Fwd: We Built this City: Community Investment - Money Week

[Guest guest]

> Ideal Bite <dailytip

>

> Wednesday, May 17, 2006

>

> IDEAL BITE ~ a sassier shade of green

>

> ===============================================

> Today's Daily Tip: We Built this City: Community

> Investment - Money

> Week

> ===============================================

>

> Wanna fatten your pocketbook and improve your ‘hood

> while doing good?

>

> The Bite:

> Community Investing finances loans for responsible

> wannabe homeowners

> and small businesses who might not qualify for

> traditional loans. Sit

> back and reap the returns while directly helping at

> the local level.

>

>

> The Benefits:

> - Everybody’s doing it. Community Investing, the

> fastest-growing

> socially-responsible investment trend in the US,

> increased from $5.4

> to $7.6 billion between 1999 and 2001.

> - Quit worrying and let the “green” flow in.

> Community development

> banks are considered low-risk, and are insured up to

> at least $100,000

> per depositor just like traditional banks.

> - Many Community Investment institutions benefit the

> environment by

> informing borrowers on ways to improve home energy

> efficiency,

> financing businesses that minimize waste and backing

> the renovation

> (read: reusing) of deteriorated existing buildings.

>

>

> Personally Speaking

> Co-op America just devoted an entire issue of their

> quarterly member

> publication to this concept, and Jen, being the

> eco-dork she is, made

> copies and sent to the Biting team members. (See

> first link below for

> some of their stellar content).

>

>

> Wanna Try?

> - 1% in Community Investing Campaign - move just 1%

> of your portfolio

> into Community Investments and create a whole lotta

> change.

>

(http://www.coopamerica.org/socialinvesting/communityinvesting/onepercent.cfm)

> - Community Investing Center - find everything you

> could ever care to

> know about Community Investing in one place.

> (http://www.communityinvest.org/)

> - Community Investment Impact Calculator - gauge the

> impact your

> investment could have for underserved populations.

>

(http://www.communityinvest.org/impact/calculator.cfm)

> - Calvert Foundation - invest without having to

> choose between your

> wallet and your soul.

>

(http://www.calvertfoundation.org/individual/index.html)

> - Shorebank - another popular option.

> (http://www.shorebankcorp.com)

>

>

> Bang for the Bite Rating: 5 Apples (out of 5)

> If 10,000 Biters each invested $1,000 in US-based

> Community Investment

> Institutions for just one year, 500 homes could be

> built or improved

> by underserved borrowers.

>

>

> Cocktail Tip

> Mini 'hoods: Hibberts, ME; Ervings, NH; New

> Amsterdam, IN; and Lost

> Springs, WY each boast a population of 1.

>

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> In the world of

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> people and planet, it’s great to find tested

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>

>

> © 2006 Ideal Bite, Inc.

>

>

> All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result

> of testing and a

> preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid

> to have its

> company referenced in the tip. Advertising on the

> Ideal Bite can be

> found as separate and distinct units, namely the

> skyscraper banner

> along the side and/or a small image with text along

> the bottom of the

> email. From time to time, if we know that a certain

> company is going

> to be mentioned or featured, we inform them in

> advance and allow them

> to purchase paid advertising space if they would

> like to do so. But we

> promise -- we won't recommend anything we didn't try

> and didn't like

> -- and no one can pay to be featured in the tip.

>

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