In just a few short years, MORTAR, a small business incubator in Cincinnati, has made impressive strides in helping longtime residents in fast-gentrifying neighborhoods start businesses and grow in tandem with their neighborhoods’ fortunes. Since 2014, the incubator has expanded from its original location in Over-the-Rhine to include three other Cincinnati neighborhood programs as well […]
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Locavesting.com - A book, a movement... now a media site! News, analysis and resources focused on the intersection of community + financial innovation. Founded by Amy Cortese. @Locavesting
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Crowdfunding and The Investment Company Act of 1940
One of the bugbears of investment crowdfunding is the fact that the laws do not allow special purpose vehicles—legal structures that allow investors to be pooled into a single entity, which streamlines investor communications and management. You also cannot crowdfund an investment fund. That said, there are exceptions to every rule. Real estate crowdfunding platforms […]
As Regulation Crowdfunding Turns One, Progress For Women and Minority Entrepreneurs
As its first full year draws to a close, Regulation Crowdfunding is making progress in breaking down barriers to capital for a wide range of entrepreneurs. But the flow of capital to women, minorities and rural entrepreneurs who stand to benefit the most from the new law is still just a drop in the bucket. […]
For Impact Investor Kristin Hull, There Are Many Ways to Effect Change
The California Bay Area has a well-developed impact investing ecosystem. But trace any one initiative, and chances are it will lead back to Kristin Hull. A Bay Area native and former educator, Hull drew on her insights from education, grad school and the family investment business to become an influential voice and leader in the […]
Impact Investing Marketplace ImpactUS Launches First Four Offerings
Impact investors often complain they can’t find enough viable social enterprises to invest in. And entrepreneurs bemoan a lack of available funding. A recently introduced online impact investing marketplace hopes to address that problem. ImpactUs, a Washington, D.C.-based platform, aims to provide a place where investors can find out about, research and connect with funds, […]
A Fund Where Investors and Homeowners Both Win
The mortgage crisis might seem like a distant memory, but in some ways, American families are more vulnerable than ever. More than 83,000 new families are impacted by foreclosure every month. Nationwide, one in every 200 homes goes into foreclosure. Jorge Newbery is out to change that. His company, American Homeowner Preservation (AHP), buys distressed mortgages […]
What’s a Successful Crowdfunding Exit, Anyway?
Exits. The stuff that crowdfunding investor dreams are made of. Or not? A story we ran recently has prompted us to think more about this topic. It was about the acquisition of Scotty’s Brewhouse, a mini-chain of midwestern brewpubs that is one of the few crowdfunded companies (in this case through Indiana’s intrastate exemption) to […]
Three Women-Owned Startups That You Can Invest In Today
Women entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage when it comes to raising capital for their businesses. They’re turned down more often than men and, when they do raise money, they raise smaller sums. (It’s a good thing they know how to do more with less). That’s starting to change, as new funding options that bypass the […]
Impact Investing Rise Good News for Women and Benefit Corps
Impact investing is expanding, and that is creating new opportunities for social enterprises, including Benefit Corporations, women-led firms and community-based ventures. Those are some of the implications of a recent study conducted by the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (US SIF) Foundation. “There are encouraging signs for social entrepreneurs,” says Meg Voorhes, director of research for […]
A Progressive Investor’s Action Guide for the Next Administration
Concerned about the direction of the country? Make your voice—and money—heard, argues financial advisor James Frazier in this guest post. Now that the 2016 presidential election is in the history books, the rough outlines of the next few years are starting to become a little clearer. We can reasonably expect a federal government with less […]
Slow and Steady Does it for Regulation Crowdfunding
It wasn’t quite the fireworks that some had hoped for, but Regulation Crowdfunding closed the year with a respectable showing. In 2016, 186 companies launched Reg CF campaigns, attracting $19 million in capital commitments, according to year-end data compiled by Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA). Investor interest and investment have increased steadily since the law went […]
Crowdfunding: What’s in Store for 2017?
