Good Intentions 2026: The gap is not theological but one of implementation, capacity & support
- Susie Weldon
- May 28
- 5 min read
When we set out to update our Good Intentions research, we were not looking to rank or judge. We wanted to understand how far the faith investment community has actually come in turning values into practice.
Faith-based organisations collectively manage an estimated US$5 trillion in assets. Our Good Intentions 2026 study, launched earlier this month, is our biggest and most comprehensive analysis of how faiths reflect their values in their investment policies.
The commitment to align those resources with deeply-held faith beliefs is real and growing. But commitment alone does not build policy frameworks, mandate advisers, or ensure a portfolio truly reflects what an organisation stands for.
Good Intentions 2026 assessed 275 investment policies against ten criteria in our Level One Faith-Consistent Investing (FCI) Assessment Framework. The central message is clear: the gap that matters most is not theological. It is one of implementation, capacity, and support.
– Dave Zellner, Executive Chair, FaithInvest, and co-author of Good Intentions 2026
Good Intentions 2026: What the data tells us about faith investing today – and what comes next
Good Intentions 2026 analyses 275 publicly available investment policies across faith traditions, countries, and organisation types, using FaithInvest's ten-point FCI Assessment Framework (see below), scored out of 50 points.
Together, these criteria provide a structured way to assess how effectively faith values are embedded throughout the investment process.
Earlier this month, FaithInvest hosted the online launch of the 104-page report, bringing together faith investors and partners from across the investment ecosystem to discuss what the findings mean in practice. A recording of the 30-minute launch is available on our dedicated Good Intentions page: www.faithinvest.org/good-intentions-2026
The results at a glance
– No organisations (0%) reached the top level of 40-50 points.
– 30 organisations (11%) scored the second highest level.
– 138 organisations (50%) scored in the 'basic effort' level.
– 107 organisations (39%) scored the lowest level of minimal FCI content.
Five key findings
1. Avoiding harm, not actively creating positive impact: Ethical exclusions – that is, the rules preventing investment in undesirable products such as weapons, tobacco, gambling etc – are common. But few organisations go further. Most policies define what to avoid, very few articulate what they want to actively invest in their investments.
2. Financial governance is strong, faith integration is weaker: Most organisations have investment committees and financial oversight structures. But strong financial governance does not automatically mean strong faith integration. In many policies, faith values are assumed rather than clearly stated.
3. Most organisations are at an early stage of faith consistent investing with few in the middle: Most organisations cluster at basic maturity, while a very small number are more advanced. Very few occupy the middle ground. Moving forward typically requires access to practical guidance, suitable investment vehicles, and trustee education.
4. Policy and portfolio can be very different things: Even where a policy defines ethical exclusions, the actual investments held may not reflect them. This happens when organisations use pooled funds not designed to apply faith-based criteria. If the policy does not require advisers to check, this gap can go unnoticed.
5. Infrastructure shapes maturity more than theology does: The strongest predictor of policy quality is not the depth of faith commitment. It is access to shared infrastructure. Organisations connected to denominational investment networks, shared ethical frameworks, or specialist vehicles consistently score higher. Where organisations struggle, the problem is usually not a lack of will. It is a lack of access to the right tools and support.
What this means
The scores in this research are a map of where support is most needed, not a verdict on the commitment or intent of individual organisations. Five implications stand out:
The gap is one of capacity, not conviction. Most organisations may lack the tools and expertise to build detailed faith-based frameworks alone.
Advisers need stronger mandates. If a policy does not explicitly require advisers to apply faith criteria, they will default to standard financial frameworks.
Positive investment remains largely unexplored. Frameworks for affirmative, mission-aligned investment are the most underdeveloped area across all traditions.
Trustee education is underused. Very few policies set expectations for faith-consistent investing training. Better-informed trustees make better decisions.
Building the ecosystem matters as much as strengthening individual policies. Shared infrastructure such as denominational networks, pooled vehicles, and guidance resources has a systemic effect.
Practical recommendations for action
While Good Intentions 2026 highlights important gaps, the report is intended as a practical resource to support progress. It identifies areas where faith-based organisations can strengthen investment policies, governance structures, trustee education, and implementation approaches.
The findings suggest that strengthening the broader ecosystem of expertise, guidance, and collaboration is as important as strengthening individual organisational policies.
Take the next step
Interested in finding out where your organisation sits within the FaithInvest FCI Framework? These questions are a starting point for reflection and conversation:
Does our investment policy clearly explain how our faith tradition informs our investment approach, or does it assume a shared understanding?
Beyond exclusions, what positive outcomes are we seeking? Are these written down and measurable?
Are our advisers and managers explicitly required to apply our faith values, or are they working to a standard financial mandate?
Do the investment vehicles we use have the flexibility to apply our faith criteria?
How do we monitor faith alignment over time, alongside financial performance?
Do our trustees have access to education in faith-consistent investing, and do we expect them to?
If several of these are difficult to answer, that is the starting point. FaithInvest's no-cost, confidential Level One IP&G Assessment can help. Available to all faith groups, it shows you where your written investment policy currently stands and identifies practical next steps, whatever stage your organisation is at. Request your free assessment: info@faithinvest.org
Continue the conversation
In coming months, FaithInvest will host a series of forums exploring the findings in more depth and considering what stronger FCI looks like in practice. The first is next week – on Thursday June 4.
This session will explore the headline findings from the first four criteria – Documenting Faith, Screening (both negative and positive) and Investment Vehicles. We'll look at the gaps between intention and implementation, the challenges around positive investment, and what stronger faith-consistent investing requires from organisations and the wider investment ecosystem.
Thursday June 4 forum
Time: 3pm UK (BST) | 4pm Europe (CEST) | 10am US Eastern (EDT)
Future forums will look at Governance, Expertise and Professional Oversight, followed by Communication, Learning and Continuous Improvement.
Together, these forums aim to move beyond identifying gaps towards supporting stronger implementation and helping faith-based organisations and service providers translate values into investment practice.
Click below to learn more about Good Intentions 2026 and download a copy of the report.
