Building a Fund to Seed the Future 2024 Impact
Rooted in faith, working for justice.
Dear Friends,
Invested Faith was created to carry the legacy of faith communities into a future we cannot yet see. 2024 was a year during which much fear and uncertainty surrounded us…and yet, the work of Invested Faith emerged stronger and more robust than we ever could have imagined!
• Our commitment to working with traditional faith communities to live into the future was cemented with a $1M pledge from St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Ferguson, MO. This gift will be the foundation of the Invested Faith Fund, created to allow churches–both thriving and nearing completion–to actively participate in creating the future of faith communities!
• 20 new Invested Faith Fellows were identified, funded, and connected to our network of support in 2024. Each of these projects represent faith-rooted social enterprises working to impact unjust systems in their local communities.
• With a staff team working seamlessly to support the growth of Invested Faith, we’ve seen new opportunities for individuals and faith communities to support this work. SEEDS is our monthly giving program that continues to grow with the regular investment of individuals. Visit www.investedfaith.org/support to discover more ways to contribute to our work.
• Our friends and partners at Good Faith Media and Rise Collective have helped us keep telling stories of hope, inviting people of faith to think outside the box and to join the work of social entrepreneurs leading the way.
The growth of Invested Faith in 2024 has exceeded my imagination, as the good work of healing the world usually does. The chaos and division around us continues as we enter a new year, but that does not stop the work of God in the world. That work never stops. The only question for us is whether or not we will answer the persistent invitation to keep at the work of imagining - and creating - a better and more just world for all our neighbors.
Who we are:
Invested Faith is a 501(c)3 organization founded to help individuals and religious institutions use their assets to fund the work of faith-rooted social entrepreneurs building businesses that are changing unjust systems. Invested Faith identifies, resources, and connects these entrepreneurs—named Invested Faith Fellows— who are creating new models of faith, community, and justicemaking across the country.
Beverly Jenkins: Refuge & Restoration Marketplace
Beverly Jenkins saw possibility in an abandoned strip mall and the opportunity to rebuild her community. Today, Refuge and Restoration (R&R) Marketplace has transformed the Dellwood community of Ferguson, MO. The R&R team is creating an equitable access hub that includes an early child development center, a bank, a co-working space, a pharmacy, as well as a worship center and needed community social service offices. This holistic hub brings the community together for transformation, growth and flourishing.
At the end of 2024, we celebrate 61 Fellows working in 22 states and the District of Columbia.
Resourced
Invested Faith offers our Fellows networking, learning, and support through our RESOURCED program. RESOURCED offers a variety of group and gathering options including:
• Monthly online meetings for connection, learning and support
• Short term affinity groups for peer learning and coaching
• Regional and national in-person gatherings for deeper growth and fellowship opportunities
CA- A Soul Cleansing Documentary, Arrayed, Freely in Hope, Liberated Together Inc, Creating @ The Edge, EEqual, Lady 280; DE - Wilmington Kitchen Collective; GA- A Better Way Grocers, BOON- The Black Next Gen Network; HI- Ke’anae Market, ‘Awa Bird Nursery, Mission Management, and Up Law, Open Mind Yoga Hawaii; IL- Equiticity, Hope Center; IN - Lipstick Cult, The I Have Bike Shop; IA- Argrow’s House; KY- Blak Koffee; LA- Cure with Love Strategies LLC; MD- The Network; MA- New Wine Collective, STANDING IN THE GAP/[GOSPEL]; MO- New Roots Urban Forgotten Adoption Option, Brugmansia Ministries, Refuge and Restoration Nonprofit; NJCurrent Project, Cordoba House Sunday School, NARY, Emma’s Torch, Inheritance Theater Sanctified Art, Deep Time, Liberation Station, Reverend Money; OH- Together We Compost Alliance, Shoot Basketballs NOT People; RI- Local Return; TX- Global Blends Coffee Shop House Revival, The KIT Project; VA- Green Wall Street, Teen Care Network, Living Water Community RVA, Sub:Culture, inc.; WA- Cultivate South Park, With You, Co.; DC - Emma’s Torch
Creating Justice LA; CO- Creations Grocers, Just Bakery, Dignity Homes, Management, LKE Dojo, Speak Out Have A Dream Preschool, Spolks
The Black Church Food Security Urban Farm, Forai, Inc., The NJ- BeauFolio Studio LLC; NY- The Theater Project, El Barrio Homes; NC- A Compost; PA- Black Economic Growth Shop and Deli, Neotopia, Meeting Community Center, Village Green
Race/Ethnicity
Heber Brown: The Black Church Food Security Network
From its beginnings in 2015 as a garden planted on church grounds, the Black Church Food Security Network has grown to become a national alliance of more than 200 congregations. These communities of faith work together to co-create Black Food ecosystems and address the root causes of food apartheid. Founded by Dr. Heber Brown, the network organizes Black churches who are uniquely positioned to serve as food hubs and distributors to improve community health. The network sources food from an expanding group of 125 participating Black farms, including an apple orchard in New York and citrus farms in Florida.
Josh Richardson: Brugsmansia Ministries
Brugsmansia Ministries’ mission is to address climate change and climate migration through building physical, relational, and spiritual infrastructure within faith communities. Using climate projections and current physical and social data, scientist and faith leader Josh Richardson helps communities identify vulnerabilities and needs as well as potential future challenges. His ground-breaking work helps communities proactively prepare for climate driven environmental disasters or other climate change events.
Tamice Spencer-Helms: Sub;Culture Inc.
Sub;Culture Inc. is a Black led nonprofit removing barriers to holistic well-being, social flourishing and academic success for Black university students. Founded by Tamice Spencer-Helms, Sub;Culture offers a comprehensive and transformative experience for Black students. With an innovative program design, Sub;Culture comes alongside students to mitigate situations and unexpected costs that often lead students to drop out.
Invested Faith Board of Advisors
Reverend Kevin Wright The Honorable Jane Campbell, former Mayor of Cleveland Reverend Christian Peele
Invested Faith Staff
Amy Butler, Founder and Vision
Anita Flowers, Coordination
Anna Meyer, Generosity
Ku’ulei Williams, Efficiency
Invested Faith Partners
Invested Faith is grateful for our network of partners who work with us and share our vision for seeding the future through faithrooted social entrepreneurs.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies
The Eula May and John Baugh Foundation
Good Faith Media
Reverend Money
Rise Collective
St. Peter’s United Church of Christ
Texas Methodist Foundation
Wesleyan Impact Partners
We deeply appreciate the individual and organizational donors who make our work possible, and all who contribute to the work of Invested Faith.
Invested Faith P.O. Box 57323 Washington, DC 20037 info@investedfaith.org investedfaith.org investedfaithfund investedfaith