In years past, many of us invested with the goal of preserving our hard-earned savings and hopefully growing our nest egg for retirement. We didn’t put much thought into how the corporations would use the funds we invested in. With the rise of the internet, social media, and more information being available at our fingertips, we learned more about the agendas of public companies.

Investing for the sake of a return or investing in the next big exciting tech company was no longer the only consideration when choosing investments. Many investors found public companies were supporting social causes in opposition to their values.

Even as the free flow of information helped investors to avoid investing in companies with agendas they didn’t approve of, it also opened their eyes to the work being done in the private sector where more and more startups were being organized with social components or causes built into their core businesses and mission statements.

Where did all of this soul searching lead us?

More investors started to seek out investments that supported their values and goals. Today, investors are making informed decisions, and they can invest for their retirement while building a better tomorrow.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that we must meet some basic needs to reach our highest human potential. Even in the U.S., many people struggle to secure those basic needs. Clean water is one of those needs we often only hear about as a third-world problem, but we now see the news reporting of contaminated water in the midwest, Hawaii, Florida, and more. There are hungry families across the country and those in need of clothing to stay warm.

One of the greatest needs and a foundation close to our hearts is the need for a dry, warm bed. It is a foundation for not only feeling secure and safe but a necessity for holding down a job and performing other basic social skills and functions many of us take for granted.

While there are many great not-for-profits helping with the basic needs, there’s a shift. More and more for-profit companies are not only moving in to help, but they are making solid returns for their bottom line. These profits attract investors who want to help with these needs while generating a return on their investment.

You probably remember our story and our mission to provide safe housing to those recovering from addiction, people transitioning from incarceration, displaced veterans, women suffering from abuse, and others struggling with housing.

Look at your portfolio. Are the companies you’re investing in helping others or providing for a better tomorrow? If not, we recommend investing in companies providing these basic needs that often are overlooked. The new year is just around the corner, and it would be a great time to make a difference.

Through private investments, we can offer like-minded investors the opportunity to make a difference by teaming up with us while securing a healthy return on their investment. By leveraging our expertise – gained from hours, days, weeks, months, and years of research and real-world experiences – investors can participate in a profitable venture while making a big difference in the lives of others.