Invest Locally

One of the best ways to invest responsibly is to invest locally, in communities that are financially underserved. "Community investing is capital from investors that is directed to communities underserved by traditional financial services. It provides access to credit, equity, capital, and basic banking products that these communities would otherwise not have. In the U.S. and around the world, community investing makes it possible for local organizations to provide financial services to low-income individuals, and to supply capital for small businesses and vital community services, such as child care, affordable housing, and healthcare."

The Community Investing Center has numerous resources you can use to be part of this "strategy that remedies the economic disparity in domestic and international communities by providing lower-income people access to capital, credit, and training:"

* Use financial professionals that direct at least 1% of their managed funds to community investing.

* Search the community investment database to find investment tools that allow your money to work for you and for others.

* Select investment products that help restore economic justice.

* Consider international community investment programs.

* Note the impact of community investing. Through the 1% in the community campaign over $5 billion has been put into community investing.

* Also consider using community development financial institutions, credit unions, eating local foods, financing microloans and other ways you can act locally.

Invest your money so that it grows and works not just for you, but also for your community.

"Emancipation from the bondage of the soil is no freedom for the tree." -Rabindranath Tagore, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (1861-1941)