Seven out of 10 Americans say their personal values guide their investment choices.1 Values-based investing has become popular in recent years as more investors seek out investment strategies and products that reflect what’s important to them. Of course, we, as Christians, are no different. Since our faith guides how we live, it should also guide how we invest. That’s why GuideStone® has developed faith-based investing strategies to help you align your finances with your faith and offers our faith-based fund family — GuideStone Funds®
So, what is faith-based investing? It’s a strategy that deploys God-given resources in the capital markets in a way that honors him and furthers his Kingdom. For our members, your investment dollars go toward products, services and industries that align with biblical values while still pursuing competitive performance.
At GuideStone, we advocate for the faith-based values of life, family, safety, health, stewardship and advocacy. These serve as the underlying foundation for all our investment strategies and the GuideStone Funds.
Our unique investing process is driven by three imperatives:
1. Screen for Incompatibility
Our first step is to screen for potential investment opportunities inconsistent with biblical values. In accordance with the Adviser’s Christian values, GuideStone Funds does not invest in any company that is publicly recognized (as determined by GuideStone Financial Resources®) for offering products or services that are incompatible with the Christian values of GuideStone Financial Resources, including but not limited to those involving abortion, sexual immorality, alcohol, tobacco, or gambling.2
Our screening process is ongoing. We continually review and revise our criteria to remain true to Christian principles and honor the Lord as new products and services come on the market and new investable opportunities are discovered.
2. Advocate for Change
We believe faith-based investing is more than just screening investments. That’s why we strive to encourage and influence the companies we’ve invested in on behalf of our ministry partners and members to adopt more Christ-honoring and responsible practices.
GuideStone dialogues with corporate leadership — sometimes in conjunction with other values-driven advocacy groups — to urge positive change in their products, services, standards and practices that aim to benefit consumers, employees and the communities in which they operate.
In addition, we know shareholders have the right to make their voices heard in matters of company policy. Proxy voting enables shareholders to express their opinions and cast their votes when they cannot attend corporate meetings in person. To make the Christian voice heard, GuideStone has also collaborated with a leading proxy advisory firm to develop proxy voting guidelines to pursue even more active engagement with companies, guiding them toward outcomes that advance God’s Kingdom.
3. Invest for Impact
Exclusionary screening and corporate engagement are important aspects of any faith-based investing program, but we believe investors can go further through impact investing.
Impact investing allocates investments to companies striving to make a positive difference in the world through their products or services. It allows Christians to use our money to prepare for our financial futures while investing in endeavors that promote real change in the world for God’s glory and the benefit of those he created.
That’s why we developed two impact investing funds: the GuideStone Impact Equity Fund and the GuideStone Impact Bond Fund. Both funds purposefully seek out and invest in organizations that align with our three impact themes:
Together, we can create a positive impact in the world for Christ through projects such as funding Christian higher education, providing housing opportunities for those experiencing financial struggles and improving access to health care.
Make a Difference with Your Personal Investments
So, now that we’ve defined faith-based investing, it’s important for investors to know how they can participate and align their own faith and finances.
For more than twenty years, we have offered a suite of diversified mutual funds across most major asset classes — the GuideStone Funds. With GuideStone, Christians can intentionally connect their faith with their investment decisions to make a lasting impact in the world for the Kingdom of God. We seek to multiply Kingdom impact through Christian investment solutions by which investors can remain true to their Christian values, leverage investment returns for greater ministry work and benefit from and support Kingdom impact investments.
Interested in learning more about aligning your faith with your finances through faith-based investing? Explore advisory services through GuideStone Advisors to see how we can help you steward your resources and make an impact on the Kingdom.
1Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Modern Wealth Survey conducted by Logica Research, February 2022. Survey consisted of 1,000 Americans, ages 21-75.
2Our full screening policy reads: “In accordance with the Adviser’s Christian values, the Funds do not invest in any company that is publicly recognized (as determined by GuideStone Financial Resources) for offering products or services that are incompatible with the Christian values of GuideStone Financial Resources, including but not limited to, those involving abortion, sexual immorality, alcohol, tobacco, or gambling.”
Important Information
Investment considerations: There can be no guarantee that any strategy will be successful. All investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal.
Advisory services offered through GuideStone Advisors, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. GuideStone Advisors is a controlled affiliate of GuideStone Financial Resources. For more information about the firm, products and services, please review the GuideStone Affiliate Form CRS.
Impact Investing: The Funds’ impact investing criteria could cause them to perform differently compared to funds that do not apply such criteria. Successful application of the Funds’ impact investing strategies will depend upon the Adviser’s and each sub-adviser’s skill in properly identifying and analyzing impact investing issues. Investments made may not generate the amount of positive impact that was intended when the investment was made.
Funds invested in accordance with the faith-based investment restrictions of GuideStone Financial Resources may not be able to take advantage of certain investment opportunities due to these restrictions, which may adversely affect investment performance.
You should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the GuideStone Funds before investing. A prospectus with this and other information about the Funds may be obtained by calling 1-844-GS-FUNDS (1-844-473-8637) or downloading one at GuideStoneFunds.com/Funds. It should be read carefully before investing.
GuideStone Funds are distributed by Foreside Funds Distributors LLC, not an adviser affiliate. Foreside is not a registered investment adviser and does not provide investment advice.
GuideStone Capital Management, LLC®, a controlled affiliate of GuideStone Financial Resources®, provides investment advisory services for the Funds.
Advisory services offered through GuideStone Advisors, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. GuideStone Advisors is a controlled affiliate of and receives material funding from GuideStone Financial Resources and its subsidiary, GuideStone Capital Management, LLC, the manager of GuideStone Funds, in addition to any direct client advisory fees the firm receives for its services. To the extent the firm recommends investments in GuideStone Funds, or a private fund sponsored by GuideStone Financial Resources, it and its representatives have indirect and direct, respectively, financial interest in doing so. Clients are under no obligation to purchase GuideStone Funds and there may be other similar funds available with the same or better performance, with lower expenses, from which GuideStone receives no funding whatsoever. For more information about the firm, products and services, please review the GuideStone Affiliate Form CRS.
There can be no guarantee that any strategy (risk management or otherwise) will be successful. All investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Retail products are made available through GuideStone Financial Services®, member FINRA. For more information about the firm, products and services please review the GuideStone Affiliate Form CRS and visit FINRA's Broker Check.
You should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the GuideStone Funds® before investing. A prospectus with this and other information about the Funds may be obtained by calling 1-888-GS-FUNDS (1-888-473-8637) or downloading one. It should be read carefully before investing.
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