Wespath Investment Management is a division of Wespath Benefits and Investments, a General Agency of The United Methodist Church. Wespath is an established investment management organization with approximately $20 billion in assets under management that provides institutions with a path to competitive financial returns that also honors the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church.

Wespath actively engages the management of companies in which it invests to ensure financial performance and responsible behavior, particularly where environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are concerned. It also applies traditional exclusions, eliminating certain companies from its portfolio. Wespath incorporates the following in its investment management practices:

• ESG Analysis
• Advocacy and Engagement
• Exclusions
• Positive Social Purpose Lending

In 2006, Wespath was the only faith-based founding signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), which it helped co-author.

Wespath is the Investment Manager for the United Methodist Stewardship Foundation of GNJ. When a congregation or related organization has an investment account through the Foundation, they benefit from Wespath’s sustainable investing. Wespath uses a framework for sustainable investing that is focused on performance with the benefit of impact. This involves three components: invest, engage, and avoid.

They invest in companies that demonstrate meaningful social and environmental impact to seek higher returns. They actively engage companies and policymakers by urging them to adopt sustainable practices and policies. Finally, they avoid certain investments due to ethical exclusions or because they pose sustainability-related financial risks.

To read the statement from Racial Justice Investing, which Wespath has signed, click here.