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The United Church of Christ has a long and commendable legacy of turning to faith values to guide its economic practices. This legacy also guides UCF’s work in managing the assets of churches and faith-based institutions. View and download an infographic that shows the evolution of responsible investing in the UCC.

Matthew Illian, Director of Responsible Investing provides a summary and analysis of recently issued policy recommendations and legislation that affect shareholder resolutions and ESG investing.

World Environment Day falls on June 5. In commemoration, UCF is proud to share the partnerships we have forged, the work that we have accomplished and the progress of our initiatives to help address environmental issues. Read our initiatives, from our launch of the Beyond Fossil Fuels Fund to our response in addressing the climate crisis. 

Today, 23.9% of voting shareholders of AbbVie, a U.S. pharmaceutical company, supported a United Church Funds-led shareholder resolution to report on the “feasibility of incorporating public concern over high drug price into the senior executive compensation arrangement.” 

United Church Funds is proud to have coordinated a shareholder resolution with Gilead Sciences, Inc. that received 43.4% support at Gilead’s annual general meeting on May 6, 2020. The resolution requested the company to separate the position of the Chair of the Board from the CEO position.

United Church Funds, along with investor members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, sent letters to the CEOs of 14 pharmaceutical companies, calling for a collaborative approach in the development of health technologies, including diagnostics, treatments and a vaccine in the global fight against COVID-19.

UCF attended the PRI in Person event last September. As a signatory, UCF commits to incorporating ESG issues into our investment policy, analysis and decision-making. Learn more about what happened during the PRI in Person in this article.

United Church Funds recently took part in two significant events – the UN Climate Week as well as the PRI in Person Event. The new concepts and frameworks that the PRI in Person and the UN Climate Week provided will arm us with the implements to continue to improve our own climate response and responsible investing platform.

In light of the UNGA meeting, UCF is pleased to share some of the work we have accomplished to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals to guide the international community in common pursuit of solving the world’s problems. UCF has contributed to the positive outcomes of several global goals using our core socially responsible investing strategies of engagement, asset alignment and innovative product offerings.

United Church Funds, a leading provider of investment management to churches and faith-based organizations, commends SunTrust Bank for its decision to stop future financing of the private prison and detention industries.