Microplace, an online brokerage service that enables people to make investments that earn a return while empowering the poor to work their way out of poverty, has launched its “Small Change. Big Change” campaign, designed to turn spare nickels and quarters into agents of change.
The goal of the new campaign is to build awareness about the power of microfinance and to offer a means for people to invest in the working poor. Estimates are that “the average American household has about $100 in spare change around the house.” Tracey Turner, founder and general manager of Microplace points out that “If you are like most people, your nickels and quarters go unnoticed and collect dust in a jar or pot.” That $100 can be enough for a microfinance entrepreneur to buy the supplies or equpment that will enagle the person to start a new business.
Investors can track their impact and the impact of their friends on the campaign website www.smallchange-bigchange.com by reading stories from the people receiving loans and tracking how many loans they are enabling to the world’s working poor. The campaign “hopes to build a community of socially responsible people who are making a difference through investments that address poverty while earning a financial return.”
Read an article announcing the campaign.
Tags: Anti-poverty strategies, social entrepreneurship