The 2026 US midterms are upon us, and another AI IPO changed history this week. National leadership changes and resulting regulatory upheavals seek to upend the values-aligned investing industry. But despite the uncertainty ahead, values-aligned investors remain steadfast in their commitment to peoples, places, and our planet. A change in strategy is not defeat. Adaptation is nature’s wisdom.
The challenges that we face as a sector can sharpen our communication and business skills, galvanize our commitments, force relational growth, and deepen our friendships. Increasing threats to our biosphere create awareness that we cannot survive without this very special planet. All these skills build the resilience and unwavering passion required to craft a new economy. We are not stuck in the past.
Values-aligned investors each respond to this moment differently, and the sector is evolving. Confluence members will not abandon commitments to solving climate change, advancing social justice, elevating tech integrity, and championing equitable opportunities for diverse investment managers. Many of the organizations in our membership are led by women, and we will not step down from leadership. We know that the world needs female and diverse leadership now more than ever before. As investors stay the course, the coming months and years will continue to demonstrate that it is not necessary to sacrifice returns to align capital with social and environmental impact. Investing ethically – rooted in the practices of patient investing – is the nourishment that the real economy needs right now. Protect your institutions and family resources from a volatile stock market by trusting in your values.
The challenges that we face are the testing ground for the future. New economic models and businesses will emerge from mutual aid societies; values-driven investors will partner alongside unusual bedfellows in the wake of climate disruption; and community stressors will inspire a new generation of young, visionary leadership. Social movement leaders are thinking about how to build power apart from grant support. They are not waiting to ‘find out’ what happens next. The locus of power is a swinging pendulum – where will it center?
Philanthropy’s highest purpose is to facilitate the creation of social innovation, and endowments can invest alongside these changes with their values as a ballast.
We are confident that our community will be able to face these turbulent waters and persevere. We believe in you, the reader, in your leadership, and in your institution’s values. We are here to support you; reach out if we can.