(1) BIBLICALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING (BRI)

We help our clients to align their investments with biblical values. We do this through portfolio management that is provided by our firm’s internal investment staff, by third-party model managers (or sub-advisers), or a combination of each. This normally uses negative and positive screening.

A negative screen includes efforts to reduce or avoid exposure to the following:

Abortion – We believe people are made in God’s image, so we value human life at all stages, beginning at conception. As a result, we seek to reduce or avoid exposure to abortion and abortifacients.

Embryonic stem cell research – We believe people are made in God’s image, so we value human life at all stages, beginning at conception. As a result, we seek to reduce or avoid exposure to destructive forms of stem cell research.

Pornography – We believe people are made in God’s image, so we value family, community and a life free of addiction. As a result, we seek to reduce or avoid exposure to companies that profit from pornography.

Alcohol – We believe people are made in God’s image, so we value life free of addiction. While we acknowledge alcohol can be responsibly consumed in moderation, we take a more conservative approach given our lack of visibility into end consumption. As a result, we seek to reduce or avoid exposure to alcohol.

Tobacco – We believe people are made in God’s image, so we value life free of addiction. As a result, we seek to reduce or avoid exposure to addictive and harmful products such as tobacco.

Gambling – We believe people are made in God’s image, so we value life free of addiction. As a result, we seek to reduce or avoid exposure to addictive products and services such as gambling.

A positive screen includes efforts to add exposure to companies with evidence of some or all of the following:

Life-enhancing products/services – We believe business has a God-given purpose to foster human prospering, so we seek to invest in companies that profit by adding value to society rather than extracting value from society. At a fundamental level, this includes offering products and/or services that we believe serve the good of others.

Continuous improvement – We believe we are called to follow God’s example of excellence, so we seek to invest in companies that continually improve themselves and their products/services.

Promotion of family and community – We believe we are called to value the family and community, so we seek to invest in companies striving to build communities for families to thrive in. This may include promoting Christian ministries, giving and serving in the community and protecting children from violent forms of entertainment.

Responsible leadership practices – We believe we are called to value people rather than use them as merely a means to an end, so we seek to invest in companies that exhibit fair dealing with customers, employees, supply chain, competitor and the communities in which they do business.

Environmental stewardship – We believe we are called to responsibly utilize and preserve the natural resources God has entrusted to provide for present and future generations, so we seek to invest in companies with practices considered to reduce negative environmental impact and sustain resources for the future.