When most people think of impact investing, they imagine big-dollar commitments by foundations, donor advised funds, or ultra-wealthy families. But the truth is, anyone with a savings account can become an impact investor — today.
One of the simplest, most powerful ways to do this is by moving some of your cash deposits from large commercial banks to community banks, credit unions, and mission-driven financial institutions that are investing in people, places, and the planet.
We often treat our cash savings as a passive asset. In our family’s case, we kept our cash in a checking and savings account at the large commercial bank where we started three decades ago, earning very little interest. We also kept some cash as a buffer for the unexpected in a certificate of deposit (CD) account at the same large bank.
But what if that same cash could become a catalyst for racial equity, gender justice, and climate resilience?
Moving money into impact deposit products — like the mission-aligned CDs, savings accounts, and money markets featured in this article — is a powerful, accessible way to begin your impact investing journey. It’s simple, secure, and meaningful.
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Why It Matters: The Power of Where You Bank
According to Oscar Perry Abello in his new book “The Banks We Deserve: Reclaiming Community Banking for a Just Economy,” the four biggest U.S. banks (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citi) hold $9.4 trillion — nearly 39% of the $24 trillion in total U.S. banking assets. While these mega-banks offer convenient features like sleek apps and widespread ATM networks, they are far less committed to community lending. They only allocate 41% of their assets to actual loans for people, small businesses, nonprofits, and local governments [1].
By contrast, community banks, although they only have $2.7 trillion in total assets, have committed 70% ($1.9 trillion) to community lending [2].
Small business lending highlights this contrast even more starkly. Community banks hold $223 billion in small business loans, compared to only $110 billion for the big four banks [3]. That’s despite small businesses accounting for half of all jobs and two-thirds of new jobs created each year.
Simply put, the more the mega-banks dominate the financial system, the less the system invests in the places where we live, work, shop, and play.
Fortunately, there’s an alternative — and it’s available to all of us. It could be as simple as moving some of your cash savings to a mission-aligned credit union or community bank.
One of the best parts about using your cash deposits for impact is that there are no restrictions on who can participate. You don’t need to be an accredited investor. You don’t need to meet minimum income or asset thresholds. And because these deposits are federally insured — up to $250,000 per institution, per depositor — it’s a low-risk, high-impact way to align your money with your values.
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Self-Help Federal Credit Union: Focus on Sustainability, Racial Equity, Gender Equity
As one example of a mission-driven financial institution generating powerful community impact, we’d like to highlight the work of Self-Help Federal Credit Union.
Self-Help family leverages more than $2.5 billion in member deposits to advance economic justice, sustainable development, and financial inclusion. With over 124,000 members across 38 branches in California, Illinois, Washington, and Wisconsin, Self-Help Federal Credit Union is one of the nation’s fastest-growing community development credit unions. It was founded in 2008 as part of the broader Self-Help family of nonprofits, which has provided over $11 billion in financing to help more than 172,000 people buy homes, grow small businesses, and strengthen community resources.
At the heart of Self-Help’s model is a commitment to creating and protecting ownership and economic opportunity — especially for families and communities historically excluded from the financial mainstream.
For values-aligned savers, Self-Help offers a range of deposit products with both strong financial returns and measurable social impact. Investors can open insured money market accounts or CDs with competitive dividend rates — 4.08% APY for a one-year CD and 3.35% APY for a three-year CD, as of July 2, 2025. With minimum deposits starting at just $500, these products are accessible to everyone. [4] Unique offerings like the Women & Children Term Certificate [5] and Green Term Certificate [6] allow depositors to align their money with specific values — supporting women-led businesses, early childhood providers, green building, clean energy, and other mission-aligned initiatives.
Self-Help’s impact is not limited to financial products — it’s embedded in their strategy. The credit union’s focus on racial equity, gender equity, and sustainability is reflected in how it directs capital: over $242 million invested in sustainable businesses like solar farms, land trusts, and recycling enterprises; ongoing support for women opening their first savings accounts, launching businesses, or purchasing homes; and financing for community-focused facilities such as charter schools and child care centers. By choosing Self-Help, investors are not just earning a return — they are actively participating in building a more just, inclusive, and resilient economy.
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Join the Movement with Deep Community Capital
At Deep Community Capital, we believe all of us should be able to align our money with our values — whether that means moving cash to mission-driven financial institutions like Self-Help, or investing in impact funds focused on clean energy, social enterprises, affordable housing, or economic equity.
Although many of us love the idea of moving our money in more intentional ways, actually doing it? That part is hard. The research, the decisions, the logistics – it can be overwhelming. It usually ends up buried at the bottom of a long “to do” list.
That was our experience too, and it inspired us to co-found Deep Community Capital. Our goal is to make it easier for all of us — not just the ultra-wealthy — to move money in ways that support the communities and causes we care about.
We plan to launch operations later this year, and we’re excited to share more as we grow. In the meantime, explore what we’re building:
Follow us on LinkedIn to stay updated on our plans and be part of this growing community: https://lnkd.in/gGMy25Kk
Visit us anytime at: https://deepcommunitycapital.com
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Endnotes:
[1] Oscar Perry Abello, The Banks We Deserve: Reclaiming Community Banking for a Just Economy (2024).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] https://www.self-helpfcu.org/investforimpact/home
[5] https://www.self-help.org/personal/accounts/certificates/women-children-term-certificate
[6] https://www.self-help.org/personal/accounts/certificates/green-term-certificate
