#65: Investing as if Hope Mattered: The Church, Finance, and the Imagination to Act
In this episode, Joy reflects on the deep connections between faith, finance, and imagination - exploring how churches and faith communities can play a transformative role in shaping economic systems that reflect their values.
From the wake of 9/11 to the founding of Criterion Institute, Joy traces the journey of learning to “invest as if hope mattered,” challenging listeners to see finance not as neutral, but as a tool for justice and systemic change. Through stories of faith-driven action and institutional courage, this episode invites us to imagine what’s possible when belief and capital move in the same direction.
00:27 - Introduction
04:03 - Historical Context and Early Initiatives
12:07 - Innovative Financial Structures and Community Impact
17:46 - Bridging Theology and Finance
20:03 - Addressing Gender-Based Violence through Finance
21:49 - Imagining a New Economic Future
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The Blueprints demonstrate how a variety of social change organizations can design strategies that use systems of finance as tools to create positive social change.
These roadmaps lay out insights for how finance can be used to address gender-based violence in a range of sectors, asset classes, geographies, and investor types.
The TOOLKIT is designed to support your journey as you explore how finance can be used as a tool to create social change.
1K Churches was launched in 2012 to galvanize a movement in the faith-based community and engage US churches to invest in the local economy.
These gender-based violence due diligence tools analyze existing due diligence categories – including political, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks – and show how they can be affected by gender-based violence.
Gender-based violence is ubiquitous. More than 1 in 3 women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence, and millions of men, boys, and gender-diverse individuals are affected by physical, sexual, and emotional abuse daily.