The principles of money

I had an opportunity to attend the Faith Driven Investor Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The event was held at the National Christian Foundation Raleigh Office.  The goal of the conference was to help investors use the capital God has entrusted them with for good.  There were about 12 other investors in attendance.  Please note, I am not sponsored, I just like the organization’s mission.

This was my first time attending and was happy to learn from others.  The conference was broadcasted live across the world, from San Francisco to Nairobi to Singapore.  The conference consisted of three talks and other stories of investors, using capital to solve worldwide problems.  This includes affordable housing and pollution.

WeldenField Development, LLC

We had a chance to learn from Charles V. Welden, III of WeldenField Development, LLC who leads a real estate development fund focusing on providing affordable housing for its residents.  In addition to, a positive return for its fund investors.  He explains that his investors are willing to take less of a return (about 1-2%) on their investment to fund community building activities for the residents.  There is also a part time chaplain and an onsite manager who encourages communal conversation and relationships.  Charles believes that we, as investors need to ask the question “What’s really important?” when it comes to our investments.  WeldenField measures not only profit but the spiritual impact they are making in their community.

Bill and Dana Wichterman

Bill and Dana Wichterman were a regular couple, living below their means when a financial windfall disrupted their lives.  Believing the wealth was a bad thing, Dana was challenged to find a way to use the money for good.  The Wichterman’s after some reflection saw it as “God’s choice”.  They believed that God chose them to steward the money not for themselves but for the benefit of others.  They use their wealth to invest in people and places doing good work like lifting people out of poverty. 

Greenhope

We also heard from Greenhope, a company in Jakarta, Indonesia whose goal is to develop biodegradable plastics to reduce the negative impact conventional plastic is having on the earth.  Founders Sugianto Tandio and Tommy Tjiptadjaja, are developing products to reduce the use of single use plastics which take, 500-1000 years to decompose. They believe, business at its core, is supposed to be a force for good.  It was a great reminder to me, as an investor, my capital should support companies who benefit the greater good, not just its shareholders.  As investors, we should make sure our investments are profitable, good for people and the environment.  They should collectively do no harm.

Faith and Finances

The key takeaway is that anyone, weather you are a small-time investor, fund manager or firm can merge faith and finances in a way that does good to the world.  I left the conference with a better understanding of my own investment thesis and how it needs to serve the world not just my portfolio.

If this idea of changing the world through your faith and investments intrigues you, I encourage you to check out the Faith Driven Investor website.  There is a ton of content to dive into, including books, videos and a podcast. There are also groups that you can join to meet other people who want to use their capital for good.