Why Francesco Collaborative Is Focusing on Capital Organization
Over the past several years, Francesco Collaborative has asked a simple but demanding question:
What does bold embodiment of Catholic Social Teaching in investing look like?
We began with formation.
Inspired by Pope Francis’ invitation to help “give a soul to the economy,” we gathered investors, economists, and entrepreneurs to integrate contemplative practice, Catholic Social Teaching (CST), and practical investing. We learned from a wide range of thinkers — from Kate Raworth’s ecological economics to Morgan Simon’s work on impact investing to Nick Romeo’s reflections on alternative ownership structures.
Through workshops, peer circles, and our Summit, more than 200 investors have wrestled with how capital participates in shaping economic life.
But over time, we learned something important:
Formation is essential — and it is not enough.
What We’ve Learned About Moving Capital
Across foundations, religious congregations, family offices, and advisors, several patterns became clear:
- Many institutions have strong mission alignment but face internal constraints — committees, consultants, risk frameworks, and conventional portfolio assumptions.
- Impact allocations often remain small relative to total portfolios.
- Impact-first and catalytic funds face persistent fundraising challenges.
- Investors frequently need peer support to move from conviction to allocation.
We also observed something hopeful:
When investors encounter the right opportunity at the right moment — and are supported by trusted peers — capital moves.
Those moments of alignment can be catalytic.
A Clarifying Experience
One experience crystallized this for us.
An organization producing malnutrition kits in Haiti needed bridge financing to fulfill a major contract serving vulnerable children. Conventional financing options were prohibitively expensive and structurally misaligned with the organization’s long-term sustainability.
A small group of foundations and impact-oriented investors collaborated. Experienced fund managers helped structure and underwrite the transaction responsibly. Guarantees were coordinated. Capital was delivered.
It required coordination, trust, and disciplined execution.
It worked.
That experience clarified something essential:
Our community’s greatest leverage lies not only in education — but in organized capital.
Why We Are Emphasizing Coalition Building
In this next season, Francesco Collaborative is focusing more intentionally on supporting specific funds and investment strategies that embody aspects of CST — including employee ownership, community wealth building, emerging market “missing middle” finance, and other approaches across asset classes.
Our goal is not to promote any single strategy.
It is to:
- Foster informed peer learning.
- Support disciplined diligence processes.
- Reduce friction between aligned investors and aligned managers.
- Help institutions navigate internal barriers.
- Track and learn from real allocation decisions.
To support this work, we launched Livable Future Impact — a broker-dealer affiliated initiative designed to provide compliant infrastructure for capital introduction and coordination.
This structure allows us to learn more clearly about where institutional obstacles arise and how peer collaboration can address them.
Our Theory of Change
We believe that:
- Spiritual and intellectual formation builds conviction.
- Peer relationships build confidence.
- Disciplined fund selection builds clarity.
- Coordinated action builds momentum.
When these elements converge, more capital can flow toward enterprises that expand ownership, strengthen communities, and promote long-term human and ecological flourishing.
What This Means for the Community
In the coming months, we will:
- Spotlight selected funds and strategies across asset classes.
- Host educational sessions followed by appropriate investor-only discussions.
- Continue refining our CST-informed frameworks for evaluating embodiment.
- Expand welcome calls for those exploring deeper engagement.
We are not becoming a fund manager.
We are not becoming a conventional membership organization.
We are seeking to become a disciplined bridge between conviction and deployment.
If you would like to learn more about this direction, we invite you to join one of our upcoming welcome calls.
The Economy of Francesco will not emerge from ideas alone.
It will require organized, thoughtful, and values-aligned capital.
We are committed to building that capacity — together.