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The Financial Activist Playbook: 8 Strategies for Everyday People to Reclaim Wealth and Collective Well-Being
The first and only comprehensive resource designed to empower everyday people with insider knowledge on moving money for a more equitable economy.
The money myths end here.
We don’t need to choose between creating meaningful wealth for ourselves and our families today, or supporting social movements creating a better tomorrow. We don’t all need to become certified financial “experts” to be economically empowered and make a real difference in our communities. And we’re far from powerless when it comes to changing the financial system, just because we don’t happen to belong to the 1%. Quite the opposite.
Financial activism is how everyday people radically reimagine money as a tool for widespread well-being, instead of a weapon of absurdly increasing inequality. It’s the antidote to traditional finance that evokes confusion, trauma, and (in the best-case scenario) straight-up boredom. It’s how we—the underestimated—collectively resist systems that cause harm to people and the planet for the sake of profit, reclaim wealth that’s been stolen, and redesign our relationships with capital and one another, in ways big and small.
Going beyond tried financial literacy, The Financial Activist Playbook offers eight accessible, actionable, “choose-your-own-adventure” strategies for readers to experiment with. Drawing on timely insider knowledge from the worlds of impact investing, social justice, and more, Rashid illuminates a treasure trove of stories: demonstrating how people power can flow big bucks out of extractive industries, and into the economy of care and abundance we deserve.
Playbook readers will be equipped to start visualizing and influencing the unique networks of wealth all around each of us, with strategies like
Shifting collective budgets and bank dollars;
Flexing our role as everyday philanthropists;
Leveraging the magic of community investment;
And so much more.
Laced with refreshing humor, empowering exercises, and a steadfast commitment to truth-telling, Rashid takes readers on an energizing ride of financial possibility and practicality that will reverberate for generations to come.
The money myths end here.
We don’t need to choose between creating meaningful wealth for ourselves and our families today, or supporting social movements creating a better tomorrow. We don’t all need to become certified financial “experts” to be economically empowered and make a real difference in our communities. And we’re far from powerless when it comes to changing the financial system, just because we don’t happen to belong to the 1%. Quite the opposite.
Financial activism is how everyday people radically reimagine money as a tool for widespread well-being, instead of a weapon of absurdly increasing inequality. It’s the antidote to traditional finance that evokes confusion, trauma, and (in the best-case scenario) straight-up boredom. It’s how we—the underestimated—collectively resist systems that cause harm to people and the planet for the sake of profit, reclaim wealth that’s been stolen, and redesign our relationships with capital and one another, in ways big and small.
Going beyond tried financial literacy, The Financial Activist Playbook offers eight accessible, actionable, “choose-your-own-adventure” strategies for readers to experiment with. Drawing on timely insider knowledge from the worlds of impact investing, social justice, and more, Rashid illuminates a treasure trove of stories: demonstrating how people power can flow big bucks out of extractive industries, and into the economy of care and abundance we deserve.
Playbook readers will be equipped to start visualizing and influencing the unique networks of wealth all around each of us, with strategies like
Shifting collective budgets and bank dollars;
Flexing our role as everyday philanthropists;
Leveraging the magic of community investment;
And so much more.
Laced with refreshing humor, empowering exercises, and a steadfast commitment to truth-telling, Rashid takes readers on an energizing ride of financial possibility and practicality that will reverberate for generations to come.
240 pages, Paperback
Published September 10, 2024
12 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 15, 2024
I wholeheartedly recommend this practical, honest, delight of a book.
I love this book as a resource for anyone who is “intentionally taking action in ways big and small to shift the flow of capital and power, resisting systems that cause harm to people and the planet for the sake of profit, and redesigning our relationships to money and one another.” (i.e. most of us)
A few things I especially loved…
It’s accessible. Too often, financial conversations make me feel confused, overwhelmed, and excluded, but Jasmine Rashid writes about them in a way that made me feel like I could grasp them and engage with them. This book made me feel like I absolutely belong in the conversation.