Year-end predictions are always a dicey game, and that’s especially true as we close out a tumultuous year that turned conventional wisdom (and decorum) on its head. But there’s one thing we can say with a modicum of assurance: crowdfinance will continue to pick up steam in 2017, especially in a deregulatory environment. At Locavesting, […]
Four Ways to Create a Community-Scale Investment Fund in 2017
Community capital is about empowerment of communities. It is a set of strategies that allows ventures to raise capital from their ideal investors within their own community, allows anyone of virtually any economic class to invest in their community, and allows communities to build wealth though a cycle of investment, growth, profit, and reinvestment. Community […]
Community Capital: Impact Investing, By and For the People
There’s a refrain we’ve been hearing recently at gatherings of community organizers: “Nothing about us without us is for us.” While these words echo a centuries-old Latin slogan (“nihil de nobis, sine nobis”), they reflect a profound truth as relevant today as it has ever been. Their meaning is something like this: “Don’t try to […]
Venture Funding With a Twist: Founders Have to Give Back
Social entrepreneurship and venture capital are often an uneasy fit. The emphasis on fast growth and outsize returns can push founder to stray from their mission. Now, a new venture fund is marrying social impact and Millennial values with early stage investing—and redefining the term sheet in the process. The fund, Aera VC, is a […]
What Do Financial Advisors Have Against Local Investing?
I was on a panel earlier this year at the ComCap conference in Portland, discussing how my colleagues and I manage to do what other financial advisors seem incapable, unwilling, or downright frightened to do. Audience members recounted tales of bringing this taboo investment subject up to their financial advisors, only to be rebuked, scolded, […]
Crowdfunding Pioneer Indiegogo Makes Its Move Into Equity Crowdfunding
Indiegogo threw its hat into the investment crowdfunding ring on Tuesday, ending months of suspense. The company, which pioneered the rewards-based crowdfunding market in 2008, immediately became the 800-pound gorilla in the fledgling market. To date, more than $1 billion has been raised from 9 million backers for rewards-based campaigns on the site. Now, in […]
These New Crowdfunding Sites Seek Social as Well as Financial Returns
When the JOBS Act was signed into law, it was hailed as a major step in democratizing finance and opening up new pools of capital for small businesses, especially those run by women, minorities and social entrepreneurs who have traditionally struggled to raise funding. For the first time, everyone could be an impact investor. So […]
Will Intrastate Crowdfunding Finally be Fixed?
Intrastate crowdfunding is poised to take a giant leap forward next week when the S.E.C give a thumbs up—or down—to important changes proposed to two key exemptions that underlie all state-based crowdfunding activity. The Commission will meet on Wednesday morning to consider whether to adopt rule amendments related to Securities Act Rules 147 and 504 […]
Blended Capital Fund Helps Small Scale Farmers in Arkansas
The funding world used to be fairly straightforward: there was philanthropy for nonprofits, venture capital for startups and bank loans for existing businesses. But in the age of social enterprise and impact investing, those lines are blurring. As more businesses combine a social mission with a for-profit business model, finance is adapting, giving rise to […]
Republic Wants to Bring Angel Investing to the Masses
A new investment crowdfunding platform joined the fray over the summer. Founded by AngelList alumni, Republic.co brings with it a high level of street cred—and ambitions to match. It focus: everyday investors and companies that are innovative, diverse and mission-driven. Since it was launched six years ago, AngelList has become the gathering place for early […]
Credibles: Supporting Local Businesses With ‘Edible Credits’ is Just the Start
Investment crowdfunding may get all the attention these days, but there are other ways of support businesses you love—without all the red tape. One of those is Credibles, an app that lets you pre-pay at your favorite restaurant or food purveyor (like Love & Hummus, shown in photo above), and earn edible credits. Think of […]
Before You Invest: The Basics of Financial Due Diligence
Interested in investing in a company that is raising funds under Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), Regulation A or Regulation D? That means doing your homework— understanding what you are investing in and making an “informed investment decision. In other words, due diligence. In this article, we’ll explore the basics of financial due diligence, which includes […]
PRIs: An Underused Funding Tool for Family Foundations and Social Enterprises
“It’s like startup nation! There are so many different businesses. And there’s so much money out there—and you can find these people.” – Joanne Wilson, Angel Investor, NYC Great advice, right? Then why do so many entrepreneurs and investors struggle to find one another? The answer is that yes, there is a lot of money […]
For Crowdfunders, Revenue Sharing Can Have Benefits Over Equity
When raising money through crowdfunding, one of the most important decisions entrepreneurs need to make is how to structure the offering. The appropriate structure will depend on a lot of factors, including the business’ stage of development, its performance to date, growth plans and the targeted capital source. But the options generally fall into one […]
Bill to Improve Regulation Crowdfunding Passes House
