In order to build wealth and create opportunities in and across America’s underserved communities, and reverse the troubling trends we’re seeing in our economy, we no longer find it defensible to focus on job creation alone. It’s clear that job creation does not itself equate to lasting economic change. And so, we must shift our […]
Beyond Investing News
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Why Washington’s Anti-Regulation Agenda Will Hurt the Economy
The president and congressional leaders are fixated on demolishing public health, safety and environmental regulations, but these efforts make little practical — or economic — sense. Of particular concern is, first, the president’s “two-for-one” executive order requiring two federal regulations to be deleted for every one issued. The second is efforts by Congress to pass regulatory reform legislation […]
A “Farmer First” Approach to Land Access
Think “local food,” and your mind’s eye produces various images of farmers in vast fields harvesting strawberries as the sun rises. Or you visualize a weekend farmers market offering colorful arrays of fruits and vegetables. These images strike at the idea of a food movement that has grown more diversified and equitable. But barriers persist, […]
Inclusive Development Index: Measuring What Matters
Call it the Norway model. A new economic measure introduced at the World Economic Forum suggests inequality is not a natural byproduct of globalization, but a choice countries make through investments and priorities. The Inclusive Development Index shifts the evidence of a nation’s economic health from gross domestic product to living standards. GDP, a commonly used economic […]
Defend the Sacred: RSF Winter 2017 Newsletter
In this latest RSF Quarterly, we listen deeply to members of our community as they recount stories of struggle and newfound strength. This issue’s Clients in Conversation is international and features Native people’s voices from as far north as Alaska, down to the South African region of Pondoland. Despite being halfway across the world from one […]
USA: 100% Renewables by 2050?
America’s most powerful wind farm – 1.5 gigawatts in size, generating enough electricity for a city of millions – is on the edge of the Mojave Desert at the foot of the Tehachapi Pass, site of one of the earliest and still largest collections of windmills in the world. In total, there are more than […]
10 Reasons to Be Optimistic for a Low-Carbon Future
Sure, many of my friends in the climate change movement can’t wait to forget 2016, the year when an incoming Trump presidency brought new meaning to climate uncertainty. But there is a movement taking hold that is far bigger than the U.S.—I’ve seen it in the last year in Africa, in Europe and the U.S. Here are […]
Investing in Sustainable Cities to Spur Economic Growth
(3BL Media/Justmeans) – In the next 15 years, more than two-thirds of total investment infrastructure will be made in cities. By 2050, about 66 percent of the global population will live in urban regions. Africa alone will have about 800 million more people living in cities than today. The gap between the supply and demand […]
Large Businesses Thank Governor Kasich for Energy Bill Veto
Major Ohio employers today commended Republican Gov. John Kasich for vetoing an energy bill that they say would have increased electricity costs and made Ohio less globally competitive. By vetoing HB554, Ohio’s renewable portfolio standard of 12.5 percent by 2026 goes back into effect on January 1, 2017. Utilities are also required to implement energy […]
Failure of Amendment 1 Sparks Florida Solar Boom
As we reported in our last blog, Amendment 1 – The Florida Solar Energy Subsidies and Personal Solar Use Initiative – failed to achieve the 60% of voter support needed to pass a state constitutional amendment on November 8th. Proponents said the amendment would have given residents the right to choose to install solar systems […]
167 Nations Act to Protect Biodiversity
By Sunny Lewis CANCUN, Mexico, December 20, 2016 (Maximpact.com News) – To safeguard the full spectrum of diverse living creatures, the UN Biodiversity Conference opened December 2 with a call to governments and businesses to integrate biodiversity into their practices. By the time the final gavel struck early Saturday morning, governments from 167 countries had […]
Cooperative Banking in Croatia
The Democracy Collaborative’s Adam Simpson and Sarah McKinley sat down with Goran Jeras, one of the lead developers of ebanka, an ethical bank project launching in Croatia, for a conversation about building the institutions of an ethical and sustainable financial system. Adam Simpson: Goran, thank you for joining us today. You are the cooperative manager […]
