Through community investing, individuals have an amazing opportunity to create jobs, housing, and social services here and abroad while earning returns on their investments.
Individuals often start by finding a community development bank or credit union for their basic banking needs. In addition to strengthening lower-income communities, these institutions provide everything from checking and savings accounts, to CDs and IRAs, to mortgages and other loans. You can often find a local community development bank or credit union, but if not it is easy to bank with an institution in another neighborhood or state using online banking, ATMs, and the mail.
Community development loan funds (domestic and international), venture capital funds, and pooled funds are also available to individuals. These investments are not insured by the federal government, but the funds balance their high impact with sound financial management to produce social and financial returns attractive to many individuals.
Our simple Investing for the World Guide can help you invest in communities in need around the world. |
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To learn more about the type of impact community investing has, see our Impact Section or calculate the impact you could have with our Community Investment Impact Calculator. To find investment options that are right for you, use our Community Investment Database.
For more information on community investing and socially responsible investing, please visit Green America’s web resources. Green America is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to harness economic power — the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace — to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
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