The legislative process has been compared to sausage being made. That was certainly the case with Regulation Crowdfunding, the provision of the JOBS Act that allows for mainstream investment crowdfunding open to all investors. In their desire to protect mom & pop investors, lawmakers modified the original bill in ways that made it too cumbersome to be […]
The White House on Crowdfunding and American Innovation
In May, the final “crowdfunding” rule of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) went into effect, making it possible for entrepreneurs across the country to raise small-dollar investments from ordinary Americans. This new rule is a result of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. When President Obama signed the bipartisan JOBS Act, he […]
Crowdfunding Campaigns Can Help Raise Additional Outside Capital, Says Study
Can crowdfunding help you raise outside capital from conventional sources? There are certainly examples. After being turned down by venture capitalists, the inventors of the Pebble Watch went on to smash records on Kickstarter, raising $10 million in a 2013 campaign. Then the VCs came calling, investing $15 million in the smart watch venture. And […]
Who’s Crowdfunding? A Snapshot of Week 1 of Regulation Crowdfunding
Will Regulation Crowdfunding be the game-changer that it was expected to be when the JOBS Act was signed into law four years ago? Time will tell. In the meantime, we decided to take a closer look at the offerings floated under the new rule, which opens up investment in private companies to all Americans and […]
Advertising Rules for Title III Crowdfunding Are More Flexible Than You May Think
Like most legislation, Regulation Crowdfunding, aka Title III of the JOBS Act, was a compromise. The final bill and the subsequent rules written by the Securities & Exchange Commission attempted to balance competing views on the best way to increase access to capital for the nation’s small businesses while protecting investors. One result of that […]
Fixing Crowdfunding: Congress Mulls JOBS Act Version 2
In Silicon Valley, it’s almost dogma that you start with a minimum viable product and iterate—the techie version of throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks. So why shouldn’t it be the same with investment crowdfunding? As we prepare for the long awaited roll out next month of Title III, the final and […]
A New Option For Investing in Crowdfinance Alternatives From Your IRA
Investment crowdfunding is coming. But will you be able to invest? If you’re like many Americans, you may not have a pot of money sitting around to sink into crowdfunding investments. Heck, most Americans don’t even have the suggested rainy day fund set aside. But many of us do have individual retirement accounts, or IRAs—about […]
The JOBS Act at Four: A Status Report
It doesn’t get much attention outside of crowdfunding and financial circles. No one mentions it in presidential campaigns, either to take credit or disparage it. But it’s hard to understate the importance of the JOBS Act, the landmark securities legislation signed into law on April 5, 2012 by President Obama with broad bipartisan support. As […]
New Funding Options Take Root For Food And Agriculture Ventures
Raising capital is difficult for any startup or small business. But it’s especially challenging for entrepreneurs in food or agriculture. Margins are often low, especially in the beginning. There’s also enormous risk due to factors outside of an entrepreneur’s control, like unexpected weather impact on crops. Providing collateral that lenders will accept can be difficult for […]
How The JOBS Act Gets it Wrong—And DPOs Get it Right
The last few years have been exciting ones, as new crowdfunding laws at the state and federal level have been passed that allow people to easily invest in small, growing companies—the kind of investments that, since the Securities Act of 1933, have been the exclusive purview of accredited, or wealthy, investors. In many ways, it […]
With New Offering, StreetShares Opens Small Business Lending to All Investors
Ordinary investors across the country can now lend money to small businesses, thanks to a regulatory greenlight given to online lender StreetShares. The move comes as the industry gears up for Title III, the long awaited JOBS Act provision that will open up investment crowdfunding to the mainstream when it goes into effect on May […]
Social Impact Bonds: Something Republicans And Democrats Agree On
Democrats and Republicans don’t seem to agree on much in this fractious campaign season. The exception may be Social Impact Bonds (SIBs), an innovative new financing model that is being welcomed with a warm bipartisan embrace. Also known as pay for success, SIBs are a new mechanism for financing initiatives aimed at addressing social ills, […]
A Crowdfunding Platform For Equitable Real Estate
“I like the grittiness of cities,” says Eve Picker, a Pittsburgh resident of 31 years who maintains a healthy Australian twang. “I like to think about places that have been left behind. What will it take to get people to put their money into places like that?” For Picker, it’s not just a rhetorical question. […]
Social Impact Fashion Comes to Main Street
In 2012, Alok Appadurai and Jade Beall, co-owners of a yoga and arts studio in Tucson, Arizona, began designing and selling t-shirts and donating a portion of each sale to local nonprofits that feed the hungry. Little did they know where that simple idea would take them. As they learned more about the fashion industry, […]
Move Over Microbrews, Cars Are the New Crowdfunding Darlings
Are cars the new beer? You might think so from the latest spate of high profile crowdfunding campaigns. As new securities regulations go into effect that allow significantly larger amounts of capital to be raised, a new breed of issuer is grabbing the spotlight. In the last several weeks, boldly imaginative car and aircraft makers have […]
Is Student Debt Crushing Millennial Entrepreneurship?
