“Mensuram Bonam” Faith-Based Investment Measures

Sustainable Grace

In November 2022, The Vatican gave Catholic fiduciaries a valuable new resource for aligning their institutions’ investments with their Catholic faith. “Mensuram Bonam” provides guidelines for those beginning their alignment process and those seeking to refine their approaches. This podcast, part of our Principles in Focus Series, explores Mensuram Bonam’s role and scope, and dispels underperformance myths about Catholic-aligned portfolios through a dialogue between true pioneers in this area: Paul Schott Stevens, Trustee of Catholic Investment Services; Scott Malpass, CIS Co-Founder and Board Chair; and Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, President of the Board of the Vatican Bank.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

 

Keys to Envisioning, Creating and Sustaining a Successful Investment Strategy

Sustainable Grace

Catholic institutions work diligently to advance their good works while striving to ensure that their missions can be sustained financially over the long term. In navigating the investment complexities that all organizations face they also must take steps to align their portfolios with the tenets of the Catholic faith – which presents unique challenges.

Fortunately, this new Sustainable Grace podcast – part of our Principles in Focus series – brings you practical ideas for securing the future of your Catholic institution by improving board and committee governance structures and applying best-practice investment principles. This podcast, hosted by Zela Astarjian of Catholic Investment Services, brings together three leaders with extensive experience in these vital areas. Sharing their insights are:

  • Suzanne Brennan, CSC, Councilor of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, with broad experience in leading Catholic entities across the country and has served on many Catholic investment committees.
  • Mary Burke, Partner at Lakeshore Food Advisors, with deep investment banking experience and service of the committees of several Catholic entities.
  • Eileen Alexanderson, Investment Consultant for BMT Management and Financial Services, who works with a broad range of religious institutions on financial, investment and other key matters.

This podcast will sharpen your knowledge of how to align your investment approach with your Catholic values and unique mission.

This recording was taken at the 2022 RCRI National Conference in Dallas Texas.

This content is for educational purposes only. Panelist opinions expressed are their own and thus do not necessarily reflect CIS’s opinion, investment advice, or strategies.  This is not a solicitation to purchase securities, nor is it meant to be investment advice.  CIS has not verified the content for accuracy, nor will it update it in the future.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.

Listen on Spotify. 

Why Venture Capital Investing…Why Now?

Sustainable Grace

Today’s session is part of our Managers in Focus webinar series, which explores the role that impact-focused investment solutions play in the strategies of Catholic institutions. It was enlightening to hear the views of true pioneers in this arena: Tim Connors, Founder of Pivot North; Michael Kim, Founder of Cendana Capital; and Miguel Luina, Managing Director at Hamilton Lane.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.

Listen on Spotify.

 

Please join us for another exciting episode of our Sustainable Grace Podcast. This episode, the first of our State of the Markets Series, delves into the current state of the financial markets, the effects of inflation and other dynamic factors, and the risks and opportunities ahead for institutional investors. Sharing their views are industry leaders: Jack Brennan, CIS Founding Chair and Former CEO of Vanguard; Jay Willoughby, CIO of TIFF Investment Management and the CIS Catholic Endowment Fund; and Ted Disabato, Managing Principal/Consultant at Meketa Investment Group.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Please join us for another exciting episode of our Mission in Focus series, which explores the innovations of Catholic non-profits as they advance their missions around the world. This episode discusses the work of Daughters of Charity International Project Services. In this podcast, Sister Mary Louise Stubbs and Kathleen Bissa of Daughters of Charity International Project Services join Dan Coyne, DOC board member, for a dynamic conversation about their work and how IPS has advanced its’ mission to decrease human suffering while investing to increase human potential.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

 

 

November’s release of the USCCB’s revised socially responsible investing guidelines has Catholic fiduciaries wondering: What’s changed? And, How should we adapt to this new guidance? Exploring these questions is the focus of the second podcast in our new series, which emphasizes principles of mission-aligned investment programs for Catholic institutions. The podcast brings forth ideas for implementing the USCCB guidelines in institutional portfolios, and dispelling certain performance myths about Catholic-aligned portfolios. This podcast features: Scott Malpass, CIS Co-Founder & Board Chair and retired CIO of the University of Notre Dame; Steve Schott, Principal and Senior Director, Institutional Religious Retirement and Foundation Services, CapTrust; and Bernard Brenninkmeijer, Executive Director of Constanter Philanthropic Services, Chairman of Porticus North America Foundation and Board member of FADICA.

Listen on Apple Podcasts 

Listen on Spotify

This podcast represents the third in a new series that explores the innovations of Catholic non-profits as they advance their missions around the world. Few institutions are as distinctive in their history and objectives as the Custody of the of Holy Land. For over 800 years, the Franciscan Friars of the Custody have been entrusted by the Holy See with preservation of the great shrines of the Latin church in the Middle East, serving both pilgrims to the Holy Land and local Christian communities. Their mission, as various Popes have emphasized, is to ensure that the places of Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension remain centers of spirituality that hand on the evangelical message and nurture the piety of the faithful. This podcast features Father David Grenier, OFM, and Father David Wathen, OFM, joining in a dialogue with Paul Schott Stevens, Trustee, Catholic Investment Services, to explore the work of the Custody today and the unique challenges it faces in the Middle East.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify 

 

This podcast is the second in a new series that explores the role of impact-focused investment programs in the strategies of Catholic institutions. In this podcast, Frank Persico of Partners in Mission joins Paul Schott Stevens, CIS trustee & former CEO of the ICI, for a dynamic conversation in which they will discuss the proper respective roles of management and boards, consider organizational best practices, examine how successful boards organize themselves in effective committee structures, define the types of governing committees, and align themselves with Catholic social teaching.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

This podcast represents the second in a new series that explores the innovations of Catholic non-profits as they advance their missions around the world. In this podcast, Jennifer Poidatz and James Bond of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) join Paul Schott Stevens, CIS trustee & former CEO of the ICI, for a dynamic conversation about their work and how CRS has advanced its’ mission over 75 years while continuing to express Catholic Social Teaching in the organization’s identity.

Listen on Apple Podcasts 

Listen on Spotify 

This is our 4th podcast and the second episode of our Manager in Focus series, featuring our esteemed investment partners and their unique insights on investment strategy and the current capital market environment. This conversation features Jack Brennan, CIS co-founder & former CEO of Vanguard and Evelyn Chen, founder and portfolio manager of the Sino Vision Greater China Market-Neutral Fund. Jack and Evelyn discuss a wide-range of investment topics, including the nuances of investing in Taiwan, opportunities and challenges for the global supply chain, 5G and artificial intelligence, and how Sino Vision integrates ESG principles into their investment process.

Listen on Apple Podcasts 

Listen on Spotify