Deep Dive Courses: A New Offering for Invest for Better Members

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Starting in July, Invest for Better is launching 3-month “elective” courses that will complement our signature 6-month core curriculum on values-aligned investing. Like our 6-month Circles, these 3-month experiences will provide curated learning materials and engage women in conversations with other women in small groups that meet every month. They are designed to take participants deeper into topics of interest—and provide the knowledge and confidence to take action. Some courses will follow the self-guided format of the core curriculum, while others will be primarily “live” sessions facilitated by an expert.

Four “Deep Dive Courses” will be available to members in this first round (July-September 2022):

These new offerings allow members to construct a personalized learning journey on a timeline that works for them—choosing a custom sequence from several years’ worth of course content that will be available. Invest for Better will be adding additional Deep Dive Courses every quarter, and members will have another opportunity to take these courses or additional yet-to-be-announced Deep Dives starting in October (and about every three months going forward).

Those enrolled in a 6-month Circle can continue meeting alongside members of their current Circle on these Deep Dive topics—or choose to join a new Circle for this experience. New Invest for Better members with extensive prior experience in values-aligned investing may choose to enroll in Deep Dive courses without having completed the core curriculum (Learn more about this membership option here).

Part of what makes the on-going series of courses so valuable and unique is that they are being developed by industry experts specifically for the IFB community. In between expert sessions, participants can utilize the Invest for Better Mighty Network platform to engage with the course creator, who will monitor – and respond to – questions posed there.

The links above provide additional information about the content and structure of each Deep Dive course, introduce the course creators, and detail the time investment necessary.  In late June we will assemble Circles for each course and specific virtual Circle meeting times will be scheduled based on member availability. To sign up for a Deep Dive course, please complete the Deep Dive Course Enrollment Form as soon as possible. If you have questions, please contact info@investforbetter.org.

In addition to the Summer courses above, we have a special course starting in September aimed at young women and their mentors called the Financial Courage Immersion Lab. This course requires separate registration via Eventbrite using the link provided in the Event Description. Additional Deep Dive courses will launch in October as well.

Marketing and Outreach Manager Position Description

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About Invest for Better: Invest for Better (IFB) is nonprofit organization, founded in 2021, that seeks to empower women in the US and globally to understand the power of their investment assets, learn how to align their investments with their values, and activate them to make a more just and sustainable world. Our primary programs are:

  • Invest for Better Circles – small groups of 8-20 women who participate in a 6-month structured learning and community building experience
  • Leadership development – we recruit and train volunteer peer Circle Leaders to manage the transformative Circle experiences in leadership cohorts
  • Membership in a trusted investing community – we provide ongoing education, access to experts, peer support and opportunities to participate in ongoing programs.

In 2 years, IFB has directly engaged over 750 women through nearly 70 Invest for Better Circles, as well as influenced thousands more. Our membership program launched in January 2022 and already includes 450 members. We aim to grow to 1,000 members by year end and 15,000 members in 5 years.

Summary of Position

Invest for Better is looking for its first Marketing and Outreach Manager. This half-time contract position will serve a critical role in our goals to scale the reach and impact of the IFB membership and Circle model, as well as to expand our network of movement partnerships. The Manager will be part of a leadership team that includes the Co-founders and the Program Manager, supported by a Marketing and Program Assistant. They will be responsible for developing and executing a marketing, social media and outreach strategy.

Job Title: Marketing & Outreach Manager

Location: Remote/Virtual

Time Commitment: Contract, 20 hours per week

Compensation: $35 per hour

Reports to: Co- Founders

Start Date: ASAP

Key Responsibilities:

Marketing

  • Develop and implement a marketing/outreach plan to increase Invest for Better’s ability to recruit and maintain Circle Leaders and members
  • Identify potential partners, aligned networks, speaking opportunities, and media sources
  • Ensure successful implementation and revisions to plan based on successes and learnings
  • Identify content, write, and edit copy for IFB marketing materials, including emails and blog posts
  • Manage design and production of marketing materials/messaging for key programs and campaigns
  • Maintain and make regular updates to the IFB website, working with the website developer to update and ensure proper hosting, accounts, and services
  • Ensure consistency of brand messaging internally and externally, updating and monitoring brand story regularly
  • Work with the Program Manager to maintain and develop strategies to increase member engagement with our digital member platform

