The Generosity NOW Podcast

Values and Investments. Aligning them for greater Kingdom impact: With Jeff Shafer

On this episode, Eric and Laurie interview Jeff Shafer, CEO and co-founder of Common Good Capital. They discuss impact investing and how aligning investments with values can make a positive impact on people's lives. Jeff shares his personal journey and how a back surgery and subsequent crisis led him to shift his focus to impact investing. He explains the work of Common Good Capital in sourcing, due diligence, and educating wealth advisors to help investors align their investments with their values. Jeff also provides examples of impact investments in affordable housing, environmental stewardship, lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, and supporting formerly incarcerated individuals.
About Jeff
After graduating from Wheaton College (IL) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Biblical Studies, Jeff married Shelly, his wife of over 20 years. Jeff has always been passionate about the financial industry and has worked with Morgan Stanley and TriLinc (a leading impact investing fund sponsor), while spending the majority of his time, 18 ½ years, with CNL, a leading alternative investment asset manager. Jeff served in multiple senior leadership roles, and as President, led his team in raising nearly $9 billion in capital. During his time at CNL, Jeff earned a Master of Business Administration from Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College (FL) and also holds the Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Financial Consultant designations, as well as FINRA Series 7, 24, 63 and 79 licenses. Today, Jeff is co-founder and CEO of CommonGood Capital where he sets the strategic direction and leads the team day to day on this exciting journey.
Jeff has served on numerous boards including the United Way and Board of Advisors for Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College. Today he serves on the Doug Holliday Ministries Board, NCF Advisory Board, Chair of Elevation Scholar Foundation, Alumni Board of Wheaton College and The Geneva School Board of Directors.
Jeff and Shelly settled in Winter Park, FL in 2004 where they love doing life together, whether around the dinner table, or keeping up with their two children, Ellie and Nick, who are both college-bound shortly. You will often find Jeff reading non-fiction books, cycling, cheering on his beloved Oregon Ducks or tinkering around on their acreage out in the country with the family dog, Calvin, a black and tan coon hound. He also is deeply passionate about men and women who are incarcerated, and one day wants to create an impact fund that benefits both these ex-offenders and investors.
Takeaways
Impact investing involves aligning investments with values to make a positive impact on people's lives.
Investing with a focus on impact can bring joy and freedom, in addition to financial returns.
Common Good Capital sources, conducts due diligence, and educates wealth advisors to help investors align their investments with their values.
Examples of impact investments include affordable housing, environmental stewardship, lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, and supporting formerly incarcerated individuals. Impact investing focuses on both financial returns and positive social and environmental impact.
Due diligence is crucial when evaluating impact investments, including assessing the manager or sponsor, understanding the investment thesis, and considering the impact and faith integration.
Individuals can use their charitable capital for impact investing, and financial advisors can help facilitate these investments.
Generosity should be thought of more broadly, and investing in causes can have a lasting impact.
Investing requires faith and a willingness to take risks, trusting that the outcomes are in God's hands.
Connect with Jeff
Website: https://commongoodcap.com/
A New Lens Podcast: https://commongoodcap.com/podcast/

Living a High Impact Life: With Pete Ochs

In this final episode of our summer series, we wanted to feature a phenomenal conversation Eric and Laurie had with Entrepreneur, Speaker, and author Pete Ochs. They discuss four simple but powerful principles that bear on creating Economic, Social and Spiritual Capital. When brought together they result in a High Impact LIFE
 
About Pete
Pete Ochs is founder and chairman of Capital III, an impact investment company with investments in the US and Central America.  Enterprise Stewardship is an initiative of Capital III that equips marketplace leaders with resources to transform their personal LIFE and business enterprises. During his four decades in business he has invested and operated companies in the energy, manufacturing, banking, and education sectors, often times focusing on places devoid of human flourishing such as prisons and poverty-stricken countries. Pete’s passion in life is to educate, equip, and empower business leaders around the world to live for something greater than themselves by using their business platform to impact the world for Christ.  
 
Pete lives by four simple principles: Honor God; Serve People; Pursue Excellence; and Steward Capital. These four simple but powerful principles when brought to bear on creating Economic, Social and Spiritual Capital result in a High Impact LIFE.   
Before launching his impact investment company Capital III, Pete spent 8 years in the commercial banking industry. Pete and his wife Debbie have been instrumental in founding and growing several nonprofit enterprises. They live in Valley Center, Kansas.  They have 2 children and 8 grandchildren.
Pete’s first book, “A High Impact LIFE,” and other leadership resources are available at www.EnterpriseStewardship.com.
 
