing one or two exclusions or positive screens that reflect core beliefs; 

• Asking managers for a simple 'faith alignment' report alongside the financial returns. 

These may seem like minor changes, but they strengthen the relationship between investor and manager, turning faith commitments into daily investment practice. 

Several participants observed that asset managers often struggle to grasp the deeper values driving faith investors, sometimes simply because they haven’t taken the time to understand them. We spoke about the need for dialogue on both sides: recognising each other’s perspectives as the foundation for a stronger relationship but also encouraging faith investors to have the confidence to tell their story to their asset managers.

In many ways, it’s about building a bridge between asset manager and investor – the very motif that FaithInvest uses for its imagery on its website to reflect its own work. 

A shared journey 

As Mensuram Bonam puts it, investing is part of our moral witness in the world. A well-crafted IP&G is one way that witness takes shape in practice. It turns faith principles into clear expectations and shared language between faith investor and manager. The stronger that relationship, the more faithfully the witness can be lived out.

At FaithInvest, our IP&G Assessment Service helps faith organisations strengthen this vital bridge between mission and money. By reviewing existing policies, identifying gaps, and offering practical next steps, we help ensure that the relationship between investor and manager is rooted in shared understanding and faith-consistent practice.  

For those interested in taking the next step in strengthening these relationships, you might also like our recent post on Faith-Based Due Diligence: Questions Every Faith Investor Should Ask Their Asset Manager, a practical resource for opening meaningful conversations with managers about values, faith, and impact.