What I wish I knew of Impact Investors when I started
“What do impact investors want? Sustainable social impact with financial return” “What are board meetings for? To take policy decisions and ensure organization is on track” How can one disagree with the above answers? Yet, that is what I did! Because, practically there is something more every new entrepreneur should know beyond these text-bookish answers. […]
Top Resources to help you – a new article series
New Article Series “Top Resources” by Invest With Values Invest With Values is launching a new article series Top Resources. The series shares lists of leading resources based on public input. Each list focuses on a specific category (media, organizations, events) across the topics of Local Banking, Community Investing, Sustainable & Responsible Investing, and Impact Investing. What […]
B Corps are changing the way we do business and our world
B Corps are changing the way we do business. Do you know the saying “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”? Well, a growing number of businesses (B Corps) are doing just that. Business as a force for good Businesses have a tremendous impact on our lives, as owners, employees, […]
What’s Next? Parecon, or Participatory Economics
Download the PDF This paper by Michael Albert, published alongside three others, is one of many proposals for a systemic alternative we have published or will be publishing here at the Next System Project. You can read it below, or download the PDF. We have commissioned these papers in order to facilitate an informed […]
COP22: Paris Climate Pact ‘Irreversible’
MARRAKECH, Morocco, November 21, 2016 (Maximpact.com News) – In the early hours of Saturday morning in Marrakech, more than 190 governments agreed to the Marrakech Action Proclamation , which sends a strong message of global unity towards taking effective action to limit climate change. The document proclaims that was issued “to signal a shift towards […]
Well-being Economy: A Scenario for a Post-growth Horizontal Governance System
Download the PDF This paper by Lorenzo Fioramonti, published alongside three others, is one of many proposals for a systemic alternative we have published or will be publishing here at the Next System Project. You can read it below, or download the PDF. We have commissioned these papers in order to facilitate an informed […]
Dark times call for brighter new visions of the world we want to see
Our system is failing. Profound anger at a rigged system has led many voters to reach for something different – even if it means turning in a dangerous new direction. The voters have rejected a stale elite consensus, but we are now confronting a still greater threat. What remains of Madisonian checks and balances has […]
Towards a New, Green Economy
Download the PDF This paper by Tim Jackson and Peter A. Victor, published alongside three others, is one of many proposals for a systemic alternative we have published or will be publishing here at the Next System Project. You can read it below, or download the PDF. We have commissioned these papers in order […]
Trump is like the dog that caught the fire truck. Some ideas for what he does now.
It may be foolish to think that Donald Trump actually has solutions for addressing the wave of anger he rode into the White House. He’s spent decades stiffing contractors, outsourcing jobs and avoiding taxes. But if he’s looking for good ideas, let’s show him where to find some. There are at least a few areas where at […]
US$100 Billion to Finance Climate Triage
Clever Kanga works for the Foundation for Irrigation and Sustainable Development in the central African country of Malawi, working to install solar powered irrigation projects, April 2016. (Photo by Trocaire) Creative Commons license via Flickr. By Sunny Lewis WASHINGTON, DC, November 3, 2016 (Maximpact.com) – Finance is always a hot button issue at the UN’s […]
Six Theses on Saving the Planet
Download the PDF This paper by Richard Smith, published alongside three others, is one of many proposals for a systemic alternative we have published or will be publishing here at the Next System Project. You can read it below, or download the PDF. We have commissioned these papers in order to facilitate an informed […]
The millennial is the message
Illustration by Meaghan Way Millennials may be forgiven for not knowing Marshall McLuhan. But for insight as to why millennials invest the way they do, look no further than his extensive Wikipedia page. In fact, visiting any Wiki page would provide insight into McLuhan’s famous phrase, “the medium is the message,” meaning society is shaped […]
Sustainable Goals and Social Impact: Do You Have What you need to succeed?
