Why Impact Investing Is The Best Way To Vote With Your Dollar

4 Minute Read

NOTE: Swell Investing is no longer in operation, but there are several other platforms that you can use to impact invest and to vote with your dollar

Every time you bust out your wallet or your Apple Pay, you’re voting.

Voting for the products you want to use, for the ingredients you want in your food, and for the progress you wanna see in the world. And since each time you buy, you vote, wouldn’t it make sense to support companies that are in line with your values? For example, if you believe in global warming, you probably wouldn’t wanna invest your hard-earned cash in an oil company that devastates natural ecosystems, pollutes our waterways, and displaces indigenous people. Would you?

For some of us, here’s where it gets a bit foggy. It’s hard to understand how our spending habits affect the way the world functions. We’re so far removed from where things come from and what it takes to magically get to us, that it’s often difficult to see the connection between our buying decisions, and the effect they have on people, communities, and even things we take for granted, like clean air and drinking water.

Now, I know not everyone has access to multiple options when buying. Sometimes, there’s just one option and you either take it or leave it. But what I really wanna focus on are the times where you do have a choice. And how you can make a decision that most aligns with your values. In a way that also makes sense for your bottom line.

If you’re anything like me, you’re at the point in life where you’ve got a little bit of cash sitting around. And instead of leaving it in a savings account, you’re ready to put your big girl pants on and start investing. But you don’t just wanna invest in any company. You wanna invest in a way that reflects who you are as a person and what you believe in.

You wanna do it with intention, where you’re calling the shots. And if you can do it from your iPhone, even better!

Now if you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Swell—an online investing platform that allows you to invest in companies that are changing the world. We’re talking clean water, green energy, zero waste, and so much more. It’s called impact investing. And Swell has just up’ed their game by busting out a sweet iOS app that makes investing a hell of a lot easier than finding your next date on OkCupid. Like . . . a lot easier!

With just a few swipes, you can invest in your future and support companies that are interested in more than just turning a profit. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve got as much potential for growth as the other guys. But instead of creating environmental problems, they’re actually solving them. And they’re using business as a way of making that happen.

Here’s what the app looks like:

Impact investing — your secret sauce to making a difference.

Our approach to saving the planet can’t just look at one slice of the pie. It has to view things from the perspective where everything is connected. Because it is.

Think about all the work you’re trying to do to curb your own footprint: buying local, recycling, and passing on plastic straws. All of these are forms of activism, and of exercising your buying power. But they’d be totally canceled out if you were handing over a wad of cash to Shell or Exxon, saying, “Hey! Do what you want with the planet. I’ve got my reusable bags, so I’m good!”

You don’t have to sacrifice basic human rights or natural ecosystems to make a buck. That may have been the economic model of the past, but we need to put that shit to bed. Integrity can be profitable for all of us. We don’t have to choose one over the other.

So vote with your wallet, and use your money to support the world you’d like to see.

Got questions about impact investing? Shoot me a comment below. I’m happy to help you get started.