Microfinance

• Unitarian Universalist Association, Thinking about Microfinance.
• Grameen Foundation, which has articles about microfinance and about projects in different parts of the world.
• “Crop Insurance: An Idea Worth Seeding,” A TED Talk by Rose Goslinga
• Jonathan Morduch, “The Microfinance Promise (PDF, 46 pages),” Journal of Economic Literature, vol. 37 (December 1999).

Crowdfunding

• Learn about crowdfunding sites for small businesses and nonprofit enterprises. See this 2021 round-up, Best Crowdfunding Sites, on “The Balance” Small Business website.
• FAITHIFY, a Unitarian Universalist crowdfunding site.

Resilience Circles

• Building Sustainable Communities through Multi-party Collaboration, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.
• Resilience Circle Curriculum, Resilience Circles: Small Groups for Tough Times.
• Building a Resilient Congregation by Sarah Byrnes, Yes! Magazine, June 11, 2011.
• Working Together to Create Common Security by Chuck Collins, UU World, Spring 2009.

There are other models that imagine a new economic way. Here are three:

• Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute at DePaul University. Building on the skills of local residents, the power of local associations, and the supportive functions of local institutions, asset-based community development draws upon existing community strengths to build stronger, more sustainable communities for the future. The website includes online resources for training and implementing such an approach and links to pertinent manuals and books.
• Luther Snow’s “Financial Strategies for Social Innovation: Doing Well by Doing Good.” Snow’s website includes information about community asset-mapping and collaboration in developing long-term sustainability in a social innovation project.
• Partners for Sacred Spaces helps congregations and others with a stake in older religious properties make the most of them as civic assets in ways that benefit people of all faiths and of no faith. It provides programs, resources, and tools to help reimagine a sacred space.