Invest with your faith
The Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund is a diversified investment fund seeking current income and long-term investment returns through portfolio allocation and professional asset management with UU socially responsible investing goals.
UUCEF News
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August Monthly Commentary
Global equities and bonds ended August in the red as concerns around economic growth in China and upward pressure on…
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July Monthly Commentary
Risk assets outperformed in July as better-than-expected economic data and moderating inflation bolstered expectations around a potential economic soft landing.…
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June Monthly Commentary
With the Federal Reserve opting to skip an interest rate hike and the slew of robust economic data, the U.S.…
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UUA Board Statement, Post-General Assembly 2023, Regarding Divestment Reparations
June 30, 2023 Last week’s General Assembly was a meaningful yet challenging time for many Unitarian Universalists, including those of…
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Fund Performance
Period Ending 8/31/2023 | Net Asset Value $10.9864 |
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Last Month | -2.8% |
1 year | 7.3% |
3 years | 2.6% |
Ending Market Value | 243,066,513 |
Expanded Summary Table |
August Monthly Commentary
Global equities and bonds ended August in the red as concerns around economic growth in China and upward pressure on…
View UUCEF Performance Reports
Business Resolution Investor Call, May 8, 2023 (MP4 - video)
Business Resolution Investor Call, May 9, 2023 (MP4 - video)
Introduction to Making Money While Doing Good (MP4 - video)
Making Money While Doing Good (video)
Money as an 8th Principle Action Tool (video)
SRI Guideline Revisions Meeting - 10/18/2022 (MP4 - video)
Sign up for the September 20, 2023 Quarterly Investor Meeting
View September Investor Webinar Materials
September Investor Zoom Webinar (MP4 - video)
GA 2020 Workshop: Mobilizing Investments to Advance UU Values (video)
Addressing Climate Change Through UUA Investments - 2019 (PDF)
Why Invest with the UU Common Endowment Fund?
Well-Managed and Efficient
The Fund is under the oversight of the Board and the Investment Committee who selects professional outside advisors and Investment Managers. Collectively, these groups and individuals work to set investment policies, determine asset allocation targets, select and monitor investment managers and regularly rebalance the Fund to maintain its strategic asset allocation targets.Simplify a Challenging Responsibility
When managing an endowment, UU Congregations face an increasingly complex set of challenges. Establishing investment policies, implementing an asset allocation strategy, selecting investment advisors or managers, rebalancing the portfolio, monitoring performance and, controlling costs are but a few examples of the challenges that must be met and with each comes its own risks. The UUCEF manages all of these challenges and more. So why not invest your endowment in the UUCEF and transfer the responsibilities to a team of UUA committee members, staff and outside professional managers and advisors and take advantage of a comprehensive approach already in place?Invest With Your Values
When a UU Congregation becomes an investor in the UUCEF, its voice is amplified by joining with other investors in the Fund, to the extent that the assets are directly managed on behalf of the UUA or in certain selected investment vehicles that apply SRI criteria in selecting their investments. We believe this gives UU Congregations an opportunity to have a more powerful and wide-ranging impact on corporate behavior and other issues of deep concern to Unitarian Universalists. Currently 72% of the UUCEF is managed by firms that apply Environmental, Social, and Governance (EGS) criteria or that screen out certain industries.Socially Responsible Investing at the
Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is ensuring that our investments are aligned with our values. The UUA has been strongly committed to SRI for over forty years. Our commitment springs from our faith, and from our deep conviction in the dignity of all human beings.
SRI Strategies
Proposing and representing resolutions at annual stockholder meetings to encourage companies to adopt policies consistent with your values.
Using your shareholder voting power to vote on important issues of corporate governance, and proposed shareholder resolutions, through the annual proxy voting process.
Trying to avoid doing unnecessary harm, such as by avoiding investments in companies that are serious polluters, employ sweatshops, or have racist or sexist policies.
Setting aside some portion of funds, often 1%, to be invested in local businesses that generate jobs and opportunities in addition to an attractive return.
SRI News
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US SIF leaders to speak at ESG for Impact!, Reuters ESG Investments North America Conference and Responsible Investor USA Online 9/28/2023
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US SIF releases statement on California’s climate disclosure bills Online 9/13/2023
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“Anti-ESG Month” Fell Flat, Was A Positive Opportunity to Educate About Sustainable Investing Online 8/9/2023
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US SIF releases statement on tomorrow’s House Financial Services markup Online 7/26/2023
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US SIF Members Dispel Myths about Sustainable Investing on Capitol Hill Online 7/11/2023
"The staff of the finance office serves our investing congregations with excellent client service, timely reporting, and a robust website that has a rich array of resources about the Common Endowment. Our goal is to bring a high degree of professionalism to the management of the Common Endowment that includes regular rebalancing, rigorous accounting, audits by an outside firm, custodial banking, and legal oversight."
"The UUCEF is a values-aligned fund that manages our collective UU treasure to fund our congregational and denominational missions. Pooling our collective funds enables the hiring of diverse and capable professional money managers, lowers our per unit management costs across a larger asset pool, and mitigates risks that affect smaller portfolios. Via our UU staff and volunteers that direct the fund, we continually work to improve corporate behavior via shareholder coalitions that stretch well beyond our denomination. We are proud of our accomplishments and gladly share our expertise with UU organizations who wish to invest alongside the UUA."
"The UUCEF is a powerful vehicle for congregations to join with each other and with the denomination as a whole to advance UU values. We are a pioneering force driving corporate progress on issues such as climate change, money in politics, civil rights and LGBTQ rights. We make an impact disproportionate to our size through our shareholder advocacy and community investing. We also catalyze innovation in the investment community through our demand for data on companies’ social and environmental performance and our expectation that managers take an integrated approach to sustainability, social responsibility, and financial results."