Why. We built the Common Good system to end poverty and war, mitigate climate change, and create a better world for everyone. Our whole strategy hinges on the hope and faith that we will make more caring decisions as communities and regions than we do as states and countries.

This faith has been borne out by the results of our first two years of community-level funding decisions. After months of discussion, late in 2016 Common Good Greenfield decided to offer $10,000 in funding for projects in sustainability, social justice, the arts, food systems, and small business development.

Results. Local nonprofits, businesses, and individuals submitted 25 proposals, that Common Good members then rated on a variety of criteria. Eight projects were chosen and received funding early in 2017, at no cost to anyone.

By the next year, the Community Fund had doubled in size (to $100,000) and members chose to fund twice as much as the year before, using $20,000 to fund 14 great projects.

Here are the projects chosen for funding those first two years: as investments, grants, and loans.

Investments, Grants, and Loans 2018

14 projects, $20,000 total funding

Investments, Grants, and Loans 2017

8 projects, $10,000 total funding