High Yield Savings with CNote CNote’s High-Yield Savings Product Offers a 13x Better Yield with 100% Impact San Francisco, CA – December 6, 2016 – Alternative investment company CNote launched its automated savings product to reinvent the savings account and provide savers – many of who are making 0% interest – with better options. Founded […]
Community Investing News
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Sustainable Investing and the Restoration of Community
The big news story of 2016 was the rise of Donald Trump. A very nasty campaign culminated in the election of a completely unsuitable and unqualified person to serve as President of the United States, in my opinion. There were signs that this was coming: the Brexit vote in the U.K., the refugee crisis in […]
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 […]
Capital Institute, Think Tank Behind “Regenerative Capitalism,” Releases First Documentary
December 6, 2016 /3BL Media/ – Capital Institute, a think tank founded by former Wall Street banker John Fullerton, dedicated to supporting the necessary transition to a more just, regenerative economic and financial system, today released a short documentary, “A Year in the Life of First Green Bank.” The film debuted November 10, at an […]
Community Investment Funds: Four Models
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. As […]
New SEC Rules to Make DPOs Easier
On October 26, 2017, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued new rules designed to make capital-raising for small businesses easier. The two exemptions the SEC has updated, the intrastate offering exemption and Rule 504, are the two most commonly used strategies for companies doing direct public offerings to raise capital from their own […]
The case for social investment in microcredit
Timothy Ogden, contributing editor to Alliance, today published his paper ‘The Case for Social Investment in Microcredit’ with the NYU Development Research Institute. It examines the recent research into microcredit impact, and based on this, goes on to argue for continued investment in microfinance. Ogden writes, ‘social investors flocked to the sector, not just because there […]
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 […]
New Report: Small Merchants Offer Big Financial Inclusion Opportunities
There are more than 180 million micro and small merchants operating in developing and emerging markets globally. These merchants serve the world’s lowest income customers at a scale that is staggering. Every day, small merchants interact with more than 4.5 billion customers. While individually each merchant generates low revenues, they collectively influence the global economy […]
Direct Public Offerings Now Available For Up To $5M
The SEC yesterday issued final rules that increase the aggregate amount of money that may be offered and sold for Direct Public Offerings using the federal exemption from $1 million to $5 million. In conjunction with those rules, the SEC also introduced additional investor protections with rules designed to disqualify “bad actors. Highlights of the Amendments to Rule […]
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 […]
RSF Prime: Creating Community Through Setting Interest Rates
Does your bank invite you to discuss and provide feedback on interest rates? Learn why RSF does so with its community every quarter. In 2009, RSF began hosting community pricing gatherings for representatives of the RSF Social Investment Fund – investors, borrowers, and RSF staff. We’ve now hosted nearly 30 gatherings and have made many discoveries along […]
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 […]
Invest Here!
A SOCAP Guest Post By Adam Wiskind Neighborhood Economics Highlights New Tools to Redirect Capital Locally The Neighborhood Economics conference was a SOCAP associated event that told inspiring stories about how investment in local businesses can transform our communities. Overwhelmingly, invested capital in the US flows to large scale Wall Street corporations. Only 1% of […]
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 […]
$1 Million Sold on Vested.org
In October, 1995 Ken Scott became the first person to invest in a Community Investment Note. In those days our investors had to fill in an investment application and return it to us along with a check. Since then more than $1 billion has been cumulatively invested into the Note. The launch of our online […]
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 […]
Faith-Based Investing Is The Bedrock Of Our Work
Last month I attended the Second Vatican Conference on Impact Investing, where impact investing experts and Catholic leaders came together to explore how the Catholic Church can use capital to help achieve their social mission. Seeing the Pope officially endorse impact investing was inspiring, and it reasserted my belief that the work we do at […]
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 […]
RSF Summer Quarterly & 2015 Annual Report
In the latest RSF Quarterly, we focus on the connecting power of nature. The social enterprises showcased in this issue catalyze environmental conservation by bringing together people who are passionate about preserving landscapes or preventing resource waste. Starting on page 3, Elliot Hoffman, CEO of REV and founder of Just Desserts, describes how REV Circles™ […]
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 […]
Telling the Impact Stories of Ours To Own Twin Cities
by Katherine St. Onge on July 05, 2016 Two years ago Calvert Foundation launched Ours To Own, our place-based investment initiative. Through this targeting option of the Community Investment Note, people are able to invest in the cities they live in and love. Last week we held an event to celebrate the local impact that investments in […]
The Impact of Sustainable and Responsible Investment 2016 report by USSIF
USSIF’s latest report “The Impact of Sustainable and Responsible Investment (2016)“ highlights how sustainable, responsible and impact investors have engaged the investment industry, companies, individuals, communities and governments–either individually or collectively–to address environmental, social and governance challenges and to reform the way business is conducted. It presents examples of how these investors have made a difference […]
Opportunity International and MyBucks: A Dangerous Partnership Decision?
