Why Common Good?
Because the Common Good payment system can lead to a Common Good Economy.
Why are you here? (on this planet, in this life) We all want a sense of meaning, of having a calling in life. Imagine that all of us, from the time we’re born, grow up knowing we will have enough to eat, a place to live, and a job. So we are free to follow our dreams and contribute to society in a way that brings us joy.
We see this freedom-to-pursue-happiness as the purpose of a Common Good Economy.
As a country, we do a miserable job supporting this freedom. We have millions of people hungry, millions of people homeless, even though a quarter of our defense budget could end poverty in the United States.
Locally, our funding decisions are more caring, but less well funded.
What we need is greater community democracy, because that’s the level where we see what’s needed, where we care enough to make that our priority, where every voice can make a difference, and where there isn’t so much big money corrupting our democratic process.
So how does the Common Good system advance community democracy? By funding whatever we decide together is important, building the new economy within the mainstream. With Common Good, we can plan and decide together how best to address our challenges, knowing the funding will be there when we need it.
“When you dream alone, it is only a dream. When you dream together, it is the beginning of reality.” *
—Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote
* The original Spanish is (we think): “Cuando sueñas solo es sólo un sueño. Cuando sueñas juntos es el principio de la realidad.” This quote is often attributed to John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, or Archbishop Hélder Câmara.
Testimonials
"It's faster than a chip card! And I feel good every time I use my Common Good card."
"I absolutely love the concept."
"I am part of a community of like-minded people who share a common vision for strengthening and improving the quality of life at the community level."
"I’m ethically aligned with it and the power it has. What it stands for philosophically is a really good thing."
"It’s beyond buying local. It is the goal of a community investment."
"As a growing local business, we feel it’s important to bring camaraderie back, working closely with our customers to create the perfect promotional concepts to represent your business."
"We really like being tied in with the community. What makes us successful is Greenfield being what it is — a great mix of people in the community. Common Good supporting that is a hit with us."
"Thinking about joining? I’d say get on the diving board and jump off."
"Common Good is a great way to be part of the community and help—it’s for a good cause. You can’t go wrong!"
"I applaud the Common Good founders and staff for their dedication and hard work towards constant improvement and clarification of how and why this alternative system for local transactions makes sense here and most anywhere."
"As an early adopter — We LOVE Common Good!"
"We feel grateful to be growing low-bush blueberries for our community and being part of Common Good is just an extension of the volition we have to contribute to our region's local economy."
"We believe in strong regional economies that benefit our local communities, co-operative ownership, and democratic decision-making."
"We joined to propel Common Good's mission."
"We're excited to be involved with Common Good because it benefits the community in such a concrete way. So many people are working to make our community a good place to live, and this is one more way to be a part of that."
"If every business in our region were to take the leap of faith and commit to staying local as much as possible, everyone would benefit. It's all about diversifying and resiliency. Invest in your neighbors!"
"Common Good is so amazing. It is seamless and reliable. This system has the possibility of anchoring the local economy the way few other things could."
"It works!"
"I love the Common Good card. It saves me all the credit card fees."
"Common Good has the potential to fundamentally change the roots of our local economy, building a new economic system, one where we control the money."