Social Media

  • Assess current social media channels, including YouTube, and develop a targeted social media approach and plan that will lead to the greatest levels of followers and engagement
  • Strengthen power and reach of social media channels by shifting IFB to an approach that engages with and activates participation and followers
  • Develop social media schedule, campaigns, and key themes; updating and revising as needed for continued engagement
  • Identify segments within Activation Series, training, and other videos to strengthen social media engagement
  • Oversee and manage administrative staff to execute social media plan, develop video snips, and verify content before publication
  • On an ongoing basis, track social media channels to identify content that receives the most traction and adjust plan accordingly

Events and Programs

  • Assist with content development as needed to ensure materials have a professional look and feel
  • Work with co-founders to identify and engage Activation Series and Ask the Expert speakers
  • Oversee administrative staff on general event preparation, including Eventbrite set-up, social media calendar, email updates, and other tasks
  • Ensure successful delivery of virtual events

Qualifications

  • Minimum of 3 – 5 years’ experience in a marketing, social media, and communications role
  • Interest in and commitment to Invest for Better’s mission, vision, values, and beliefs
  • Self-starter with attention to detail, ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously
  • Eye for design and ability to create visually compelling marketing and other engagement materials across multiple platforms
  • Proven experience designing and developing marketing materials, email newsletters, web pages, and other communications formats
  • Expertise and interest in leveraging social media and networking sites to build membership and engagement; experience with Hootsuite and YouTube preferred
  • Exceptional writing and editorial skills with understanding of voice, nuance, and audience
  • Strong user abilities in graphic design, video editing, and email marketing software/platforms, preferably Mail Chimp, Canva, and Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.)
  • Proficient in WordPress and knowledge of HTML preferred
  • High level of proficiency using all Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
  • Prior management experience, or readiness to move into a management role

Equal Opportunity

Invest for Better is committed to the diversity of its workforce and strongly encourages applicants from all cultures, races, educational backgrounds, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, age, gender, and physical abilities to apply. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, familial status, marital status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

To apply for this position, please submit cover letter and resume to jobs@investforbetter.org.

Pathfinder: Anna Smukowski

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Anna is passionate about values-aligned investing, with a specific focus on community development and conservation. Professionally, she serves as LISC’s senior director of Investor Relations & Capital Strategies, working to introduce, position and market LISC’s work to nontraditional investors through LISC’s retail Impact Note program. She supports strategies aimed at growing LISC’s loan capital, including modeling financial and social returns of LISC’s products. Prior to LISC she was a strategy and operations consultant at Deloitte. Anna holds a B.S. from NYU Stern and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

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Why I co-led an Invest for Better circle & Why you should too!

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I am the founder and host of OUR MONEY POWER – a podcast for women who are ready to stand in their money power and invest with their values. I started the podcast last year, for many of the same reasons that I got involved with Invest for Better.  I had my own “financial awakening” just a few years back when I realized I could no longer sit on the sidelines of my own money power, as so many of us are socialized to do.  Women don’t tend to talk about money or investments with each other, as men do – and that keeps us playing small. It certainly doesn’t help us build wealth or have agency around our money.

Women tend be better investors than men, we just don’t believe that about ourselves. Research also shows that women are much more likely to move their money in community or within circles of other women – which is why the Invest for Better model is so powerful!

IFB welcomes women exactly where they are on their investment journey – whether total beginners or more experienced investors who want to deepen their knowledge about gender-lens and impact investing. As a mission-driven person, the concept of investing with my values really resonated with me. I loved the idea of peer-to-peer learning circles too. Having recently co-led two IFB circles, I have experienced the impact of this model first-hand, for participants and co-leaders alike. My learning circles ended up being great for accountability too – as we would share our “money moving” wins at the end of each session.

