Thank you for letting us include your work, Mechanism!
Mechanism was featured in a recent @npquarterly.bsky.social article that breaks down the impact of federal funding loss and how some nonprofits are responding.
www.mechanism.community/news/mechani...
Want to help your city and local schools stop buying from Amazon? Watch our recent webinar featuring people who successfully pushed their local governments to buy from local suppliers instead — plus practical tips for how to do it in your town.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIS3...
Join us for this discussion of Making Democracy Fun by Josh Lerner on March 24.
This will ripple and have a lasting negative impact on small, locally owned biz (that are owned by lawful permanent residents, ffs). It will also impact the alternative lending providers who are already filling the gaps for small biz without access to capital.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
In honor of Choose Black Month, Black Farmer Fund was February’s guest speaker for @theamiba.bsky.social monthly webinar series. Watch the recorded event today:
Marketing Calendar for Holidays and Observances - March 2026
Looking for more #ChooseIndieLocal promotion ideas? Sign up for our monthly updates! myemail.constantcontact.com/Keep-the-GR-...
Tall man addressing crowd in front of room, gesturing.
Our @joshdaly.bsky.social is happy to be at @mainstreetri.bsky.social’s session on economic vitality today!
Want to strengthen the fabric of your neighborhood? Build your own economic security? Join us for three Saturdays this spring. Jumpstart Rhode Island applications are due this Friday.
When I talk about business owners in Tacoma trying to do everything themselves, I'm frustrated by the self-started "buy local" campaigns that focus on shopping and consumer choices. Friends—there is literally a playbook for this that we are not using. @theamiba.bsky.social
So much to learn TOGETHER!
As we move from February’s #ChooseBlackOwned Month to March’s #ChooseIndieSustainable Month, we bridge these two campaigns in today’s Choose Indie Local: Make Ripple issue. While each Choose Indie Local campaign runs for one or two months, we work to keep each theme alive year round buff.ly/INwAiZu
For this last week of Choose Black-Owned Month, we'll highlight ways to go beyond February and support, celebrate, invest, and #ChooseBlackOwned today and every day. Get inspired! buff.ly/XOq1NzD
"Every time teachers post a classroom wish list on Amazon, they’re essentially voting against their next pay raise."
Terrific — and very actionable — post from my colleague @kennedysmith.bsky.social
Great event on March 3: How powerful corporations — including Amazon, Instacart, and major landlords — are using pricing algorithms to inflate prices and undermine competition. With Doha Mekki, Katie Wells, Ted Tatos, and moderator Geoffrey Fowler. Register here: ilsr.org/article/inde...
cover of Who's Allowed to Protest? by Bruce Robbins.
Join us Tomorrow, February 25th at 7pm for a conversation with Bruce Robbins to celebrate the release of "Who's Allowed to Protest?"
Keith Gessen will join in conversation.
@melvillehouse.bsky.social
New England Sweetwater Farm & Distillery, a Black-owned business in Winchester, NH, offers award-winning locally made spirits and ready-to-drink cocktails. They source many ingredients right from their farm: blueberries, heirloom cider apples, and juniper berries. Learn more! buff.ly/1zEwoa9
White background, text in teal reads: I learned things I couldn't have learned anywhere else." - a Jumpstart Rhode Island graduate Smaller text reads: Jumpstart Rhode Island is a training, mentoring, and networking program for aspiring or early-stage developers who are community-minded and care about the future of Rhode Island neighborhoods. Learn more and apply by Feb. 27: localreturn.org/jumpstart-rhode-island
Apply now for our next cohort of Jumpstarters. Change the face of real estate development in Rhode Island. Shape your future and the future of your neighborhood.
localreturn.org/jumpstart-rh...
Nearly every city and school district is pouring public dollars into Amazon — even though local suppliers are often cheaper and faster. A few cities have said no to Amazon’s sketchy contracts. This Friday: Learn how they broke free — and how your city can too. Register here:
A valentine for our Rhode Island hearts. Choose local, lovers!
ICYMI: Each week in February, we'll round up inspiration and highlight resources to keep Choose Black-Owned Month top of mind. buff.ly/izHfALu
For Choose Black-Owned month, join us at @theamiba.bsky.social virtual event on Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 1 pm EST. Learn about our work in building a thriving and equitable food system by investing in Black agricultural and food businesses in the Northeast. Register: buff.ly/vvqaWAQ
LOOKING FOR MORE FEBRUARY PROMOTIONS? We love the American Booksellers Association's Marketing Calendar Handouts and are creating our own version for you — with you! buff.ly/saHuwPV
We've got a great new book club discussion coming up! How can we incorporate meaningful, productive, and engaging participation into public processes? Join us on March 24 to talk about Josh Lerner's Making Democracy Fun. localreturn.org/events/?even...
Happy Birthday, @bookshop.org ! 🎂
(Pssst - did you know we have one? bookshop.org/shop/prosper...)
On a teal-ish background, text reads: "People may be tuning out public hearings--and politics more broadly--but they are tuning in to games...Why are most people more interested in games than in democratic processes that directly impact their lives? The answer is simple. Games are designed to be enjoyable, and democracy is not." Josh A Lerner, Making Democracy Fun Bubble in corner: Join our book discussion on March 24!
This is a great week to pick up your copy of Making Democracy Fun by Josh A. Lerner, so you can join our book club on March 24! Sign up at the link in our bio. Find it at a local library or a local, independent bookstore. localreturn.org/events/?even...
Localized, community-rooted, small-scale economic power matters. For decades, we've pretended like it doesn't — and even used policy to aggressively eradicate it.
WINTERACTIVE: Downtown Boston’s Outdoor Winter Art Exhibition, Jan. 14– Mar. 29
Enjoy the third annual edition of WINTERACTIVE, a free, walkable art experience featuring artworks & interactive play elements at 18 different sites, presented by the Downtown Boston Alliance. Learn more: buff.ly/EUvtBBn
Online Event | Free | Thursday, January 29 | 10 AM PT /18:00 GMT
All registrants for next week's event, "Nourishing a Bioregional Economy: Put Your Money Where Your Feet Are," will be entered to win their pick of a book from Michael Shuman's library.
Register Now: lnk.to/bioeconomyBK
Long Live the Local Economy Movement 💕
2026 marks the American Independent Business Alliance's 25th anniversary. Thank you for your years of engagement, transforming ripples into waves of local economic growth. conta.cc/3NC61UX
I’m so proud to be an early investor in the RI Community Investment fund — to literally *invest* in our community!
Check it out 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
