Praxis Real Impact 2021 report demonstrates how investing together can impact the world

Praxis update |

Praxis introduces ImpactX framework to help investors better understand the real-world impact of their investments

Praxis Mutual Funds® recently released Praxis Real Impact 2021 (PDF), a report that communicates the many ways Praxis’ unique faith-based approach to sustainable investing is delivering real-world change through a range of impact strategies. The impact report is the second report of its kind for Praxis Mutual Funds and describes the firm’s longstanding commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration and impact investing.

Real Impact Report cover
This year’s report introduces Praxis’ ImpactX framework of seven distinct impact strategies, showing how investments can support and contribute to the change we want to see in the world. The ImpactX framework serves as a resource for investors who want to ensure their portfolios reflect their values and move the world in a positive direction.

The seven ImpactX strategies described in the report are:

  • Values + ESG Screening.
  • ESG Integration.
  • Positive Impact Bonds.
  • Company Engagement.
  • Advocacy and Education.
  • Proxy Voting.
  • Community Development Investing.

“With sustainable investing only growing in popularity, we know that many investors are wondering how to assess sustainability investments,” said Praxis Mutual Funds President Chad Horning, CFA®. “At Praxis, we believe that focusing on ‘good’ ESG companies to invest in is just the start. As part of our ImpactX approach, our team developed an impact gauge for each strategy to help investors understand which ones deliver the biggest, real-world difference to the planet and its people.”

Report highlights

  • A look at how the Praxis Impact Bond Fund has been a leader in positive impact bond investing for more than 15 years, with more than 30% of the Fund’s assets being invested in positive impact bonds at the end of 2020.
  • A review of Praxis Mutual Funds' alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the seven ImpactX strategies.
  • A discussion of some of the key shareholder advocacy and fixed income engagement initiatives that Praxis has participated in during 2020, on topics including climate change, chemical safety, human rights policy and vaccine access, just to name a few.
  • An update on Praxis’ community development investing with stories highlighting the initiatives that Praxis’ has supported through its partnership with Calvert Impact Capital. For over 20 years, Praxis has channeled about 1% of each mutual fund into “deep social-impact” investments that bring direct benefits to low-income and underserved communities around the world.

Praxis Vice President of Stewardship Investing Mark Regier said, “For over 25 years, Praxis has been committed to partnering with our clients to integrate faith, values and investing. This report and the stories within serve as an example of how Praxis’ approach to sustainable and faith-based investing focuses on the real-world impact that our investments can make to mitigate climate change, protect human rights and lift up the least among us.”

Download the Real Impact Report
The full Praxis Real Impact 2021 report can be accessed here.

Learn more
For a deeper look at how the Praxis team uses the ImpactX framework, check out our webinar: Understanding impact: How your investments can make a real difference in our world. In this webinar, Benjamin Bailey, CFA®, Vice President of Investments and Chris Meyer, Manager of Stewardship Investing Advocacy and Research, discuss impact strategies that investors can employ to ensure their portfolios reflect their values and move the world in a positive direction. For more background on what led Praxis to develop the ImpactX framework and some examples of Praxis’ real-world impact, listen to Stella Tai, Manager of Stewardship Investing Impact and Analysis, speaking on the MoneyWise podcast here.


Learn more about making an impact

Interested in learning more about Praxis and our values and investing strategies? We’re here to help answer your questions about values-driven investing, offer solutions and provide more information about the real-world impact offered by Praxis Mutual Funds. Call or email us – we welcome the chance to connect with you!

 

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Disclosure

The Fund’s investment strategy could cause the fund to sell or avoid securities that may subsequently perform well, and the application of ESG screens may cause the fund to lag the performance of its index.

In 2015, the UN announced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a call to action for countries, governments, funders, and investors to unite to accomplish 17 global goals. These goals recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. The UN has provided a framework of specific indicators to measure progress and a timeframe to achieve them by 2030, both of which reinforce the urgency and crucial nature of this work.