Editor’s note: The sale of microfinance institutions to fintech companies has broad potential repercussions for both clients and the sector’s overall development. Because opinions differ on whether this impact will be positive or negative, NextBillion is running multiple, comprehensive posts on the topic. The post below was independently authored by former MFTransparency CEO Chuck Waterfield, and provides a critical […]
Exit Opportunities for DPO Investors
When considering an investment in a direct public offering, potential investors may want to understand how they can get their investment back, i.e. their exit strategy. Organizations raising capital via a DPO should expect questions from potential investors on this subject. An investor’s sale of their investment is itself regulated by securities laws, so in […]
ImpactAssets Impact Investment Notes Deploys $8.3MM In Capital to Latin America and Asia
ImpactAssets announced today that it has deployed more than $8.3MM to financial institutions and agricultural organizations in Latin America and Asia for small business expansion, socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability through its recently launched Impact Investment Notes. These lower-‐minimum, publicly offered debt securities enable financial advisors and their clients to provide capital to growing micro-‐entrepreneurs […]
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 […]
The Regenerative Qualities of Bed-Stuy Fresh & Local
Sheila Akbar and Dylan Ricards opened the doors of Bed-Stuy Fresh & Local in December 2013 with an abundance of passion but no experience in the grocery business, responding to a need they perceived for fresh, healthy, and affordable food in their neighborhood. Unlike the kind of mini-Whole-Foods clone you see in many gentrifying […]
Invest Cheese and Eat it Too at Maker’s Common
By Julie Fahnestock 310. $310,000, that is. That’s the amount of money Californians have invested into a Direct Public Offering (DPO) for the soon-to-be eatery/market, Maker’s Common. For the last five years, cheese lovers and founders of Mission Cheese and Maker’s Common, Sarah Dvorak, Oliver Dameron and Eric Miller, have positioned their first business — […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Behind the Most Successful Microfinance IPO in India’s History: What does gender lens investing have to do with it?
I never thought that selling our shares in an IPO – the holy grail of private equity investing – would be such a grueling process. But it was all worth it when on April 28 in the pre-dawn hours of a New York morning I checked the news from India. The subscriptions had come in slowly at first, […]
An Increase in Demand Means Higher Rates for Investors
In April, alongside the release of our new prospectus, Calvert Foundation raised the interest rates on our Community Investment Note®. Previous Rates New Rates- as of April 2016 3 Year 05/15/2019 5 Year 05/17/2021 10 Year 05/15/2026 15 Year 05/15/2031 We have already received a lot of questions about this change: Did this have anything […]
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 […]
The Disruption of Local Living, Investing and Cheese
(3BL Media and Just Means) – Peering through the window, San Francisco-based Mission Cheese looks like a cool cheese and wine bar, an intimate and hip place for a date or business meeting. Ask a few questions about the Bent River, Marieke Gouda or Fleur de la Valle cheeses that you ordered as part of […]
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 […]
$100 Million Impact Investment Collaboration to Benefit Chicago
The Chicago Community Trust, MacArthur and Calvert Foundation announce Benefit Chicago, an innovative collaboration that aims to mobilize $100 million in impact investments for nonprofits and social enterprises in Chicago. This significant infusion of much-needed capital will provide low-interest loans and other investments to accelerate the efforts of local social sector organizations working to address […]
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 […]
Communities Investing in Themselves: DPOs for Downtown Revitalization
An Oregon real estate company and CEC client, Guerrilla Development, is focused on “creating inventive and experimental projects that use both hemispheres of the brain.” Coincidentally, earlier this month they have been busy engaging both “hemispheres” of investors: accredited investors (a.k.a. wealthy individuals) and non-accredited investors (a.k.a. the rest of us). They are using one […]
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 […]
National Partnership Takes Aim at Strengthening Local Food Connections
Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in conjunction with 15 philanthropic partners that include RSF Social Finance, announced a new initiative aimed at bolstering local food supply chains in ten urban areas. Named Food LINC, the project will focus on increasing customer access to goods produced by farmers and ranchers in their […]
You’re an Investor in Food, Whether You Know it or Not
“Everyone is an investor in food.” by Brian Kaminer “Everyone is an investor in food.” That’s the motto of Slow Money NYC, and it has rung true for me from the first time I heard it. As I started learning how interconnected everything is in life, the principles of Slow Money (a national organization that has inspired […]
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 […]
A Holistic Approach: Three keys to helping small businesses access the finance they need
According to the World Bank, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) provide more than 90 percent of all jobs in low-income countries, and such firms are an essential part of emerging economies. However, these firms are far less competitive than their counterparts in industrialized countries. Among the many obstacles to the growth faced by SMEs, the […]
5th Annual Food + Enterprise Summit Brings Entrepreneurs & Investors Together Financing the Future of Food on April 8-9
Food + Enterprise fills food system focus gap as Investors and Entrepreneurs have turned their attention en masse to food and beverage businesses. New York, New York March 24, 2016 Food + Enterprise Summit (“F+E”), Slow Money NYC’s annual B2B event, returns to Brooklyn for its fifth year on April 8th and 9th, convening investors […]