Mention the words entrepreneur or founder, and images of ambitious, be-hoodied youth might arise. Thanks to Silicon Valley, youth and entrepreneurship are intertwined in the popular imagination. But the reality is starkly different. Millennials lag behind older age groups in starting and running their own businesses. And a new study suggests that student debt loads […]
A Mud-Riding ‘Geeky Girl’ Beats the Crowdfunding Drum in Mississippi
Jennifer Gatewood calls herself ‘Mississippi’s Geeky Girl.’ After a career in information technology, she started Peer Elevate to “bridge a gap and lift people up.” When Mississippi enacted an intrastate crowdfunding exemption in May 2015, she saw an opportunity to create Mississippi’s first crowdfunding portal, Peer Elevate Funding. But first, there was a lot of education […]
As Population Becomes More Diverse, Funding Options Grow
The gorgeous mosaic that makes up the U.S. is becoming more so. African-Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics collectively account for 38% of the U.S. population, and are expected to surpass 50% by 2044. And the Millennial generation is not only large, it is the most racially diverse in the nation’s history. This multi-culti melting pot […]
The Research is Clear: Local Business is Good for What Ails The Economy
Here at Locavesting, we always perk up when we see the Hometown Advantage Bulletin land in our mailbox. Put together by Stacy Mitchell & team at the Institute for Local Self Reliance, the newsletter is always full of insightful articles and research on local economy issues. In fact, for 40 years, ILSR has been at […]
Demystifying CDFIs: How to Invest in a Loan Fund
Aeris (formerly known as CARS) is an information and ratings service for U.S. community investments—you might think of them as the Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s of the nonprofit finance world. Aeris rates organizations on their financial strength and social impact to help investors make informed decisions. Karen Seabury, Director of Ratings at Aeris, shares […]
Michael Shuman on Pollinators, Social Enterprise and Remaking Economic Development
Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, entrepreneur, and one of the world’s leading experts on community economics. (He is not, however, a famous rock drummer). His eighth book, (we think, we’ve lost count) The Local Economy Solution: How Innovative Self-Financing “Pollinator” Enterprises Can Grow Jobs and Prosperity, takes on the economic development profession […]
SEC Move Could Determine the Fate of Intrastate Crowdfunding
Will this be the year that intrastate crowdfunding catches fire? The answer may depend upon the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is considering updates to a federal rule that underlies the vast majority of intrastate crowdfunding laws. After a public comment period ends on Monday, the agency will begin deliberating on changes that could make—or […]
Social Impact Investing: the Outlook for 2017
For all its faults, we may look back at 2016 as the year that impact investing was democratized. Once the exclusive domain of wealthy individuals and institutions, impact investing is now within reach of any American with $100 to invest—thanks to the passage of the JOBS Act and new investment vehicles like those offered by […]
2015: The Year in Impact Investing & Social Enterprise
The idea that business can be a force for good has been gaining steam for years, but 2015 may have been the year that it went mainstream. Here’s a look back at some of the year’s most notable developments in the world of social enterprise and impact investing. Mark Zuckerberg embraces impact investing. When the Facebook […]
Crowdfinance: Experts Predict What’s in Store for 2016
2016 will be the year that the long-awaited Title III “Regulation Crowdfunding” goes into effect. That, along with Title II (for accredited investors), Regulation A+ (Title IV) and intrastate crowdfunding, will open up new avenues for entrepreneurs, investors and portals alike. But where will it all lead? We asked some experts to weigh in on […]