By Maximpact Sustainable Goals and Social Impact: Do You Have What you need to succeed? At the nexus of change Maximpact.com is a work space for projects, businesses, ideas and endless opportunities. A global marketplace of qualified consultants, experts and services. Maximpact.com today announced the launch of their consulting and advisory services to support the […]
7 Ways to Teach Your Kids About Money — Even If You’re Bad With It
Talking to your kids about money can be overwhelming. After all, when you aren’t even that “good with money” yourself, you shouldn’t be teaching your children about it, right? Wrong. The important thing isn’t to be perfect with your money; it’s to be open about it. A recent T. Rowe Price study found that […]
The millennials who don’t want to call themselves philanthropists – and why we must listen to them
The term philanthropist, it seems, is getting a bad rep. The next generation of philanthropists at this year’s Philanthropy Australia conference made it perfectly clear that they would prefer to be known as ‘change-makers’ or ‘social entrepreneurs’, and so, are ‘consciously uncoupling’ from being known as philanthropists. It appears today, as discussed at the Conference, […]
Framing the challenges of a next system after fossil fuels
Systemic Crisis and Systemic Change in the United States in the 21st Century This new working paper from The Next System Project was prepared as an invited contribution to the “After Fossil Fuels: The New Economy” conference taking place in Oberlin, Ohio from October 6-8, 2016. In the paper, Next System Project co-chairs Gar Alperovitz […]
UN Global Compact Launches Next-Generation Business Solutions to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
New York, September 19, 2016 /3BL Media/ – Today, the UN Global Compact will announce four new platforms – in partnership with GRI, Monday Morning/Sustainia, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and Volans – to help shape the next generation of sustainable development initiatives and partnerships for business. The announcement is part of the multi-year Making Global Goals […]
The best place to be a social entrepreneur? The results are in
Thomson Reuters today published the findings of their global perception poll of the best places to be a social entrepreneur. This poll was conducted in partnership with UnLtd and Deutsche Bank, and asked 900 experts in 45 of the world’s biggest economies a series of questions relating to this business-for-social-good sector, ranking the countries accordingly. […]
Facebook Live from SOCAP
The Social Capital Markets (SOCAP) conference is again upon us. And this year, we’re trying something new. NextBillion will broadcast a series of interviews through Facebook Live, starting this evening and continuing through the end of the conference on Friday. We have more than 10 (and counting) discussions lined up with a diverse group of […]
Champions for Social Good Podcast: A New Resource for the Social Good Movement
Today, the new resource for the social good movement, the Champions for Social Good Podcast hosted by Jamie Serino, Director of Marketing at MicroEdge + Blackbaud, launched and is available online and for download on mobile devices. Through the Champions for Social Good Podcast, Jamie brings together thought leaders and practitioners to share key […]
New Book: Inhabiting Interdependence
RSF Social Finance’s Vice President of Organizational Culture, John Bloom, published a new book this week titled Inhabiting Interdependence: Being in the Next Economy. In this collection of insightful essays, John explores approaches to transforming conventional habits of mind and practice that have led to an imbalance in our economic life. Acknowledging that money permeates […]
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 […]
SOCAP16 – where it comes together
SOCAP16 takes place September 13th-16th at Fort Mason, in San Francisco, CA. Join more than 2,500 changemakers, impact investors, social entrepreneurs, and related thought leaders at the world’s largest conference dedicated to increasing the flow of capital toward social good. From emerging leaders to established players, SOCAP brings together global innovators, investors, foundations, governments, institutions, […]
Today Is Earth Overshoot Day 2016
GENEVA, Switzerland, August 8, 2016 (Maximpact.com News) – Earth Overshoot Day this year falls on August 8. Today, humanity’s demands on nature this year exceed what the Earth can regenerate before year’s end calculates the international sustainability think tank Global Footprint Network , the international conservation group WWF and more than 30 other partners. […]
The Mousai House: A Cooperative Vision for a New Creative Economy
We asked Jennifer Bryant—a DC-based writer, organizer and radio host—to highlight an emblematic example pointing towards what Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard calls a cooperative solidarity commonwealth, which she details in her essay in Volume 2 of our “New Systems: Possibilities and Proposals” series. Bryant’s exposition of The Mousai House gives us a glimpse into a […]
How does The Commons work? Animating David Bollier’s next system
