BREA, Calif. – Churches and ministry organizations now have another option to turn to in their long-term investment planning. The $1.6 billion Evangelical Christian Credit Union has launched Evangelical Christian Investment Management, LLC (ECIM), a wholly-owned subsidiary that will offer investment policy formation, asset allocation analysis, and portfolio structuring for evangelical churches and ministry organizations in need of long-term investment strategy. “The formation of ECIM was a logical extension of ECCU's long-standing mission to provide value-added financial services to evangelical organizations,” said Frank Borst, ECCU executive vice president and president of ECIM. ECIM's biblically-based investment management principles are designed to help ministries best steward the funds entrusted to their care, according to the credit union. “ECIM believes that we should seek the best return possible, within the context of stewardship and Kingdom building,” White said. “Through ECIM, we can now partner with ministries and provide bundled solutions that include financing, banking, and investing.” The CUSO actually officially launched in October 2004, but discussions to form ECIM began in 2003 in response to our members requesting that we consider providing investment management services in addition to our financing and cash management services, Borst said. This is not ECCU's first entry into investment services. In 1991, it formed Ministry Partners Investment Corporation to offer investment certificates, which are backed by ECCU real estate loans. In the nearly four months that ECIM has been up and running, assets under management are “under $20 million and are currently on track to exceed the CUSO's 2005 goal of $75 million,” Borst said. ECIM will serve only those organizations that meet ECCU's field of membership, which includes churches, ministries, and Christian schools across the nation and missionaries around the world. Borst said clients will typically have portfolios in excess of $1 million although representatives are talking to a few organizations with assets below that number. The target market will be those ministries in the $3 to $15 million range while discussions are underway to explore relationships with others that have portfolios above that level. “Our clients are attracted to the value proposition that offers financing, cash management and investment services from one institutional provider,” Borst said. “In rare instances will we also consider managing assets from high net worth individuals because they are closely associated with the ministries we serve.” While ECIM has been approached by numerous organizations as potential partners, it chose to align with Christian Financial Professionals Network, a ministry organization that is headed by Ron Blue, a leading author on money management and PhilanthroCorp, an authority on planned giving in the ministry market. Since ECIM's launch, it has focused on tapping its existing member base, Borst said. “We have over 2,000 evangelical organizations that are members, so there is a well-established pipeline of prospects that are already enjoying the benefits of membership at ECCU,” Borst said. The CUSO is also gearing up to have a presence at a number of strategic conferences focusing on the ministry market to be held this year. Borst said ECIM's “wildly important goals” for this 2005 are to achieve financial objectives; institutionalize the ECIM brand; develop “excellence in process”; and find “exceptional individuals who exhibit extraordinary competence, aptitude, and character.” With the latter, Borst said ECIM is currently looking to fill a number of positions within the new department. “Our number one focus is to get the `flywheel spinning' to reference Jim Collins' Good to Great,” Borst said. “We are very pleased at the excitement that is being generated in the marketplace about our offer, and are overwhelmed by the number of ministries that are requesting ECIM's counsel.” [email protected]