Social Funding
There is an obvious need among Tunisian expatriates to invest back to their home country in a structured and sustainable way, particularly after January 14th. Many of them do not know how to do it in an effective way. They are tired of giving away money to small local foundations that are rarely effective and sustainable.
The transaction cost of investing in Tunisia is still too high for the “average” Tunisian abroad, and the options available terribly lack innovation: either you put your money in a local saving account or you buy parts in a fund with a ridiculously high amount required.
With the development of the internet, crowd-funding and impact investing, one of our members, Hatem Mahbouli saw an opportunity to leverage these tools in order to reach the Tunisians abroad and help them invest in developing the private sector in a constructive, active and simple way. As a Tunisian abroad, you will be able to:
· Connect to the “Tunisian Diaspora collaborative fund’s website
· Choose the amount to invest with your Paypal account or credit card (usually between $500 and $5000)
· Have access to the entrepreneurs to be financed, vote for the best projects, interact with other “micro-investors”etc.
· Get your money back and more over the defined timeframe according to terms and conditions
The money will thereafter go to a local Tunisian investment fund that will invest all the participations in chosen entrepreneurs, taking into account the comments of “micro-investors”.
Such an easy way to invest and interact actively would be a great opportunity for the Diaspora to actively invest and easily control the social impact of their investments.
Naturally, some issues do exist related to governance, financial partners and currency convertibility. We are already in discussions with several organizations, but any help in designing the website and the financial structure upfront is very welcome. Your point of contact within the Tunisian American Young Professionals Association is Hatem Mahbouli. Do not hesitate to contact Hatem at hatem.mahbouli@gmail.com
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