:Michael Anuzis

I’ve been watching some videos on Social Impact Investing.

Here are the highlights:

- Social impact investments frequently outperform non-social impact investments.
- Certain social impact mutual funds have outperformed major bottom-line-only mutual funds for years.
- (Your) professional asset manager can be told to invest in socially screened investments.

The take-home message? If you like to make money while helping humanity, social impact investing is a no-brainer.

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“Seth Godin may be the best intuitive marketer alive today. He’s in that tiny subset of the niche within the microcommunity of people who simply get it.” - Randall Rothenberg, Marketing Columnist for Advertising Age

“Google is my friend.” - An old woman

Seth Godin Speaks at Google - Even if you’re not into marketing or (heaven forbid!) Google, this thought-provoking talk is well worth the watch.

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As of the time of this writing, I’ve officially joined the ranks of the 187 other Google AdWords Professionals in the U.S. (588 worldwide). What’s in it for you? For starters, it means I can give you $100 free instead of $50, the result of which will probably generate much more than that.

I’ve been pretending I already work at Google this entire semester, and have been doing free consulting work accordingly - everything from helping companies promote their products on Google Base and optimize their e-commerce via Google Analytics, to reaching new customers in Google AdWords and migrating smoothly to Google Apps - not to mention the Google users I’ve been supporting on Google Groups. My strategy for getting hired is working so hard before I get in that they can look at me and say “Hey, looks like all we need to do is give you a desk!” — I hope it works.

More importantly, if you think you might benefit from any of the above services please drop me a line. I’d be happy to help.

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Teams of people are passionately working to eliminate global poverty - and they’re seeing unprecedented success. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. The solution is called microfinance, and it’s empowering the world’s poorest people on a massive scale.

The idea is simple: Give someone enough money to invest in their own small business, and use their social capital as collateral to handle the risk. Groups of women accept individual loans in a group agreement and help cover for each other in the case of personal emergencies.

Money donated to microfinance is continually effective because it keeps on giving. After your five dollars helps one family get food on the table and children in school, the money is reloaned to the next family in need. Best yet, the system is profitable for investors and enables banks to contribute millions in capital.

This is a shining success for humanity and a great opportunity to contribute your own intelligence, creativity, and resources. A flourishing global community is within our grasp. Do your part - help spread the word!

Google Video: Grameen Foundation - Microfinance (15 min. Invigorating Documentary)

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Whether you’re interested in borrowing or investing, Prosper is the place to look. It’s an online marketplace for people to people lending that takes banks and credit unions out of the system and empowers anybody to be a lender.

Borrowers specify the interest rate they’re willing to pay and lenders bid in an eBay like fashion on getting their stake on the return. As I type this, investors can find sound assets at 13% growth, and borrowers can write their own terms and bid on interest rates as low as they’d like.

Just another way common access to information frees individuals from the mercy of controlling institutions. Individual borrowers and lenders win, middlemen are cut out of the system. It’s smart business.

Investors: Time to diversify your portfolio.

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