🇺🇦 Invest in Ukraine 🇺🇦
V.1, N.19
We normally don’t focus on donation crowdfunding, but in this issue we shine a spotlight on the surge in creative fundraising for Ukraine. While nation-state funding works its way through abysmally slow bureaucracies, grassroots groups and individuals across the world are mobilizing aid instantly. For instance, over $40 million in private donations to support the Ukrainian army have flooded the National Bank of Ukraine via direct payment tools like Google Pay and credit cards. Cryptocurrency users have redirected millions through blockchain technology to local organizations in Ukraine which are converting it into hard cash for soldiers and civilians alike. Individuals are also coming together to quickly crowdsource support for Ukrainian soldiers, friends, and family in the war zone. In short, tens of thousands of people around the world are coming together to protest Putin from their pockets. Don’t get upset by the daily outrages by Vladimir Putin – get invested and make Ukraine his Waterloo.
With spring in the air, we have some good news too. You’ll find articles below about: microlending pulling women entrepreneurs out of poverty in New Jersey; Brooklyn residents lobbying to convert vacant lots into community land trusts for affordable housing, and a local investment fund in Nova Scotia saving a beloved restaurant. Also, in our last issue, we reported that the New Hampshire State Senate was about to make it almost impossible for trailer-park residents to buy their communities and stabilize their rents. Public pressure has apparently convinced the state’s legislators to reverse course.
Finally, some really big news: www.themainstreetjournal.org is now live! Here you’ll be able to find all of our back issues, our growing archives of news stories, and the expanding roster of Main Street Champions. If you want to grow your community’s local investment ecosystem, you now can begin on the website or by clicking the button below.
– Michael Shuman, Publisher, The Main Street Journal
NEWS
Crowdfunding Becomes Part Of Ukraine’s Arsenal, Los Angeles Times (March 8)
A Microlending Program For Low-Income Female Entrepreneurs In New Jersey, Bloomberg (March 11)
East NY Land Trust Targets 18 Vacant City-Owned Properties For Community Ownership, BK Reader (March 9)
FarmWorks Investment Co-op Helped Berwick Restaurant In Time Of Need, SaltWire (February 24)
PARTNER VOICES
Remaking the Economy: Redefining Risk, Nonprofit Quarterly (March 11)
Real ESG Scoring is Coming – Are Law Firms Ready to be Rated?, Cutting Edge Capital (March 9)
Why Access to Capital Is Not Evenly Distributed: Racism And Finance, The Jenny Kassan Group (February 25)
Worker-Owned Bay Area Food Businesses Are On The Rise, San Francisco Chronicle featuring Project Equity (February 21)
EVENTS
The ABCs Of Local Investing With Michael Shuman – Webinar. Wednesday, March 23, 4pm ET.
Shifting Power Through Place-Based, Community-Governed Investments – Webinar. Wednesday, March 23, 1:55-2:40pm ET. Several presenters, including Executive Director of Transform Finance Andrea Armeni, will showcase community engaged approaches to create social change.
What IS Retirement Anyway? – Webinar by the Next Egg. Monday, April 4, 2-3:15 ET. What does retirement look like in the world we want to create?
ICYMI
At The VoizDAO Sustainable Finance Summit, Michael Shuman spoke about how local investing can create impact, VOIZ DAO (February 2022)
How Grocery Co-ops Across New England Thrived Despite The Pandemic, Shareable (March 2)
Queer Owned Coffee Co-op To Open In Old Louisville, Queer KY (March 1)
JOBS BOARD
Community Foundation of South Jersey is seeking a Community Impact Manager. Location: Philly/Camden area. Apply by March 25, 2022.
Project Equity is seeking a Program Specialist, Public Sector Engagement. Apply by March 28, 2022.
Fair Food Network is seeking a Director of Institutional Funding, Business Operations Manager, Senior Director of Impact Investing, and Program Ambassador.
Mission Driven Finance is seeking a full-time Client Operations Associate, Real Estate Director, Programmer/Analyst/Data Architect, and Staff Accountant (all positions can be fully remote).
BECOME A MAIN STREET CHAMPION
Have you always wanted to start a local investment club? A website of local investment offerings in your community? A local investment study group? Whatever your interest or ambition, we invite you to “go public” to help others in your region find you, scheme with you, and start a local investment movement in your community. Our goal is to identify dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of Main Street Champions like you across America. We already have Main Street Champions across the U.S., from San Luis Obispo, CA to Providence, RI, and even Australia! Together, we can move our hard-earned savings from Wall Street back into our communities. Fill out the intake survey below to join this first cohort!
SOME OF The MSJ’s VINTAGE ISSUES
NH Senate considers strangling local investment in affordable housing
How San Franciscans secured $9.4 million in affordable housing 🌁
About The Main Street Journal
The Main Street Journal aims to catalyze the movement of $50 trillion from Wall Street to Main Street to facilitate economic development and economic justice. It’s sponsored by the National Coalition for Community Capital, with a grant from the Heron Foundation. We welcome feedback about everything, from our design to content. And we welcome suggestions of other groups to involve as partners, and other information to include. Please send ideas to Sophia Leswing at sophia@main-street-journal.com.
PARTNERS
We welcome any nonprofit or for-profit committed to local investment as a partner. If your organization is interested, please contact Sophia Leswing at sophia@main-street-journal.com.