Investor Advocates for Social Justice (IASJ) has announced that United Church Funds’ Director of Responsible Investing, Matthew Illian, will be a recipient of the IASJ Bridge Connector Award at its 50th anniversary gala – “50 Years Strong” – on Thursday, December 4, 2025.
The award celebrates individuals or groups who have built meaningful relationships across sectors, perspectives and experiences – fostering unity, understanding and collaboration that drives lasting change.
The honor highlights a longstanding collaborative partnership between IASJ and UCF. IASJ, a non-profit organization representing faith-based investors, seeks to leverage investments to advance human rights, climate justice, racial equity and the common good. On behalf of its affiliates, IASJ engages companies on strategic environmental, social and governance issues and advocates for change.
This shared commitment has shaped UCF’s strong partnership with IASJ, such as advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples. In April 2025, with IASJ’s support, UCF filed a shareholder proposal calling JPMorgan Chase to evaluate the effectiveness of the company’s policies, practices and performance indicators in respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples. UCF later withdrew the proposal after JPMorgan agreed to include new disclosures in its proxy supplement related to its Nature and Social (N&S) policies, marking significant progress in advancing Indigenous rights within the financial sector.
Since joining UCF in 2020, Matthew Illian has played a central role in advancing UCF’s responsible investing strategy. Illian provides guidance on UCF’s stewardship activities, including corporate engagements, investment manager oversight, proxy voting, impact investing and more. Beyond his leadership responsibilities, Illian serves as an advocate, spokesperson and ambassador for aligning faith with investment practices.
Reflecting on his work and the honor, Illian said: “One of the great benefits of my work in this field of responsible investing is watching the sparks that fly when like-minded individuals and organizations work and connect across shared values. For example, our work in partnership with IASJ, along with the Tallgrass Institute, focused on Indigenous Rights has helped raise the bar within the banking community for the respect of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).”
He added: “I’ve learned that collaboration is crucial to ensure that capital is in service of people and the planet, because no single voice can achieve systemic change alone. I’m honored to receive the Bridge Connector Award and look forward to continuing to work with values-aligned investors, companies and communities to create meaningful, positive change.”
According to IASJ: “We are thrilled to acknowledge Illian’s exceptional leadership and enduring commitment to justice. His leadership at UCF embodies the values that have guided IASJ for the last 50 years.”
Charles Buck, UCF’s President & CEO, echoing this appreciation, stated: “The UCF Board and staff extend our congratulations to Matthew for this achievement. His work has strengthened our commitment to aligning our faith with investment practices, and we are proud to work with him and the partners we’ve forged relationships with in advancing our vision of a just world for all through responsible investing.”
Learn more about IASJ’s 50th anniversary gala and other award recipients here. https://iasj.org/iasjs-award-recipients/