David Bollier, in his paper for our “New Systems: Possibilities and Proposals” a series exploring viable political-economic alternatives to the present order, suggests that a commons-based framework could provide a critical template for de-commodification, mutualization, and the organization and control of resources outside of the market. We’re excited to share with you our latest animation that illustrates some of the principal features […]
Making Waves on World Oceans Day
NEW YORK, New York, June 14, 2016 (Maximpact.com News) – Musician Jack Johnson started the Wave for Change conservation social media campaign just in time for World Oceans Day this year. The Hawaii-based performer is asking people around the world to do something for the ocean – cut down on plastics, use more renewable energy […]
Gates Offers $80M to Close Gender Data Gap
By Sunny Lewis SEATTLE, Washington, May 31, 2016 (Maximpact.com News) – Compared to the lives of men, little is known about the lives of the world’s women – how much time they spend on unpaid work, if they own land, if they can get credit, if they die in childbirth, which programs meant to help […]
Clients in Conversation: Marian Moore and Lorene Arey Play BIG
Originally published in the RSF Spring Quarterly Fresh off the heels of 2016’s Play BIG, co-founder Marian Moore and attendee Lorene Arey talk takeaways from the four-day event. At Play BIG, participants—all with significant discretionary wealth—are challenged to reimagine their money in the context of the broader vision and mission of their work and their […]
Webinar: Toward a Caring Economy
Our political-economic system is not working: families are struggling, the middle class is diminishing, one in five U.S. children lives in poverty, we have unacceptably high rates of homelessness and incarceration, rising underemployment, collapsing environmental systems, and a host of other problems. What would it look like if the system in all of its dimensions […]
A New Look at CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility (All-Videos issue)
To begin its 24 year of publishing on sustainable business and investing – the award-winning ‘GreenMoney Journal’ launches its first-ever all Videos issue on “CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility” (May 2016). The videos featured Biomimicry expert Janine Benyus; Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard; Casey Gerald of MBA’s Across America; Marine Biologist and explorer Sylvia Earle; Former VP Al Gore; Judith […]
The Currency of Self
by John Bloom Technically, money is meant to be nothing more than a holder of assigned value and to serve as a means for facilitating the exchange of goods and services. However, money is also a complicated social reality, and it is encrusted with layers of perception, values, assumptions, and behaviors. For example, we say […]
Carbon Pricing Gathers Momentum
By Sunny Lewis WASHINGTON, DC, April 26, 2016 (Maximpact.com News) – “There is a growing sense of inevitability about putting a price on carbon pollution,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim on the eve of the April 22 signing ceremony at UN Headquarters of the Paris Climate Agreement. Kim joined government and corporate […]
Democratic Finance for Affordable Space in NYC
New York City is the quintessential melting pot. People from all over the world come to the city in search of culture, cuisine, art and opportunity. Yet for many New Yorkers, their ability to stay in the city they’ve helped create has been compromised in recent years by soaring real estate prices. Between 2000 and […]
A Call for Systemic Impact
Foundations, Families and Funds can play a very important role in helping to redirect capitalism toward a more fair and just application, while also finding the right social enterprises to support. By playing a more comprehensive role in the creation and support of Community Capital Markets, these funding sources can build impact into a systemic […]
One Billion Take Part in Earth Day 2016
WASHINGTON, DC, April 20, 2016 (Maximpact.com News) – As Earth Day approaches its 50th anniversary in 2020, the Earth Day Network has set five major goals. Planting trees is the first; this year volunteers throughout the world plan to plant 7.8 billion trees. The Earth Day Network’s 2016 Trees for the Earth campaign will focus […]
RSF Spring Quarterly: Is Digital Money Transparent?
In the latest RSF Quarterly, we do a deep dive into digital money and the fast-growing fintech (short for financial technology) sector. Uphold’s Tim Parsa lays out a case for why blockchain technology may mean an end to banks. Jonny Price, senior director for Kiva Zip, critiques mainstream peer-to-peer lending for its lack of investor […]
Ripe for Action: How a 20 Percent Cut in Food Waste Could Yield $100 Billion in Benefits
Quick! What do these issues have in common: food insecurity, water conservation, economic development, and climate change? All these pressing social and environmental concerns can be addressed by reducing food waste. By reducing food waste at scale, we have a unique opportunity to help protect the environment, alleviate poverty, boost the economy, and reduce the tax […]