Connect with Pete
https://www.peteochs.com/;
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-ochs/

Redemptive Investing; Swimming against the current with Greg Lernihan

Continuing in our summer series, We highlight a a phenomenal conversation with entrepreneur and faith based investor, Greg Lernihan about redemptive investing. 
 
About Greg
Greg is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of others and has refocused his life with this purpose. As a faith based investor, Greg dedicates his time and talents to mentoring and investing in for-profit businesses that address the worlds greatest social challenges. Greg is dedicated to helping others who are passionately changing the world. He seeks to partner with Christ centered leaders that produce spiritual, social and financial returns by serving the less fortunate in Chicago and internationally.
For more information about Greg and the resources mentioned in this episode head over to Generositynow.org

Community Impact Fund: With Mike Scheid

Continuing in our summer series, we wanted to re-engage this episode Mike Scheid, the Executive Director of the Community Impact Fund. The Community Impact Fund offers impact loans to individuals and families in need, providing a lifeline for those struggling to make ends meet. Mike shares his personal journey and how it has shaped his passion for helping others. He explains the motivation behind the Community Impact Fund and how it has evolved from providing grants to offering loans. Mike also discusses the loan application process, repayment schedule, and the impact the fund has had on people's lives. He highlights the importance of working with employers and shares success stories of individuals who have been helped by the fund. Mike concludes by discussing the future of the Community Impact Fund and its potential to expand to other sectors, such as housing owners.
 
About Mike
Mike is a passionate leader focused on “doing good by doing well” in business. Before joining CIF in January of 2021, he owned Share Good Foods, which was successfully sold, and led the development of SGF, a Do Good Things social enterprise. He also worked to drive impact and growth through his leadership at Swoovy®, a platform fueling volunteerism, social connections, and a wraparound support system for nonprofits.
Miscellaneous Facts:
Colorado Native
Avid Outdoorsman who loves to camp, hike, ski, fly fish
Married to his wife of over 25 year who he met as a freshman in HS, She was a senior and not interested.
Father to three girls
On the Board of B:CIVIC a Colorado Nonprofit working to help further business as a force for good.
Previous Roles:
EVP, Social Impact & Partnerships at Swoovy
Director of Technology at Cherry Hills Christian Schools
VP Operations at Rewind Technology
Owner and VP of Do Good things at Share Good Foods
 
Takeaways
The Community Impact Fund offers impact loans to individuals and families in need, providing a lifeline for those struggling to make ends meet.
The fund started as a way to bring families together over the holidays and provide food, but it evolved to focus on financial wellness and offering loans.
Loans are provided at 0% interest and with no fees, allowing individuals to repay the loan without additional financial burden.
The Community Impact Fund works with employers to offer the loan program as an employee benefit, leveraging the trust and relationship between employers and employees.
Learn More
https://communityimpactfund.org/

Faith, Philanthropy, and Sustainable Impact; with Dana Wichterman

As we continue our summer series, producer Jonathan Collier introduces Impact Investor and International Development Professional, Dana Wichterman. Dana joins Eric and Laurie, and shares her journey of generosity and stewardship, highlighting significant inflection points and the impact of impact investing. She emphasizes the importance of sharing generosity stories and provides helpful resources for those interested in exploring generosity and whole life stewardship.
 
About Dana
Dana views all of her treasure, time and talent as gifts from God that are meant to be stewarded towards three ends - for God's glory, the good of others and for our own well-being. The investment of our capital is an expression of our management of God's resources in such a way that one day we hear "well done, good and faithful servant." She aligns her investing and philanthropy with the specific areas God has called her, seeking sustainable impact. Over the past 10 years, she has come to understand that both our charitable capital and our personal capital can have faith-driven impact for spiritual and social good. She increasingly directs a sizable portion of the charitable capital in her family foundation towards impact investing.
Dana is an international development professional with 20 years at USAID and Department of Commerce. She has years of experience advising nonprofits engaged nationally and globally across many sectors, including micro-finance and private sector engagement. She is active in The Gathering, Generous Giving, Praxis, and Lion's Den. She is an FDE small group facilitator and is on the FDI leadership team launching a citywide network in the DC Metro area to develop a local community of faith driven entrepreneurs and investors. She holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University. Dana finds joy in helping organizations problem-solve, generating creative and faithful solutions. She loves to create community around ideas, connecting transcendent truth in both relational depth and practical application.
Resources Mentioned
NCF Weekly Digest
Faith Driven Entrepreneur and investor
The generous giving website
Journey of Generosity

Entrepreneurship and Kingdom economics; With Chad Roach

On todays episode in our summer series, Eric and Laurie sit down with kingdom serial entrepreneur Chad Roach for a great conversation about business, Kingdom economics, and the ministry of business.
 
