Scaling U.S. Community Investing: The Investor-Product Interface

Michael Swack and Eric Hangen

Building on a growing body of knowledge and research in the field of socially responsible investing, this report details the breaches in product-investor platforms that prevent investments from achieving their fully scaled potential. The report identifies the main barriers to scaling investments as discrepancies between interfaces, including but not limited to: lack of demonstrable impact for current and potential investors, mismatches between risk-averse investors and the allocation of government subsidies, and the challenge of liquidity and subsequent focus on short- instead of long-term investments. Authors Michael Swack and Eric Hangen present a "Way Forward" for scaling investments that utilizes two broad strategies: 1) the constant engagement of investors and stakeholders using innovative marketing platforms, and 2) the creation of a tangible "trading platform" that directly tackles the barriers to investment detailed in the report.

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