Case Study — Everence Praxis Faith-Based Investing Research

Business Challenge

Praxis Investment Management™, Inc. a company of Everence® and a proven innovator in faith-based investing, was planning to introduce two new faith-based Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs) in 2025. In alignment with the products’ launch, Praxis and Everence planned to release a white paper on the current state of faith- and values-based investing, with perspective from both investors and financial advisors.

Their team needed to conduct research to understand attitudes and decisions on this topic to support the debut of the new ETFs and create compelling thought leadership and other marketing collateral to accompany the launch. 

Questions to be addressed by the research included:

• What is the current appetite for faith- and values-based investing among consumers?
• What is the level of interest in faith- and values-based ETF among consumers and within the advisor community?
• What would encourage advisors to have a “go-to” faith-based investing product or provider?

Research also needed to build on an Everence and Praxis-sponsored study from August 2001, Where Faith and Wall Street Intersect (refreshed in 2002 and 2003).

With deep expertise in dual investor/advisor research, a proprietary Financial Advisor Community, and experience conducting studies for thought leadership and white paper development, Bellomy was the ideal partner for this initiative.

Bellomy Solution

For this challenge, Bellomy used its proprietary survey platform to conduct two online surveys—one for investors and one for advisors. The investor survey was fielded among US residents who make active decisions about where their money was placed, with a robust base size to support subgroup analysis.

The advisor survey leveraged Bellomy’s Financial Advisor Community, a uniquely valuable resource for financial services clients seeking to conduct research among wealth management professionals. The survey was fielded to the entire panel of nearly 1,000 advisors, which yielded a wide range of perspectives and experiences from the financial sector.

Bellomy’s financial services team collaborated with the Praxis team to build on the previous surveys and unearth fresh new insights.

The final report synthesized findings from both surveys, uncovering:

• How investors and advisors approach faith- and values-based investing today
• Compelling points to highlight in thought leadership
• Opportunities to leverage data for other strategic purposes associated with the Praxis ETF launch

Results and Outcome

This study provides a baseline for how financial advisors and investors think about faith-based funds. Everence and Praxis emerged with updated statistics and insights that informed the creation of education and marketing content aligned with the launch of the new Praxis ETFs.

The research revealed gaps in awareness and disconnects in communications between investors and advisors, with notable findings such as:

• Only 59% of advisors are aware of faith-based investment options, which trends lower than many other investment options yet is still considerably higher than investor awareness; 65% of advisors say client demand, interest, or awareness around faith-based investing is limited.
• Even with existing challenges and perceptions, those aware of faith-based investing viewed its benefits favorably.
• Many respondents expected that faith-based investing will become more popular over the next ten years.

Praxis also utilized the results of the study to create Faith-Based Investing: The conversation clients seek, the value advisors can add, a compelling, data-informed thought leadership piece for investors, advisors, the media, and beyond.

Designed to spark conversation, this report dug into the results and implications of the study, focusing on:

• The mismatch in awareness, and usage, of faith-based investing
• Barriers and biases
• Shared expectations of faith-based investing in the future

In addition to being published on Praxis’ website, the piece was highlighted in numerous mainstream and financial industry publications, including Business Wire and Yahoo Finance. 

This exposure not only invigorated the launch of Praxis’ new ETFs—it further reinforced Praxis and Everence as leaders in the faith- and values-based investing space.

More about Bellomy’s Financial Advisor Community (FAC)

The FAC, built and owned by Bellomy , captures valuable, reliable feedback from financial advisors quickly and easily. The community maintains 800–1,000 total members, enabling large sample sizes and the flexibility to engage different advisor types (Wirehouse, RIA, B/D).

Membership is actively managed through a regular refreshment program—and Bellomy’s full-service team handles every facet of FAC engagement so that clients can focus on business strategy and execution.

With optimized pricing, routinized processes, and rigorous screening and panel management, the FAC is a high-quality, cost-effective sample source for conducting research with financial advisors.

Leveraging the FAC reduces the time, energy, and costs that are typically required for studies with this niche audience.

The FAC, built and owned by Bellomy , captures valuable, reliable feedback from financial advisors quickly and easily. The community maintains 800–1,000 total members, enabling large sample sizes and the flexibility to engage different advisor types (Wirehouse, RIA, B/D). 

Quantitative engagements in the FAC have a 40-50% response rate on average, and ongoing access to the FAC means that we can follow up with specific members to conduct qualitative research or trend data periodically over time.