Thanks to our successful 2019 and 2021 community investment campaigns, we raised $1.37 million from 498 community owners to help us build the building. We were able to leverage the success of these community investment campaigns to obtain other funds needed for our construction phase.

Our third investment campaign, which launched in January 2023, will help make our house a home and will welcome the public to enjoy all that Commongrounds has to offer. This campaign will support final projects such as: solar and green infrastructure, teaching kitchen completion, a marquee, family play and wellness spaces, public art, workforce housing needs, and additional staffing to ensure the building is accessible to all.

Investing in Commongrounds supports local needs in the areas of food, family, arts, wellness, and workforce housing. Investors in Commongrounds have an opportunity to earn a financial return of up to 6% as well as a social return for yourself and your community. Minimum investment is $250. More information about this current investment campaign can be found on our Mainvest investment portal.

Everyone can—in fact, you, toucan!

All investors must purchase a $50 lifetime (non-refundable) share to become a community owner in Commongrounds. This allows you to be an owner of the cooperative and have the opportunity to invest in the project and receive regular updates. You may also choose to pay annual dues to be an active owner who can participate in governance and ownership benefits. Purchase a $50 ownership share here!

After joining as an owner of the Cooperative, you have an opportunity to invest in the cooperative through our Mainvest site. The Investment Certificate provides owner-investors with an opportunity to earn an equity-like dividend return, beginning the year after building completion and permanent certificate of occupancy is issued (which is expected in June 2023).

Returns will be disbursed annually until the investor withdraws and is repaid their original investment amount. The rate of return issued to each investor will be dependent on whether they select the regular return rate or our social impact return option. The regular rate will be 6% annually on the amount invested, while the social impact rate will be 3% annually, with an additional 3% being directed by the cooperative board to areas of social impact in the community and the building. The investor will annually have the option to choose to withdraw their capital after Year 5, contingent upon the Cooperative obtaining replacement capital.

All investments are made through Mainvest, our investment portal (as required by federal law). You will create an account in Mainvest and connect your bank account or other payment information to your account through their website.

Commongrounds will not have access to your private financial information. Future returns will also be distributed through Mainvest. Click on the link above to visit our Mainvest website.

Part of our mission is to create ways for the community to grow wealth by investing in 8th Street. We will make opportunities to do so available regularly. However, securities regulations require that we only take investment during specific windows when we have registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission to do so. Our current opportunity, which launched January 2023 is now available through May 1.

Commongrounds investment returns are an annual preferred return paid in the first quarter of the next year. So, for example, investors will would receive returns for 2023 in Q1 2024. Returns will be paid in cash or, if the cooperative does not earn a cash profit in a given year, then it will be essentially added to your capital investment and in future years you will earn returns on your original investment plus the annual return (i.e., if you invested $100 with a 7% preferred return, the $7 return would be added to that $100, and in future years you would receive a return on $107). If the return is not paid in cash, then it will be paid in future years based on the cooperative's cash profit; or when you withdraw your investment.

Commongrounds investment terms provided returns would start when the building open. In 2022, because of construction delays, Commongrounds did fully not open and earn revenue in 2022, so there was no preferred return to be paid in cash. 2021-22 investor agreements stated returns would start the year the building opened, so returns will start in 2023. For 2019 investors, the 2022 return will be essentially added to your capital investment and you will earn a return on your original investment PLUS the 2022 return in future years.

For all investors, Mainvest will be the vehicle to receive your returns once the cooperative distributes them.

In order to receive the cash return, all 2019 investors must set up an account on Mainvest (because the 2019 platform, LocalStake, no longer exists). However, even though Mainvest will be able to transfer funds into your Mainvest account, it does not have the ability to show your 2019 investment on its page. We know that is not ideal and a little confusing! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like us to check that your Mainvest account is good to go.