Impact investing is personal
We take the time to understand your whole financial picture so we can help you build a portfolio to reflect what matters to you. Your goals and values guide every recommendation we make.
Responsible investing can feel overwhelming without the right guidance. We built the Impact Team at Perigon to address that.
Two big challenges in impact investing
The fund manager defines what’s sustainable
Funds often adopt a general view of sustainability that doesn’t align with each client’s unique values or areas of concern.
And fund managers may have differing views on what is a good or bad company.
This makes it hard to know what aligns with you.
“Greenwashing” and vague labels are everywhere
Funds labeled “ESG,” “SRI,” or “green” don’t always match what those words mean.
They promise social impact with little transparency. And rely on vague scoring systems or criteria.
You deserve more clarity about what you’re investing in.
Skip the one-size-fits-all approach
Advances in data, technology, and portfolio customization have changed sustainable investing, allowing investors to move beyond the old “one-size-fits-all” ESG portfolio. Today’s investment landscape offers more options than ever before.
This enables investors to pursue competitive financial returns while supporting issues they care about, from climate change and human rights to gender and racial equality.
What if you could:
- Stand behind companies whose behaviors reflect what matters to you
- Understand how your money is creating real-world outcomes
- Feel supported by advisors who specialize in impact and sustainable investing
We give you the kind of clarity and confidence most values-based investors never get.
Impact investing is more complex than it looks from the outside
What most investors try first
Why it doesn’t always work
Screening out a few sectors
Data feels inconsistent from one provider to another
Buying “green” or “ESG” funds and hoping they’re aligned
Funds may hold companies you don’t expect
Googling terms like, “what is SRI”
You get broad explanations, not guidance tailored to your values
Asking advisors who don’t specialize in impact or values-based investing
It’s hard to understand what you’re actually invested in
Relying on company marketing materials
You’re left feeling like you’re doing this on your own
Your team for values-aligned investing at Perigon
We created the Perigon Impact Team to give you an investing experience that’s clear, thoughtful, and aligns with what you care about.
Bringing together:
- Experts in values-driven wealth management, comprehensive financial planning, and community-focused investing
- Leaders in climate adaptation, social impact research, and responsible investing frameworks
You get a team that understands impact investing down to its core.
Meet the Impact Team at Perigon
Experts who help bring your values into your financial life.
Bud Sturmak, CFP®
Head of Impact Investing | Partner
Jeffrey Gitterman
Managing Director
Andrew Bellak
Partner | Wealth Advisor
Doug Wheat, CFP®
Partner | Wealth Advisor
Gregory Wendt, CFP®
Senior Wealth Advisor | ESG & Impact Investing Strategy
Andrea Hamilton, CFP®
Wealth Advisor
Sarah George, CFP®
Wealth Advisor
Our team builds on the firmwide expertise that defines Perigon
While we deepen our capabilities in values-aligned investing, we work hand-in-hand with advisors across the firm to deliver personalized, holistic advice to reflect your unique goals and values. This integrated approach, paired with Perigon’s forward-looking mindset, positions us exceptionally well for future growth.
“Is it really possible to align values with my financial goals?”
Yes, and here’s why.
It’s easy to question whether values-based investing means lower returns, less diversification, unreliable data, or a strategy that won’t fit into your financial plan.
With the right research, planning, and portfolio construction, we help you:
- Use data responsibly, not recklessly
- Avoid greenwashing through real due diligence
- Tie your impact goals to your long-term plan
- Build a strategy that’s diversified and intentional
- Feel confident instead of overwhelmed
Aligning with your values
What issues do you feel passionately about? Our sustainable approach uses leading-edge public and private market solutions to customize the portfolio themes that matter most to you, including:
- Climate change/carbon reduction
- Poverty reduction
- Clean energy
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Diversity, equity and inclusion
- Vegan/animal cruelty
- Gender equality
- Equitable education
These impact themes help us evaluate company behavior and real-world impact.
Our impact investing process
1. Discovery
We start by getting to know your circumstances, goals, values, and what you want your money to support. This happens in conversation with your advisor or through our secure online tool, depending on what’s easiest for you.
This step is intensive, but essential. The more we understand your priorities, the better we can build a strategy that fits your life.
2. Analysis
Next, we review everything gathered in discovery to identify opportunities, gaps, or inconsistencies in your current plan or portfolio.
We look at your progress toward long-term goals, how your investments currently align with your values, while taking into account ESG and impact-related metrics and potential risk exposures or improvements.
This gives us a clear picture of where you are today and what changes you need moving forward.
3. Custom impact plan
With a full understanding of your financial life, we design a plan that reflects your values and strengthens your financial position.
This may include updating your portfolio construction, incorporating social or community considerations.
Your plan is personal. We don’t use templates or off-the-shelf portfolios.
4. Implementation
Once you’re comfortable with the plan, we start putting it into place. We coordinate with your tax, estate, and legal professionals and ensure your new strategy is aligned across your investments, estate planning, taxes, and long-term goals.
You will always have secure, convenient access to your investment information at any time.
5. Ongoing guidance
You and your advisor will meet regularly to review progress, adjust your portfolio, and update the strategy as goals shift. At minimum, we meet annually, but clients may prefer to meet more frequently as they approach major milestones.
What you get when you work with us
A values-aligned portfolio
See your money supporting the issues you care about, not drifting into companies that don’t match your priorities.
Transparent investment choices
No more guessing whether a fund is truly “green”. You’ll always know what you own, why you own it, and how it aligns with your impact goals.
Access to meaningful impact opportunities
Find responsible investing options across social and climate themes you may not have found on your own.
A dedicated team on your side
You get specialists in impact, social investing, responsible investing, and ESG fund analysis all within Perigon.
FAQs
Is values-based investing the same as ESG?
No. ESG is a data framework. Values-based investing starts with your priorities and evaluates companies through those lenses.
Is sustainable investing the same as impact investing?
No. Impact investing aims for measurable social or environmental outcomes, while sustainable investing focuses more broadly on long-term risk and opportunity.
How do you avoid greenwashing?
We analyze company behavior, policies, and impact themes through multiple data sources – not marketing materials. If the methodology isn’t transparent, it’s out.
Is the data reliable?
Some datasets are stronger than others. That’s why we use multiple sources and scenario analysis to avoid relying on one metric.
Disclosures
Perigon Wealth Management, LLC (“Perigon”) is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, visit www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal, and no strategy can guarantee returns or prevent loss. When environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) factors are considered, investment exposure to certain issuers, sectors, or countries may differ from strategies without such screens, which may result in higher or lower returns.
This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice, nor a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Market conditions can change and may impact portfolio values. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.