Local Return turns five in February.
We were born in the midst of the global pandemic, as we witnessed the neighborhoods that already suffered poorer outcomes across sectors take the hardest hits from COVID19. Change, we thought, must start hyper-locally, and it must be driven and owned by the community. Community wealth is necessary for resilience.
In our first five years:
- We’ve connected people around the idea that Rhode Island’s economy can be strong while also being self-reliant, sustainable, and just — and that community wealth is necessary for resilience.
- We’ve stood up a community investment cooperative for Rhode Island and launched Rhode Island’s first community investment fund.
- We brought the Jumpstart program to Rhode Island, training 14 residents to take on real estate development as a path towards family security and neighborhood revitalization.
Our co-founder Lisa Raiola often says (inspired by Ratatouile), “New ideas need good friends.” We’ve had so many good friends that have inspired, challenged, and supported us.
There’s nothing like a friend who believes enough in your mission to literally buy into it. In fact, it’s literally what building community wealth requires. That’s why we decided to focus our fifth birthday commemoration on attracting recurring donors.
Join us as a monthly donor by December 31, and as a token of our gratitude, you’ll receive a set of beautiful, locally-themed gift tags, designed by Rhode Island’s very own Firebox Creative. You’ll support a worthy cause and champion the local economy with every gift you give.
Thank you, friends. On to the next five years!
