Common Good Finance
the revoLution with a bank



wherever you are
here's why

How to Start One in Your Community



"With a good teamwork, together we can build towns and factories so that many people can work, share and help each other. In this way, we can end poverty."
- Margaret Megan Suhardi, Indonesia, age 8
(from esa.un.org)

Any community can have its own Community Division, a nearly independent local bank, with investment priorities and distribution of profits guided democratically by the local depositors. You can start organizing a Community Division now, even before Common Good Bank exists. (If you want to help, but don't have much time or don't want to be an organizer, here are some simple but important ways you can help.)

Wanna be a paid Organizer? Here's what to do:

#1 Visit the Job page and follow the steps listed there to become a Common Good Bank Organizer. (If you prefer, you can do most of the same work as a volunteer.)

#2 Take a look at the Organizers page, where you will find most of the instructions and publicity materials for organizers. Look especially at the Organizers Manual and Checklist for Success. (Official organizers get a few extras, including personalized business cards.)

#3 Talk it up! Tell people about the Common Good Bank idea. Discuss it with them. Get them to sign up or even help. See the Promotional Materials page for a list of downloadable resources. (Any other promotional materials used in organizing must be pre-approved.)

To be a Community Division, you will need about 65 sign-ups to end up with 50 actual depositors when Common Good Bank opens. To see how many you have so far, enter your postal code here:

Here are some specific suggestions for promotion. (See the Organizers Manual for much more.) If you want a print shop to do any of the printing, cutting, folding or laminating: email some of these instructions to the print shop.

  • Use the "Tell Someone" link (at the bottom of any page) to send a description of the project to people you know.
  • Carry Common Good Finance handout cards and hand them out to people you meet, who might be interested. Call if you want personalized cards.
  • Carry a Membership Brochures and some Membership Agreement forms. Encourage people to become Founding Members.
  • For people who aren't ready yet to become a Founding Member, print up a few sign-up sheets and get people to sign up on the spot as future depositors, without obligation (make sure they print their email address legibly).

    Better yet, if you have a laptop with internet access, have people sign up online on the spot.
  • Meet with local community officials, business owners and nonprofit administrators to enlist their support. Work together to make it happen.
  • Invite organizations to partner with us to get Common Good Bank communities started (mostly this means helping to promote the idea). Get the organization to send out a Press Release: PRINT MEDIA | EMAIL.
Current User: Guest Login Register
Please consider registering


Lost Your Password?

Search Forums:


 






Wildcard Usage:
*    matches any number of characters
%    matches exactly one character

PersonComment

1:38 am
January 4, 2011


Michelle S

Guest

This sounds like such a great idea! I wanted to start a matching individual investment account (IDA) based non-profit soon for low-income and foster youth in the East New York/Brownsville section of Brooklyn, NY soon. I was thinking of doing this through another credit union but this seems like a great way to maintain control of where our money goes and using it to match the youth's deposits. If I could gain enough depositors in a single community, could we decide to funnel the money back into specific accounts to match their deposits and pay for services (money management courses, mock interview sessions, etc.) ? If so, I will SO wait until this bank is on started and even try to get the word out there. Thanks!

9:30 pm
April 1, 2010


wspademan

Admin

posts 218

Jonathan P. Chance said:

We hope the Common Good Bank creates a community land trust leased from a county and constructs a 15-MW wind farm that also produces organic food and vegetable oil to fuel vehicles. 


 

Sounds great. Let's do it!

6:37 pm
April 1, 2010


Jonathan P. Chance

Guest

We hope the Common Good Bank creates a community land trust leased from a county and constructs a 15-MW wind farm that also produces organic food and vegetable oil to fuel vehicles. 

JPChance.Org

 

11:43 pm
February 27, 2010


wspademan

Admin

posts 218

Lee Van Ham said:A green investor (financial adviser) has confirmed now that he wants to work with me to form a team to create a Common Good Bank division in San Diego.


Lee, that's great! Let us know how it progresses. We're here to help.

11:35 pm
February 27, 2010


wspademan

Admin

posts 218

William Cerf said:I love the idea of this bank and would just love to be part of starting one in South Bronx.


Great! We'll talk about the details by phone and email.

1:23 am
February 8, 2010


ekrawczyk

Gunnison, CO

Member

posts 15

Join the Common Good Bank of Gunnison facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Common-Good-Bank-of-Gunnison/124972337536

11:08 pm
November 29, 2009


Marlin Benton

Guest

I want to start--please send me the stuff--i have been brain-storming this type of approach for years, but until now, had not found a vehicle. I have alot of connections and am starting a consumer-oriented financial education biz as we speak, which will go hand-in-hand.

4:29 pm
October 26, 2009


Lee Van Ham

Guest

A green investor (financial adviser) has confirmed now that he wants to work with me to form a team to create a Common Good Bank in San Diego. I am giving a presentation in two days on banking choices and will use the 14 minute presentation from the website at some point during the 2 hour workshop. A local Fair Banking group that has been focused on getting banks to use more fair practices has lost some steam, so I am in the early stages of conversation with them. We will add information to what we already have on our website and link to the Common Good Bank website.

9:17 pm
October 29, 2009


William Cerf

Guest

I'm one of three partners who are planning to open a worker-owned cooperative restaurant - a traditional New York style diner. We will be located in or near South Bronx, NY, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country. We plan to create bilingual (English/Spanish) and multicultural space. I love the idea of this bank and would just love to be part of starting one in South Bronx. I invite you to look at our website and contact us if you have any interest or feedback about our venture. http://www.workersdiner.org

Cheers!
William Cerf
South Bronx, NY

9:20 pm
February 21, 2010


wspademan

Admin

posts 218

To see this discussion in context, click here.

Comment on this Subject


Reply to Topic:
Ways to Help

Guest Name (Required):

Guest Email (Required):

Smileys
Confused Cool Cry Embarassed Frown Kiss Laugh Smile Surprised Wink Yell
Post New Reply

Guest URL (required)

Math Required!
What is the sum of:
3 + 6