Category: Uncategorized

A new term was added to our vocabulary this year: anti-ESG. The definition of this word is clear and means opposed to ESG investing. The anti-ESG movement has occurred at the intersection of politics and investment. For example, Florida adopted a resolution barring the consideration of ESG factors in its investment management practices. Also, Texas […]

Learn about how the Gambrell Foundation worked with the Charlotte Center for legal advocacy to help meet their mission through a Program Related Investment.

Although PRIs are relatively new to The Gambrell Foundation, The Ford Foundation originated the concept in 1968. A PRI is money that leaves the foundation’s corpus, counting towards a private foundation’s 5% annual payout requirement in the year made, and goes into the hands of a non-profit or for-profit entity. The primary distinction between a […]

As depicted in the below illustration, the foundation’s portfolio is comprised of two overarching buckets: Classic Investments and VAIs.  Classic Investments consist of traditional holdings, such as shares of Google or a U.S. corporate bond, which we only track the financial return.  The second bucket, VAIs, comprises traditional holdings analyzed via an unconventional lens tracking […]

Before delving into our unique values-aligned investment (“VAI”) framework and implementation, I would like to summarize and reference additional academic studies, which further dispel the myth that one sacrifices financial return when participating in VAIs.  CFA Institute Research Foundation in collaboration with Swiss Sustainable Finance published the Handbook on Sustainable Investments in 2017, which summarizes […]

As mentioned, a lack of standardization exists within this space. So, we charged our own path and created a proprietary investment framework. The first strategic decision we encountered was whether to take a “lens” or “sleeve” approach when implementing this new investment strategy. A lens approach applies the investment strategy to the entire portfolio; whereas, […]

A Collection Stories and Wishes to celebrate Sarah Belk Gambrell’s 101st Birthday Aunt Sarah: A woman of substance. A woman of family. A woman of business. A woman of community. A woman to be admired. As the matriarch of the Belk Family, it is a privilege and an honor to watch her navigate any audience. […]

As you probably know, Sally Gambrell is the foundation’s President and the only child of the foundation’s founder, Sarah Belk Gambrell. In January 2018, Sally introduced the idea of impact investing to me by plopping The ImpactAssets Handbook for Investors by Jed Emerson on my desk with the directive to “figure it out.” Sally first […]