|
|
Current Initiatives
Building an East Bay BALLE Network
The SBA is committed to growing our impact in the East Bay as a regional network of BALLE, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. Recently we adopted Oakland Grown, also a BALLE member, to further this goal.
SBA participates in the annual BALLE conferences and encourages our members to attend to leverage the experience of other BALLE networks.
A cornerstone of BALLE is the mantra “Think Local First” and networks throughout the US have run successful Think Local First campaigns.
In such communities, independent and locally owned businesses and the association they form become key economic development players. They teach the members of their community that:
Oakland Grown Gift Card
SBA and Oakland Grown launched the Oakland Grown Gift Card program in October 2011. The program is currently open to Oakland Grown member businesses and allows them to benefit from the 26 million dollars spent on gift cards annually. Cards are available for purchase online and at select participating businesses, and can be redeemed at an expanding variety of local, independent businesses. To learn more, purchase a card, and view participating merchants, go to Oakland Grown gift card.
This is a perfect example of the kind of work that SBA & OG are doing to keep the flow of money local. We anticipate expanding the card to more East Bay cities to allow other SBA member businesses to participate. Additional features of the Card include a loyalty and benefits program to further encourage “thinking local first”.
Community Capital Working Group
The SBA is committed to growing our impact in the East Bay as a regional network of BALLE, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. Recently we adopted Oakland Grown, also a BALLE member, to further this goal.
SBA participates in the annual BALLE conferences and encourages our members to attend to leverage the experience of other BALLE networks.
A cornerstone of BALLE is the mantra “Think Local First” and networks throughout the US have run successful Think Local First campaigns.
In such communities, independent and locally owned businesses and the association they form become key economic development players. They teach the members of their community that:
- They can keep their local economy strong, creative, and lively, is by patronizing the independent businesses within that community.
- A dollar spent in a national chain store leaves the community within fractions of a second of its being spent, a dollar spent in an independent business will most likely be spent and re-spent several times within the community before it eventually leaves.
Oakland Grown Gift Card
SBA and Oakland Grown launched the Oakland Grown Gift Card program in October 2011. The program is currently open to Oakland Grown member businesses and allows them to benefit from the 26 million dollars spent on gift cards annually. Cards are available for purchase online and at select participating businesses, and can be redeemed at an expanding variety of local, independent businesses. To learn more, purchase a card, and view participating merchants, go to Oakland Grown gift card.
This is a perfect example of the kind of work that SBA & OG are doing to keep the flow of money local. We anticipate expanding the card to more East Bay cities to allow other SBA member businesses to participate. Additional features of the Card include a loyalty and benefits program to further encourage “thinking local first”.
Community Capital Working Group
The Community Capital Working Group is for entrepreneurs, community residents, and anyone else that is interested in keeping wealth local in the San Francisco East Bay Area. The CCWG is sponsored by Sustainable Business Alliance and Sustainable Economies Law Center.
It was inspired by the documentary Fixing the Future. For more information about Fixing the Future, please see http://www.facebook.com/nowonpbs and http://www.pbs.org/now/fixing-the-future/index.html
We read about, research, and discuss ways that regular people can invest in their communities. We generally meet on the last Tuesday of the month at 6pm. If you want to join the Community Capital Working Group, please email jenny@cuttingedgecapital.com
PO Box 11944, Berkeley, CA 94712 | 620 3rd St. Oakland, CA, 94607
Sustainable Business Alliance 2011
Sustainable Business Alliance 2011
