Micro Loans and the Importance of Reinvesting Capital Locally

Bringing Finance Back Down to Reality

One of the most important aspects of Sustainability, as I've noted over and over again, is the idea of cooperation, favoring the better face of humanity and the benefits of high social affiliation and mutualism. Samuel Adams has teamed up with ACCION USA in Brewing The American Dream to provide microloans to hospitality and microbrewery entrepreneurs. The program has been around for four years, and with almost $1MM distributed through loans of $500 to $25,000, it has a 2.3% default rate -- lower than that of the government’s Small Business Administration Loan program. In addition, Sam Adams employees give free seminars and mentoring for these business owners to ensure they have proper support along the way.

While we usually get swept up in solar panels and corn cups, deepening our commitments to our communities and the world moves us toward real sustainability.