Although FaithInvest was established in 2019, we’ve only ventured into the learning provision space within the past year. In that short time, our training programme has quickly become a central focus of our activities. This week, we're taking a moment to share the story behind how our online course, Faithful Finance, came to life. This is a good news story that we'd very much like you to be part of!
If you are an employee, board or committee member, or volunteer involved in financial management or oversight for a faith-based organisation, and you're interested in aligning your organisation's investments with its faith values – our Faithful Finance course is designed for YOU!
Listening to your priorities
Much of what we do in FaithInvest is driven by listening to the experiences and priorities of the faith organisations we engage with and support. These experiences and priorities guide our organisational focus and shape the support we offer. Our goal is to ensure that what we provide is relevant and directly addresses the real needs of these organisations.
Since our establishment five years ago, we have witnessed a growing interest in faith-consistent investing. But as many of our readers already know, our research and assessment of Investment Policy and Guidelines shows that while faith groups are highly motivated to integrate their faith values into their investment strategies, there are several challenges which get in the way of this happening.
For a start, putting values-driven investing into practice can seem daunting and overwhelming. Some may feel they do not have the time or resources, or they may have concerns about impact on financial returns. Others may encounter organisational resistance or resistance from their advisor or asset manager. Others still may feel a lack of confidence, or that they don’t have the expertise needed.
We heard from faith organisations that to overcome some of these concerns and demystify some of the perceptions – and misperceptions – what was needed was an educational resource that could help organisations put their good intentions into practice.
A course to empower faith organisations
This was when the idea for Faithful Finance: Aligning Investments with Faith Values was born in late 2023. Our goal in creating this course was to build a meaningful connection between faith and finance, offering a programme that enhances financial literacy while ensuring an engaging and reflective learning experience.
We focused on incorporating practical exercises that help participants apply what they've learned. Most importantly, we designed the course to empower organisations with the knowledge and confidence to make informed financial decisions that reflect their organisation’s values and beliefs. And we wanted the course to be live-taught and interactive, so that participants could share experiences and learn from with each other.
After developing the course content over several months, the first round went live in February this year. More than 35 participants joined us, affirming the need for such an educational opportunity, and in response, we held the course again in May 2024.
Both cohorts included, for example, bursars, investment committee members, trustees, faith leadership and formation roles, directors of finance, and advocacy roles.
These two rounds were very well received, and we were particularly pleased when all the participants who responded to our survey said they would recommend the course.
And we are delighted to annouced that the third round of Faithful Finance: An Introduction to Aligning Investments with Faith Values will be begin later this month and run from October 29 to November 18.
What people say about it
So, how is the story going so far? Here are just some of the testimonials expressed by course graduates:
'I am more confident that it is possible and profitable (financially and in terms of meeting the goals of our organisation) to make investments in line with our faith values. I now have more tools to help to make this a reality for our organisation'
'[The course] has empowered me to embody the knowledge and own what we are about as a congregation'
'The confidence it has given me to feel more able to get involved in discussions with our investment advisors'
Nearly all participants surveyed reported a positive change in their knowledge and confidence in implementing faith-consistent investing, and we’re excited to see the next steps for these participants and their organisations.
Reach out to us
If you're an employee, board or committee member, or a volunteer involved in financial management or oversight for a faith-based organisation, and you're interested in aligning your organisation's investments with its values but are unsure if this course is right for you, feel free to reach out to us directly by emailing training@faithinvest.org for more information.
We are here to answer any of the questions you might have. If you are already on board, you can register your place by visiting www.faithinvest.org/training. We look forward to welcoming you on October 29.
Practicalities
The Faithful Finance course consists of four 90-minute live-taught, online sessions held over four weeks
Starts Tuesday October 29 and runs to Tuesday November 18
Cost: £295 per participant