My first money move in my IFB circle was to look at my retirement accounts – and for the first time examine what I was actually invested in – as I’d never paid attention before. It was very exciting to learn that I could move some of my investments in my Roth IRA to funds more supportive of women’s leadership – without any tax consequences. Looking at my investments through the lens of what I valued most, made investing so much more interesting! I learned that I could grow my money  — AND support what I valued. I got so inspired that I wanted to bring other women along.

This curiosity was my starting point for joining the incredibly welcoming Invest for Better women’s community. I knew I wanted to join a circle – though I was very hesitant and nervous to lead one because I didn’t have a background in the financial services sector and believed I was at the beginning of my own investment journey. Fortunately, IFB co-founder, Ellen Remmer, encouraged me to lead a circle anyway – and then matched me with a co-lead who had a professional financial services background. I had such a positive experience co-leading my first circle, that I eagerly decided to co-lead a second group (and intend to co-lead a third soon). If you are all considering being a co-lead, I cannot recommend it enough – as there is so much built-in support for new leaders.

One of the roles of the leaders is to invite women into the circle. As a white LGBTQ+ identifying woman, I was especially mindful to invite a diverse circle of women. One of my IFB circles was composed of mostly BIPOC women leaders at large philanthropic institutions. They were moving significant amounts of other people’s money all day long, but didn’t feel much agency related to their own personal investments and family finances. IFB gave them the confidence they needed to consider their own money.

IFB provides the community, support and structure for welcoming women wherever they are at on their investment learning journey. If you are ready to step into your own money power, the IFB community is a great way to start – and co-leading a circle is an especially powerful invitation to bring along your friends and other women to stand in their money power too!

Wealth Podcast – Book Club featuring Janine Firpo

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George Grombacher asked Invest for Better Co-founder and author, Janine Firpo on his LifeBlood podcast and spoke to her about her personal life, her work, and why she put pen to paper to write her book, “Activate Your Money”.

Take Back Retirement Podcast – Strategies to Move Toward True Values-Alignment with Your Money

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Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines hosted Invest for Better Co-Founder and author Janine Firpo on their Take Back Retirement podcast. They spoke about why impact investing matters and how you can start moving your portfolio into alignment with your values.

Pathfinder: Justina Lai

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Justina joined Wetherby in 2015. In her role, she leads the firm’s impact investing strategy, stakeholder value creation, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiative. Justina has over a dozen years of experience in the impact investing industry at organizations such as Sonen Capital, the Rockefeller Foundation and Rwanda Ventures. Prior to her career in impact investing, she worked across the US and Europe in investment banking and private equity.

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Legit Chix Episode 27 – Janine Firpo, Author, Investor & Social Innovator

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In this podcast episode, Janine Firpo, Invest for Better Co-Founder and author of “Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a Better World,” speaks with the women of LegitChix about transforming the relationship that women have with their money and breaking the taboos related to their financial empowerment.

Pathfinder: Alison Pyott, CFP® CPWA®

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Alison is the Chief Client Service Officer, Partner and Senior Wealth Manager at Veris Wealth Partners. She leads the NH office and firm level client service initiatives. She has co-authored several papers including Gender Lens Investing: Bending the Arc of Finance for Women & Girls. Alison currently serves as an advisor to the Northern New England Women’s Investor Network (NNEWIN) and was formerly a Steering Committee member for Invest for Better | Women Lead the Way, Treasurer for the NH Women’s Foundation and Chair of the NH Charitable Foundation Piscataqua Region Advisory Board. She is a member of the Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle, New England International Donors (NEID), and the Financial Planning Association of New England. Alison considers Portsmouth, NH her home and enjoys adventure and travel.

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Seattle Angel Conference: “Angels from Venus” Panel Discussion

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In this conference, Invest for Better Co-Founder and author of “Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a Better World,” Janine Firpo discusses her experience with value-aligned investing and specifically speaks about becoming an angel investor.