It’s practical. I came away with so many ideas for how we can shift things for our family and ways I can be part of needed solutions. I know I’ll return to this book as a reference for many years to come! And, it comes with a handy discussion guide that already has me thinking of how I can share it with others in my community.
It’s funny. “Please read the following legal disclaimer in Dolly Parton’s voice (it’s just better that way).” That and so many other moments scattered throughout this book made me feel like I was laughing at the kitchen table, sharing a meal with the author, and soaking up her contagious joy.
It’s brimming with love and imagination. What if we loved our planet and the people who share it with us so dang much that we couldn’t help but act on that love and base our financial decisions on that love and build a different economy based on that love? Yeah, that.
It’s a book the world needs. The kind, and just, and beautiful economy that this book points us toward is the economy we need if our kids and grandkids and future generations are going to survive—let alone have good lives.
I love this book as a resource for anyone who is “intentionally taking action in ways big and small to shift the flow of capital and power, resisting systems that cause harm to people and the planet for the sake of profit, and redesigning our relationships to money and one another.” (i.e. most of us)
A few things I especially loved…
It’s accessible. Too often, financial conversations make me feel confused, overwhelmed, and excluded, but Jasmine Rashid writes about them in a way that made me feel like I could grasp them and engage with them. This book made me feel like I absolutely belong in the conversation.
It’s practical. I came away with so many ideas for how we can shift things for our family and ways I can be part of needed solutions. I know I’ll return to this book as a reference for many years to come! And, it comes with a handy discussion guide that already has me thinking of how I can share it with others in my community.
It’s funny. “Please read the following legal disclaimer in Dolly Parton’s voice (it’s just better that way).” That and so many other moments scattered throughout this book made me feel like I was laughing at the kitchen table, sharing a meal with the author, and soaking up her contagious joy.
It’s brimming with love and imagination. What if we loved our planet and the people who share it with us so dang much that we couldn’t help but act on that love and base our financial decisions on that love and build a different economy based on that love? Yeah, that.
It’s a book the world needs. The kind, and just, and beautiful economy that this book points us toward is the economy we need if our kids and grandkids and future generations are going to survive—let alone have good lives.
December 26, 2024
This book has the potential to (re)shape people's relationship to money, class, and collective action (and to help my friends and family actually understand what I do for work lol). Rashid does a beautiful job creating an accessible guide that's also politically rigorous (not a easy-to-find combo especially when it relates to finance, wealth redistribution and organizing resources). The Playbook helps fill multiple gaps, both the limited writing on the role of organizing money in support of social movements, and the need for collective action (and structural analysis) in (self-help) writing about personal finances.
She covers a lot of ground, offering both political and financial education throughout the text. I appreciate how the book is designed to be read in community, with reflection prompts and discussion questions, and that the writing is witty and full of examples. I'm hopeful that this book will help popularize a lot of the concepts, practices and political frameworks that our sector (at the intersection of grassroots organizing, social movements and finance) has worked to develop over many years.
She covers a lot of ground, offering both political and financial education throughout the text. I appreciate how the book is designed to be read in community, with reflection prompts and discussion questions, and that the writing is witty and full of examples. I'm hopeful that this book will help popularize a lot of the concepts, practices and political frameworks that our sector (at the intersection of grassroots organizing, social movements and finance) has worked to develop over many years.
July 13, 2025
Great book on how to be a positive financial force influencing the US financial system in ways that counter historic racism and sexism. One part that really stuck with me is considering what bank and credit unions you are using and looking for one that invests back into your community instead of solely wealthy firms. They should teach this book in high school personal finance classes.
It also struck me how it is important to advocate for your job’s 401k system to invest in fields that are not detrimental to the environment or exploitative of marginalized communities (eg Nike using child labor in sweatshops). By advocating for your work to get out of these harmful industries, we can help shape the world in a more positive way.