About Chad
Homeschooled his entire life, Chad graduated at the age of 16. For his higher education, Chad studied at Oak Brook College of Law and was mentored for six years by Kevin Swanson – Director of Generations with Vision and host of Generations Radio. Chad started his first sales business at the age of 17. Since then, Chad has started multiple companies in various fields including credit card processing, pre-paid payment cards, venture capital, precious metals and asset investments. Now at the age of 35, Chad makes a full-time income from his businesses and continues to spend much of his free time working and learning in ministry and church.
Connect with Chad
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadroach/

How to connect your faith and your work: with Ross Chapman and Bob Larkin from Denver Institute for Faith and Work

In this episode, Eric and Laurie  interview Ross Chapman and Bob Larkin from Denver Institute for Faith and Work. They discuss the organization's mission to help people connect their faith and work, and the importance of bringing hope and life to their communities through their daily work.
They also highlight Denver Institute's programs and initiatives, such as their fellowship program and events like Business for the Common Good and Women Working Calling. The conversation emphasizes the need for a compelling vision and purpose for work, and the role of faith in shaping the way people approach their work.
Takeaways
Denver Institute for Faith and Work helps people connect their faith and work, bringing hope and life to their communities through their daily work.
Denver Institute offers programs and initiatives such as fellowships, events, and resources to equip and support individuals in integrating their faith and work.
The intersection of work and faith is an opportunity to bring about positive change and contribute to the flourishing of individuals and society.
Denver Institute envisions a future where every person's work brings hope and life to their city, transforming workplaces and communities.
About our guests
Ross Chapman loves helping people see how they can serve God and others in their daily work. Ross has been the CEO of the Denver Institute for Faith & Work since October 2022. Before coming to Denver, he founded and served as the President at For Evansville and the Executive Director of CharlotteONE. Ross earned his Doctorate of Ministry in Faith, Work, Economics and Vocation at Fuller Theological Seminary, a Masters degree from Trinity International University in Chicago, and a Bachelor's degree from Taylor University in Upland, IN.
Ross lives in Denver, CO with his wife, Candace, and three sons. He's a die hard Colts and Pacers fan and aspiring Denver sports fan.
Bob Larkin has joined Treatment Technology as its President, responsible for managing all aspects of a chemical distribution business focused on a number of industries including water and wastewater chemicals, pool chemicals, industrial chemicals, specialty polymers, oil & gas chemicals and laundry chemicals. Bob serves the Denver Institute for Faith & Work on their Board of Directors. He is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and minor in Mathematics.In his free time, Bob enjoys golf, skiing, snowboarding, and travel. He has the goal of playing every golf course in Colorado. Bob, his wife, Rene and four young children reside in Denver, Colorado.
Resources Mentioned
Denver Institute for Faith & Work
The Faith & Work Podcast
Teach Us To Pray Podcast
Business For The Common Good Event

Asset-Based Giving Strategies; With Jeff Waldron

Continuing in our summer series,  Eric and Laurie interview Jeff Waldron, a complex gift attorney with the National Christian Foundation (NCF). They discuss the power of asset-based giving and the various tools available for charitable giving. Jeff shares his personal journey of generosity and stewardship and how it led him to join NCF. They explore the benefits of giving from assets and provide examples of how it can have a greater Kingdom impact. The conversation emphasizes the importance of educating and inspiring givers to consider asset-based giving strategies. The episode concludes with final thoughts and advice for listeners.
Takeaways
Asset-based giving provides a powerful way to make a greater Kingdom impact with charitable giving.
Educating and inspiring givers about the possibilities of asset-based giving is crucial.
Giving a portion of an asset can be a beneficial strategy for givers.
Considerations such as debt ratio and cash availability should be taken into account when deciding between cash and asset giving.
Asset-based giving can exponentially increase the amount that can be given and have a significant impact.
About Jeff
Jeff Waldron serves as a Gift Planning Attorney with The National Christian Foundation (NCF) where he assists individuals and families to achieve their charitable goals through the gifting of complex assets. Prior to joining NCF, Jeff was a partner in a large Minneapolis law firm. In private practice, Jeff served closely held companies and their owners in the areas of business planning, mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, succession planning, tax planning, and wealth preservation. Jeff obtained his law degree from Drake University Law School and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law.