DALLAS (BP) – GuideStone Funds, the nation’s largest faith-based mutual fund family, today introduced two new impact funds: the Impact Equity Fund and the Impact Bond Fund.
The funds will offer investors a diverse, returns-oriented portfolio based on the biblical values of the sanctity of life, stewardship of God’s creation, and human dignity and advancement.
“These two new funds deliver on GuideStone’s commitment to investing in organizations that align with Christian values, from advancing the sanctity of life and the stewardship of God’s creation to supporting human dignity and advancement,” said GuideStone Chief Investment Officer David S. Spika.
The Impact Equity Fund is composed of equities of global companies exhibiting strong growth characteristics, and the Impact Bond Fund is composed of a sector-diversified array of high-quality bonds.
The two new impact funds highlight the investment strategies first implemented in the January 2021 launch of the Global Impact Fund by segmenting the bond portfolio to the Impact Bond Fund and assigning equity investments to the Impact Equity Fund. The funds offer investors two distinct and diverse portfolios that advance human flourishing and span a variety of industries, including health care, technology and consumer business.
“For decades, GuideStone Funds has been at the forefront of delivering attractive, risk-adjusted performance without compromising core faith values,” Spika said. “Our new impact funds allow anyone to join us in our mission to proactively invest in doing good in the world, from encouraging the sanctity of life to expanding access to clean drinking water and affordable housing.”
GuideStone evaluates each of the funds’ investments with a combined focus on biblical principles, security impact analysis and risk-adjusted returns to allow investors to make a meaningful difference in the world around them while preparing for their financial future.
One of the three pillars for identifying investment opportunities is advancing the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. In practice, these investments include creating a custom pool of mortgages that supports affordable rental housing and building cost-effective and child-friendly communities for low-income women who are heads of household. These investments promote stability, which has been shown to be a key factor in reducing abortion.
For impact investing centered on dignity and advancement, the Impact Equity Fund invests in companies that promote physical and emotional well-being for the elderly. The Fund also invests in technology companies and sustainability-focused organizations that work toward the shared mission of stewarding God’s creation.
“The impact of these funds goes even further than what we choose to invest in,” Spika said “While being returns-focused for our investors, GuideStone is also a mission-minded organization that dedicates a portion of our revenue to supporting organizations that promote the sanctity of life and the growth of God’s kingdom. As the largest nonprofit, faith-based mutual fund family, GuideStone is distinctly positioned to provide options for investors to do good in addition to doing well.”
GuideStone President Hance Dilbeck said: “GuideStone has always sought to be a leader in impacting the world through Christian investing. We are pleased to make these options available for our members and ministry partners.”