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With no upfront costs, this innovative financing tool makes energy efficiency affordable to all

Nate Berg

February 26, 2019 |

Ensia |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Aulander, North Carolina

North Carolina’s Roanoke Electric Cooperative is helping members bring down energy costs. Because the energy costs in this area is due to a lack of energy efficiency, the cooperative offers tariffed on-billing to help homes offset expenses like insulation and new heat pumps. The tariffed on-billing uses federal loans to pay for said expenses, and then the customer pays the tariff charge in their bill – which ends up being lower because of the energy efficient upgrades.

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Community Solar Developers Get Creative to Finance Big Projects

Zoe Sullivan

February 06, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Organizations across the country work to make sustainable solar energy accessible for low-income communities. Through creative financing models that allow community members to maintain ownership over their neighborhood solar panels, these organizations keep financing in the hands of community members rather than corporate entities.

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With gender-smart investing, public servants can unlock trillions for women

Suzanne Biegel

January 30, 2019 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Gender-based impact investing, or supporting women's economic empowerment through investing in women-owned businesses, is not only the domain of the private sector. Given the scale of government business activities, there are myriad ways the public sector can engage in "gender-smart investing," from supporting women in growth accelerators and incubators to prioritizing women-led businesses in procurement processes.

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Black Lung: Reclaiming Coal Country

Elizabeth McGowan

January 08, 2019 |

Blue Ridge Outdoors |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashcamp, Kentucky

While waiting on $1 billion of federal money to help address repercussions from a century of coal mining, communities in Kentucky and other Appalachian towns create their own solutions. Chapters of the Black Lung society seek financial means to help individuals with black lung receive medical care, and local businesses turn abandoned mines into sustainable energy plants and other new economic drivers.

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Standing Rock's Surprising Legacy: A Push for Public Banks

Deonna Anderson

January 02, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

In a post-Standing Rock economic era, cities like Seattle and Philadelphia look to the Bank of North Dakota as an example of a successful public banking structure. While public banking is a large undertaking for many cities, governments around the country search for options to divest from Wall Street.

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Social impact bonds are helping solve South Africa's toughest challenges

Susan de Witt

November 30, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Cape Town

Social impact bonds are providing a relatively new way of improving health and education outcomes in developing countries. While these have been used successfully in the developing world, South Africa is relatively new its use of social impact bonds, which use a “pay for success” model to spur investment in experimental programs. Though still in the early stages, the use of this creative financing looks like it will be a huge asset in the development world.

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Why aren't we mining landfills for valuable materials like metals and soil?

Ucilia Wang

October 16, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cantonment, Florida

Across the country, projects that mine landfills for reusable metals and soils are underway. Can such mining prove profitable enough to spur similar efforts on a grand scale? So far, some projects have seen profits while others have not. But as society increasingly values pollution and greenhouse gas reduction, incentives for refuse mining can only grow.

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Developer tests a new way to fund housing for the homeless: private financing

Doug Smith

July 19, 2018 |

Los Angeles Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

In an attempt to increase housing for the homeless in L.A. in a financially sustainable way, FlyAway Homes has started several projects to build homeless housing supported by private investment. Fifty six investors will get a return, though not a large one, on the 9-unit property that will house 32 homeless individuals. This model is more efficient than when a non-profit organization builds homeless housing, and more properties under FlyAway Homes will show if the model is in fact sustainable.

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Global Investors Find Value in a Small Bank in the Deep South

Oscar Perry Abello

July 11, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Little Rock, Arkansas

Southern Bancorp is a regional bank based in Little Rock, Arkansas and is a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. Founded after the financial crisis in 2009, the Alliance shows that values-based banks, especially those that are putting a higher proportion of funds toward loans in their own communities, outperformed more traditional large banks. Southern Bancorp is doing just that by investing in loans for local business owners and municipal bonds to benefit the cities in which they operate.

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For just $5, you can now start a responsible investment portfolio

Ben Paynter

June 19, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Newday Investing is a an app that allows people to begin impact investing with as little as $5. While attempting to engage millennials in socially-conscious investing, the investment firm is hoping small investments will lead to larger investments over time. With funds that focus on areas such as gender equality and climate action, Newday Investing is trying to make impact investing more accessible and interesting to young people as well as to bigger investors.

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