CRY 2013
VERY ROUGH DRAFT OF PROPOSED CALENDAR FOR C.R.Y. - Community Reinvestment Year 2013
January 2013 Plan and organize for long term changes.
The basics of moving your money which may include any or all of the following:
- Moving your checking account to a better bank (coop, credit unions, etc.)
- Moving your savings account to a better bank (coop, credit unions, etc.)
- Finding a greener credit card and/or sending your mega bank cards back to the bank with a note of explanation
- Investing in more responsible/sustainable/community oriented mutual funds, bonds, or microloan organizations, RSF Social Finance or Community Investment Notes from nonprofit Calvert fund or kiva.org, for example,
- Buying shares in local coop utility, food stores or a direct offering.
- Moving your debt from the big banks (car, house, credit card) to better banks, credit unions etc.
- shorten your debts as much as possible
Note: In the actual calendar I would include a summary of the year ahead in this month, but you can scroll down now to see that so I'm not going to repeat it here.
February 2013 Invent and come up with original ideas.
- Elaborating on the basics above?
March 2013 Indulge in Music Art, Painting, Poetry, Meditation or just read a good book.
- Sharing these on the wiki to get everyone's right brain etc. really involved in the creative process.
April 2013 Hoarding Hall of Shame Month!
- Publicly expose banks and corporations that are the worst hoarders.
- Encourage enforcement of IRS regulations against hoarding.
- Develop legislation to encourage more investment in local communities.
- Clean-out your closets, cupboards, bookshelves, garage, and donate to your local food bank, thrift store, friends 7 neighbors.
- Have an exchange or gift party (cloths, books, jewelry, white elephant.)
- Commons ...
May 2013 Start a long term project that will have a big effect in the long run
- Develop a public bank on the state level.
- Develop other models for local credit unions, community interdependence funds etc.
- Other examples: cascadia, Invest Local ohio, The NH community Loan Fund. MtBizworks NC
June 2013 Sponsor Lectures and/or workshops teaching folks how to move money from:
- Your church,
- Your town government
- Your alma matter
- Your union
- Your pension fund
- Your state government
July 2013 - Reinvest your Home
- Pay off your mortgage or remortgage with a better bank
- Buy a second property and rent it out
- Buy a home for your children
- Invest in energy efficiency and /or alternative energy
- Start or upgrade your vegetable/herb garden
- Make better use of your land and any other resources associated with your home.
August 2013 Organize Festivities, Celebrations, Banquets, fiestas....
- Have a big party and invite everyone you know who is doing anything connected to community reinvestment to come and share/network/celebrate!
September 2013 Attend to details - tidy up.
Think about all the changes you want to make toward community reinvestment this year and finish up what you can this month.
October 2013 This is a good month to begin new relationships
- Find a better financial adviser.
- Shop local with folks you get to know.
- Shop second hand.
- Engage in alternate exchange (livelihood or trade) systems: time-share, local notes, gift economy. (time trade circle.org, Charles Eisenstein)