Another piece that I was surprised by was learning that everyday people make up 70% of charitable donations in the US. All we hear on the news is about philanthropic billionaires, yet we the people are more responsible for supporting each other and those in need. We must continue to stand up for our rights as workers in ensuring laws protect unions and working safety. Power to the people!
It also struck me how it is important to advocate for your job’s 401k system to invest in fields that are not detrimental to the environment or exploitative of marginalized communities (eg Nike using child labor in sweatshops). By advocating for your work to get out of these harmful industries, we can help shape the world in a more positive way.
Another piece that I was surprised by was learning that everyday people make up 70% of charitable donations in the US. All we hear on the news is about philanthropic billionaires, yet we the people are more responsible for supporting each other and those in need. We must continue to stand up for our rights as workers in ensuring laws protect unions and working safety. Power to the people!
March 8, 2025
Most books about personal finance do not delve into the macro and micro-levels of how financial systems are built to reinforce power dynamics within our culture and society, and how the money "game" as been rigged by the few to keep things this way. So many of us as individuals and small groups feel overwhelmed, and have no idea how we can use our own power- and money- to impact significant change. This book addresses those issues. There is plenty of talk and advice when choosing your bank, how to research and look for financial opportunities to invest in companies and services that operate ethically, how to support coops and unions, and more. AND there is a great Discussion Guide section in the back, which is perfect! This book is ideal for a discussion group or class of some kind, and really makes this playbook a workbook with applicable results. I highly recommend!
September 26, 2024
For those looking to be more involved and open with their investments to the wider community this is a wonderful playbook to serve as inspiration. There are many concepts to explore and independent steps you can comfortably iterate into your routine regardless of where you are at in your financial journey. I appreciated many great call outs for things I’ve already incorporated, such as Credit Unions, Too Good To Go & Bookshop.org (that i used to pre-order this book!) & many more that i hope to add in. Looking forward to later re-reads, gaining different perspectives on further takeaways through life stages. Congratulations Jasmine on an informative, practical and approachable first book, for a topic many of us should continue to dive into further!
October 4, 2024
The Financial Activist Playbook is full of inspiring stories, super helpful advice, and smart ways to move money (or influence capital) for positive change. Jasmine is a very skilled, down-to-earth writer, and she has a way of making finance and activism fun. I loved how she encourages people to think, talk about and explore how they feel about money. She helped me let go of feeling like I have to do everything right or know a lot about finance before I can take action. I really appreciated Jasmine's sense of humor and relatable way of writing about things that can feel heavy or intimidating. I learned about so many ways to make positive change happen by activating social and financial capital and have started taking steps to move money for good.
September 22, 2025
This book accomplished the difficult task of fitting theory, economics, history and other complicated topics into a bite sized resource for real people. The lack of "heady intellectual" jargon has been well received by our bookclub while still getting the same points across. Jasmine writes in a way that truly empowers us to participate in the economy and wider world around us such that instead of being all doom and gloom whenever you scroll through your feed, you might feel yourself to be a little "hope-pilled" after reading and discussing with your friends. The strategies introduced go beyond just finance as well. I truly hope that this book reaches every mind, young and old, so we can all bring about the just world we all want to see.
October 10, 2024
Jasmine comes across as an empathetic friend with relevant information regardless of your financial position, generation, and background. The book balances concrete information (the banking system and different types of investments) with sections that help unpack the psychological side of money - and reflections and suggested actions to explore through it all. It's a resource I've already been recommending!
January 16, 2025
A concise, well written guide on how to mobilize our resources to improve collective well being.
Very easy to read, no dense jargon despite being a book on the cutting edge of anarchism/socialism and finance.
Very worth the read and has significant power to help change the world, definitely recommend
Very easy to read, no dense jargon despite being a book on the cutting edge of anarchism/socialism and finance.
Very worth the read and has significant power to help change the world, definitely recommend
November 20, 2024
This book will be holiday gifts to various family and friends. Enough said.
April 14, 2025
A handy guide for those looking to have a positive impact with their resources. I loved it! Thanks for putting it into the world.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews