Investing In Organizations That Protect the Environment Has Never Been Easier
For the average consumer, engaging with companies that share their personal values can seem easier said than done.
Consumers may learn about green companies, businesses dedicated to protecting the environment, but find a disconnect between simply knowing about their mission and their ability to participate in it. There’s the misconception that wealthy individuals and accredited investors must take up the mantle of infusing capital into eco-ventures because they have the money to do so.
But we know that the “do-good” mindset has no income bracket, and average consumers do care about the environmental and social justice issues that have increasing significance with the global community. There are many different, accessible and affordable ways consumers can meaningfully invest in NGOs, non-profits and sustainable brands doing good work, most of which are just a click away.
In an increasingly connected world, a new-ish funding option allows individuals and groups to support small businesses and causes they care about: crowdfunding. Well-known platforms for this model include IndieGoGo, Kickstarter and GoFundMe, which allow consumers to invest their money in causes that matter to them, without having to be a wealthy, accredited investor.
Whether it’s to help bring to market the world’s first dye and water-free sustainable denim, fund a program dedicated to protecting the world’s coral reefs or revive an award-winning environmental magazine, crowdfunding platforms are accessible avenues through which you can personalize your investments and put your money where your values are.
Building on the freedom, flexibility and immense popularity of these emerging crowdfunding options, President Obama in 2012 passed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, a piece of bi-partisan legislation designed to support entrepreneurship by opening the door to non-accredited investors to participate in early stage investments, subject to SEC review. For small, green businesses in need to capital to scale, expand and better help people live last wasteful lives, this development was huge. A provision of this legislation is called Regulation A.
On a mission to recycle the unrecyclable, TerraCycle US Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of TerraCycle, Inc., is currently qualified for its $25 million Regulation A offering by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), thereby allowing anyone the opportunity to invest in our U.S. business for the first time. Through the Regulation A offering, TerraCycle US Inc. seeks to use the proceeds from the offering to acquire related companies, increase staff and grow its business. Interested investors are invited to visit www.OwnTerraCycle.com or on the SEC website to view detailed information about the offering.
Of course, while the average person can always make a straight money donation to the charity or non-profit of their choice, you can support a cause with the most precious, scarce resource there is: time. Volunteer at the local library, your old elementary school, an animal shelter or soup kitchen. Human resources are the power behind any organization, for profit or not; sources like Volunteer Match can help you find a role that fits your vision, location and level of dedication.
Taking the time to get to know the issues puts you in a strong position to protect the environment. Research the causes that are important you, be it climate change, urban development, food systems or early childhood education or elder care, and learn more about how you can be of use. Before you whip out your wallet, cultivating your knowledge is a regenerating investment in a very real source of capital that gets environmental and social ventures off the ground.
Photos by rawpixel.com on Unsplash
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About the Author
TerraCycle Founded in 2001, TerraCycle, Inc., is the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, ranging from used chip bags to coffee capsules to cigarette butts. Each year, across 20 countries, TerraCycle collects and repurposes billions of pieces of waste, donating millions of dollars to schools and charities in the process. To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in our recycling programs, please visit www.TerraCycle.com
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