What is Faith Driven Impact Investing, and why is it so important?

“As Christians, we should be proactively looking for ways to use our investments to impact the world for God’s glory. Because if God owns everything, then our investments aren’t JUST ours. They are God’s, put into our hands to steward, for His glory and for the flourishing of the world. This knowledge should radically change the how, where, and why behind our investment strategies.”

-Faith Driven Investor

Impact investments are made with the intention to generative beneficial social and environmental impact alongside a financial return (GIIN). Faith driven impact investments include the above, but with the knowledge that God owns our investments and that they can have impact around the world for God’s glory.

For 24 years we’ve given charitable grants all over the world. We’ve contributed to every area of society where the government or personal resources just couldn't close the gap. In the last two years we started realizing that if we really cared about human flourishing...we had to invest in businesses. I never wanted this to be true. I had focused our foundation on charitable grants, not investment. I didn't understand the inner workings of business, the accounting, the regulations, but, to my dismay, all the needs of people are met when jobs provide livable wages and people get to know Jesus. Period. 

I have to say it wasn't and isn't a simple journey. But, when I stand here holding a beautiful purse and wallet made by artisans in Haiti that I have met and talked with, who are supporting up to 12 other family members with this one precious job, it’s easy to be convinced. As I like to say, it’s about the triple bottom line: financial return, social return, and spiritual return.

 

Where can I learn more about Faith Driven Impact Investing?

Below are some resources we have compiled to help you understand more about Faith Driven Impact Investing, and why the Pilgrim Foundation supports and exercises it. There’s also a list of the organizations we are investing in that use business innovation to result in human flourishing.