Investing as an Expression of Mission

For the Franciscan Sisters of Mary (FSM), investing is an extension of mission. Guided by Catholic Social Teaching and Franciscan values, FSM stewards its financial resources to support human dignity, care for creation, and the common good. Over time, FSM’s investment approach has evolved from values-based screening to a fully integrated, mission-aligned strategy—one that balances fiduciary responsibility with intentional social and environmental impact. Through ongoing discernment and collaboration, FSM seeks to ensure its capital serves both long-term sustainability and faithful witness.

 

Rooted in Faithful Stewardship

FSM understands capital not as neutral, but as consequential—shaping the communities, systems, and futures it touches. Investing is therefore approached with the same moral responsibility and discernment that guide all aspects of the congregation’s life and ministry.

FSM’s investment journey has unfolded over many years, reflecting a deepening awareness of the interconnectedness of economic systems, social inequality, and ecological harm. This evolution—from exclusionary screens to proactive, mission-aligned investing—is traced in FSM’s Investment Timeline, which highlights key milestones in integrating faith, finance, and responsibility.

 

An Evolving Approach to Faith-Consistent Investing

FSM’s early investment practices focused on avoiding activities inconsistent with Catholic values. Over time, the congregation began asking a more expansive question: How can our investments actively contribute to the world we seek to help build?

This discernment led to several important shifts:

  • Moving toward positive screening, favoring companies with strong performance in human rights, environmental stewardship, workforce practices, diversity, and community investment
  • Integrating climate responsibility, including reduced exposure to high-carbon companies
  • Allocating capital to impact investments that generate measurable social and environmental outcomes alongside financial returns

 

An Integrated Investment Framework

FSM’s Investment Policy Statement reflects an integrated approach that balances fiduciary responsibility with mission alignment. Investment decisions are evaluated not only on financial merit, but also on consistency with FSM’s values and long-term commitments.

The portfolio includes:

  • High-Quality Mission Investments that meet market-rate expectations while advancing social or environmental objectives
  • Deep Mission Investments that prioritize transformational impact and may involve longer time horizons or concessionary returns

Across all strategies, FSM applies negative screens while intentionally directing capital toward solutions that advance the common good.

 

Leadership and Ongoing Discernment

FSM has played a formative role in the Catholic impact investing movement, including early partnerships and the co-founding of the Catholic Impact Investing Collaborative (CIIC). Through collaboration and shared learning, FSM continues to support the growth of mission-aligned investing across the Church.

FSM understands its investment strategy as a living body of work—one that continues to evolve in response to emerging challenges and opportunities, guided by prudence, faith, and responsibility.