Defender Capital Management
Dordt University
Student-led Finance Club
$1.75M
Portfolio value as of 10/30/2026 →
30
Stocks held to spread risk
$17,115
Starting value in 2008
Top 17
CFA Research Challenge, the Americas
Our Mission
DCM's mission is to give Dordt University students hands-on experience as investment managers under faculty supervision and guidance. We strive for a competitive risk-adjusted return relative to a benchmark portfolio, and we manage it within Dordt University's uniquely Biblical perspective.
That doesn't mean we only invest in Christian businesses. We look for companies with good ethics whose goods and services can help promote God's kingdom, and we avoid businesses such as gambling, alcohol, drugs and pornography. In a fallen world no company is perfect, but we make sure the businesses we hold strive to have good ethics.
Student Led
Club members research, pitch and manage a real portfolio themselves, gaining useful hands-on experience for their careers.
What We Buy
Single stocks in the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average or Russell 1000, ranked in the top half of their sector.
How We Decide
Senior Analysts vote on every purchase and sale. A two-thirds quorum is required to buy or sell any stock.
Faculty Guided
Advised by Jesse Veenstra. Hear his Sioux County Radio interview further down this page.
Latest from DCM
Student Led
Students make every investment decision at DCM, which lets them learn in ways that aren't possible in a classroom. The club's advisors see student learning and experience as the primary goal, and portfolio performance as an important but secondary one.
Portfolio Growth
At the start of 2008, the DCM portfolio was worth $17,115, split between two stocks (BAC and GRMN) and an ETF. As of October 30, 2026, it has grown to about $1.75 million and holds 30 stocks to spread the portfolio's risk.
Current Portfolio Value:
$1,747,663.08
*As of 10/30/2026
"I am very blessed to attend a university that has this resource available to students. Being a part of DCM has sparked my interest in the financial markets, and I hope to find a future career that will allow me to continue being involved in this area."
Shane Van Essen, Former Club President '22
