Jump to: Ready To Act? Go Deeper
Why Moving Your Money is So Important
I felt so much integrity after moving my money.
The fossil fuel industry cannot continue to destroy the planet without funding from banks, insurance companies, and investment companies through “the money pipeline.” Our money in a climate-bad bank helps make this planetary destruction possible.
The fossil fuel industry’s business model is based on extracting and burning fossil fuels that will result in the destruction of the planet. With so much money at stake, the industry will not be stopped through persuasion. We will have to force it to stop.
Banks, however, are another matter. Banks provide financing, the “oxygen” that the fossil fuel industry needs to continue its destructive practices. Only about 7% of a bank’s business is fossil fuel lending. It has many other opportunities including green lending.
If we can persuade banks to stop financing fracking, pipelines, and other fossil fuel projects, we can help stop the money pipeline that is financing the destruction of the planet. The key is getting large numbers of people to move their money from climate-bad banks and let the banks know why we are doing it.
Many people want to move their money from climate-bad banks but haven’t because it can be confusing, frustrating, and time consuming. THIS! has developed resources to help you divest from your climate-bad bank.
You have 3 options.
1. Do It Yourself
You can use our tools to move your money on your own now. Scroll down to READY TO ACT / Get Started Now With These Tools.
2. Request A Coach
You can ask THIS! for a “coach” who will help you through the process.
3. Organize A Cohort
If you know 4 or more people who would commit to moving their money with you, THIS! will offer a 1-hour per week, 4-week Cohort program for you. At the end of 4 weeks, you will have moved your money or be well on your way to doing so.
Ready to Act?
THIS! has developed tools to help you move your money.
- Our Changing to a Climate-Friendly Banking Institution checklist gives you an overview of the process.
- Our Banking Services Checklist helps you identify what services you want from a banking institution.
Get Started Now With These Tools
- Our Climate-Friendly Banking Institutions Fact Sheet helps you find an alternative to climate-bad banks that is right for you.
- Our Move-Your-Money Tracking Sheet helps you keep track of where you are in the process. We also have a Sample Tracking Sheet that provides and example of how to use it.
THIS! has prepared sample divestment letters to the CEOs of the 4 worst climate-bad banks. You can use these as they are or modify them as you like.
Extend your impact! Email info@thisiswhatwedid.org a selfie of you cutting up a checkbook or credit card so we can post it on our website in our “This Is What YOU Did!” section. Also, share your actions on your social media platforms.
Go Deeper
Bill McKibben describes why getting banks to divest from fossil fuel companies is so crucial
Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has researched which banks are the biggest (i.e., worst) funders of the fossil fuel industry. The worst US climate-bad banks according to RAN (in order of the amount of their fossil fuel funding):
- JP Morgan Chase
- Citibank
- Wells Fargo
- Bank of America
See Our Full-Page Ad
On December 12, 2021, 99 individuals who have moved our money were displayed in a full-page ad in the San Jose Mercury News, the East Bay Times and the Marin Independent Journal in Northern California. You can see the ad (it’s lovely!) here.