From faith values to investment: the importance of advisor selection

From time to time, we write posts about innovative providers who we're familiar with, and who we feel can offer members of FaithInvest’s FCI Interest Group useful tools for implementing FCI; ValuesAdvisor is one such provider.

We frequently hear from faith-based asset owners that, even after they’ve clearly articulated their faith-aligned priorities in an investment policy and guidelines statement, finding a financial advisor who truly understands and can implement those priorities remains a challenge—for organisations or individuals. This is where ValuesAdvisor plays an important role.

According to their mission statement, ValuesAdvisor exists to help accelerate capital flows in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a vision of the world  ‘where values-aligned investing is the norm and capital markets are building a regenerative economy’.

A platform solution

ValuesAdvisor seeks to further this vision via their platform, which is a tool for identifying financial advisors who understand impact, and who conform to a range of filters that users apply. These include practical considerations like minimum account size, geography and asset classes, and, importantly, choices for specialisation in the type of impact investing sought, such as affordable and clean energy, racial and gender equity, sustainable agriculture, and many other specific areas of impact that faith-based investors may seek. This makes the platform especially useful for faith-based investors looking to align their portfolios with specific mission-driven outcomes. 

Advisor vetting and integrity

At FaithInvest, we recognise the extensive time and effort faith-based asset owners expend to identify their deeply held priorities and articulate them in their investment policy. Once that work is done, finding the right advisor is the next critical step—and ValuesAdvisor provides a pathway for doing just that. 

To be included on the platform, a Financial Advisor must:

• Be recommended by at least one member of a ValuesAdvisor Partner organization or an expert in the impact investing field.

• Offer impact-based financial advisory services as a core business (demonstrated by approximately 25% or more of current AUM of Advisor/team and highlighted on the Advisor’s website).

• Demonstrate significant knowledge of the impact investing field (offering values aligned investment options for a minimum of three years and/or expertise as determined by ValuesAdvisor).

  
  

Note that all financial advisors on the platform have been recommended by members of partner affinity groups, (a list which includes FaithInvest, and which you can view here). Also, ValuesAdvisor is not a ‘pay-to-play’ operation: the advisors on the platform pay a flat fee based on their assets under management to be included, after that, there is equal visibility for all, with the viewing and selection process solely in the hands of investors using the platform.

Supporting the FCI journey

Faith-based asset owners at any point on their FCI journey have many choices to make, but they can take comfort knowing that the support and tools they need are increasingly becoming more widely available.

The starting point for many, of course, is reviewing the investment policy through an FCI lens, which –  as we like to remind everyone – is a support service FaithInvest can help with; for a free assessment of your organisation’s investment policy and guidelines, contact us at info@faithinvest.org.

Disclaimer

FaithInvest is an international nonprofit organisation that empowers faith groups to invest in line with their beliefs and values. FaithInvest is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide financial or investment advice. Information provided on FaithInvest’s website or its other communication channels does not constitute financial or investment advice. If you wish to receive any form of financial or investment advice, please consult a qualified and independent financial advisor. You should conduct your own due diligence in relation to any investment opportunities or strategies you choose to pursue. FaithInvest does not promote any specific investments or opportunities and cannot therefore accept responsibility for any specific financial or investment decisions you make following participation on its website platform.