The Fund’s principal investment strategy is to invest in a portfolio of small‑cap growth securities, subject to the limitations of the Fund’s values-based screening policies (see “Values-based Screens” below). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in securities of small‑cap companies.* Small‑cap companies are defined as those with market capitalizations no larger than the largest capitalized issuer included in the Fund’s benchmark index from time to time, which, as of June 30, 2023, had a market capitalization of $13.1 billion. The Fund’s benchmark index is a widely recognized broad-based small‑cap growth index and is the same index identified in the Average Annual Total Returns table below.

The Fund invests primarily in equity securities. The principal type of equity security in which the Fund invests is common stock. The Fund may also invest in other investment companies and up to 15% of its net assets in real estate investment trusts.

The Fund invests primarily in securities that are considered by portfolio management to have potential for earnings or revenue growth. The security

selection process is based on a three-step process that includes fundamental, valuation and timeliness analysis:

Portfolio management considers selling a security if the investment thesis for owning the security is no longer valid, the stock reaches its price target or timeliness factors indicate that the risk/return characteristics of the stock are viewed in the market as no longer attractive.

Portfolio management may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell investments. When making investment decisions, portfolio management may also consider whether a company, through its activities, both externally and internally, seeks to reduce risk and create long-term resilience through sustainable and responsible business practices, as determined based on data and rankings generated by one or more third-party providers unaffiliated with Crossmark. Crossmark believes that such companies exhibit positive values, including, but not limited to, the fair treatment of employees, respect for the environment, positive engagement with the communities in which they operate, and responsible governance practices. To the extent two or more securities eligible for inclusion in the Fund’s portfolio have similar economic characteristics, portfolio management will typically prefer the securities of the companies that it determines compare more favorably with respect to such positive values.

Values-based Screens. As noted above, in implementing its investment strategies, the Fund applies a set of values-based screens to use its best efforts to avoid investing in companies that are determined by Crossmark, pursuant to screening guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Directors, to be: (1) materially involved in the production, distribution, retail, supply or licensing of alcohol or related products; (2) materially involved in the production, distribution, retail, supply or licensing of tobacco or related products (to include vaping and other alternative smoking products); (3) materially involved in gambling (to include the manufacture, distribution and operation of facilities and equipment whose intended use is gambling); (4) directly participating in providing abortions and/or the production of drugs that are used to terminate pregnancy; (5) leasing real estate to facilities providing abortions; (6) directly

engaged in scientific research using stem cells derived from human embryos, fetal tissue or human embryo cloning techniques; (7) directly involved in the production, distribution or retail of adult entertainment; or (8) directly involved in the production, distribution, retail, supply or licensing of psychoactive recreational cannabis or derivative products. Because the Fund uses its best efforts to avoid investments in companies that do not pass the values-based screening criteria, it will divest itself, in a timely manner, of securities of companies that are subsequently added to the list of prohibited companies, although the sale may be delayed if such securities are illiquid or if Crossmark determines that an immediate sale would have a negative tax or other effect on the Fund. However, the Fund may invest up to 5% of its total assets in certain collective investment vehicles or derivatives that may hold or derive value from securities issued by otherwise excluded companies.

For purposes of the alcohol, tobacco and gambling screens, material involvement means that a company derives 10% or more of its revenues from the screened activities. For purposes of the adult entertainment screen, companies directly involved in the production, distribution or retail of adult entertainment (defined as media and materials intended to appeal exclusively to the prurient interest) and companies that derive 2% or more of their revenues from the screened activities are screened. For purposes of the abortion, abortion facilities, stem cell research and cannabis screens, there is no revenue threshold; any direct involvement in the screened activities will cause a company to be screened out of the investment universe. For purposes of the abortion and abortion facilities screens, a company that is not itself directly involved in the screened activities will be screened out of the investment universe if (a) it owns 20% or more of another company that is directly participating in the screened activities, or (b) it is 50% or more owned by another company that is directly participating in the screened activities.