Your 401(k) is Lame

Remember that other time when we talked about community investing?  Yeah, that was fun.  But now you've forgotten about it.  Here's a list I've been compiling of other places to make alternative investments.  With funds like these, you generally have to get in touch with a staff person and "make an inquiry."  They want investors who are really interested in what their money will be doing, not just how much interest they will get.

Come on, people.  Take your money (or some of your money) out of dumb ol' aggregate index funds and force it to do awesome things:

•  Equal Exchange (a fair trade coffee/chocolate cooperative)
  -You can invest in stock at a min of $10,000 for a min of 5 years, usually 5% interest.  Equal Exchange is a worker cooperative; they can reject any investor they please.  I'd suggest this investment if you are really into cooperatives (like me!).
  -You can invest in an Equal Exchange CD for a min of 3 years, usually 1% interest.
• LEAF Fund (job creation in low income communities)
  -min investment $5000 min term 2 years, usually 1-3% interest
  -55% of loans to consumer food cooperatives
  -25% of loans to worker-owned cooperatives
  -the rest to alternative staffing organizations and cooperative manufactured home associations (eg buy the land your trailer home is on as a community)
• RSF Social Investment Fund
  -min investment $1000, min term 90 days, current interest rate 1%
  -provides mortgage loans, working capital lines of credit, and inventory financing exclusively to non-profit and for-profit organizations dedicated to improving the well-being of society and the environment
• Community Economics Investor Note
  -min investment $2000, 1-10 year term, 1-2.5% interest
  -channels investment capital to community land trusts, limited equity cooperatives, and community-based nonprofit organizations creating housing that is permanently affordable to low-income people
• The Carrot Project (local food production in the Northeast)
  -Seems cool. Unclear whether they are currently accepting investments.  Get in touch with them if it looks interesting to you...
• Cooperative Fund of New England
  -min investment $1000, no set term, 1-3% interest
  -invest in cooperatives in New England.  pretty obvious.  They are totally solid.  I don't know what I'm waiting for to invest with them.
• New Spirit Ventures (sustainable agriculture)
  -I literally just heard about them yesterday.  Make an inquiry to find out more.

If you haven't noticed, I'm getting really jazzed up about cooperatives.  Perhaps a post on that soon.

SPECIAL BONUS MAP:

Slow Money is a group that facilitates investments in small farms. Check this out to find a way to invest near you:

Slow Money Financing Programs Map

This is a working map of debt and equity programs across the US that are relevant to small- and mid-sized agricultural producers.
Mapped by Alex Moore, http://www.breadrising.com

View Slow Money Financing Programs in a larger map

Note: if a fund says "accredited investors only," that means your net worth must be at least $1 million to invest.  Usually there is a $100,000 minimum investment for accredited investors.