The Social Justice Investor - by Andrea Longton (Paperback)

About the Book

"The Social Justice Investor is a step-by-step guide to personal finance for those interested in building wealth while also aligning their finance decisions with their values, intentions, and commitments to social justice. Whether you have $100 or $100 million in the bank, you have the power to change the world for the better"--

Book Synopsis

Whether you have $100 or $100 million in your bank account, you have the power to change the world for the better.

Having lived through recessions and pandemics, we all recognize the importance of financial well-being. But we are also living in a time of uncertainty, marked by injustice, climate crisis, and social change. How do we reconcile these two things--our financial well-being and our desire to advocate for a more just and equitable world? Perhaps you already donate to causes you care about, or you're looking to start, but the world of finance and investment feels intimidating, especially if you've never invested before. You know that money isn't the silver bullet to social injustice and economic exclusion, but it certainly can help!

While our investments should bring returns that meet our needs for expected and unexpected life events, our investments can also be a powerful extension of our values, intentions, and commitments: we can invest in what we care about. The Social Justice Investor is ready to help you put your money where your values are. This step-by-step guide to personal finance removes all the technical jargon and introduces you to the basic building blocks of investment management. Once you have your ""toolkit,"" The Social Justice Investor walks you through how to apply a social justice lens to your investments (including how to talk to your financial advisor). You'll learn to select investments that match your stated objectives, allocate your resources widely and wisely, and measure your success. We can help change the world for the better, and it starts with where we decide to put our money.

Review Quotes

"The Social Justice Investor understands the link between doing well and doing good, and it offers readers the tools and knowledge necessary to transform everyday financial decisions into social justice commitments." --Stacey Abrams

"Money is a lever with which you can change the world. The Social Justice Investor is a treasure chest of valuable insights for readers who want to finance a more just society." --Joanne Gan, head of Impact Investing & ESG, Treasury, PayPal

"This easy-to-understand book boils down financial concepts to everyday language so all of us can leverage our financial resources to drive positive change. The Social Justice Investor helps us finance the world in which we want to live." --Matt Glatting, chief financial officer, NeighborWorks Capital

"A transformational road map for social justice investing, this book is a master class of personal finance activism." --Jason Howell, CFP, CSRIC, author of Joy of Financial Planning

"The Social Justice Investor teaches you how to be an intentional steward of your money. This insightful and practical book gives every person--even those who may not think of themselves as investors--the information and steps necessary to drive meaningful change in the trajectory of our planet, society, and financial system." --Jennifer Novak, senior vice president, Community Reinvestment Fund, USA

"The Social Justice Investor offers an exceptionally lucid, practical, and human-centered framework for transforming communities through impact investing. Longton seamlessly interweaves authentic and timely accounts of real-life investors within a hands-on road map to maximizing both financial earnings and justice outcomes." --Milan Bhatt, senior manager, Inclusive Economic Recovery and Growth, Clinton Global Initiative

"This book stands out as a bold new paradigm for incorporating social justice priorities into everyday wealth-building decisions. I'm excited to share with family members to help them understand what social justice investing is." --Christina Szczepanski, CFA, president, Lending and Investments, Reinvestment Fund

"Money is powerful and has always had the ability to change an individual's life, a child's outcomes, a family's fortitude, a community's vibrancy, and a nation's resilience. This book is a movement. It takes us on a journey today, putting money to work not only to create wealth but to provide the resources required to address problems and improve our communities. It reaffirms our power to make a difference." --Christie Cade, PhD, board member, Bridging Virginia

"You will be inspired by the personal stories shared by the social justice heroes in this book who claim and wield financial power. Read about them, and then share this book with your friends, family, and neighbors. Together, dollar by dollar, we can change the world." --Tina Poole Johnson, deputy director, Center for Impact Finance, Carsey School of Public Policy, University of New Hampshire