Social Finance and Impact Investing
About This Collection
New to social finance? Here’s what you need to know about this powerful new approach to investment that puts impact at the forefront.
Blended finance pilot fund to become permanent
Pilot projects often face a make-or-break moment. Fondation Lucie and André Chagnon stepped up with a $1 million pledge to match community bonds and preferred shares issued by social economy organizations across Quebec. Over the next two years, each philanthropic dollar invested sparked an average of $12.80 in community contributions. Now, a permanent fund is taking shape.
Restoring polluted land: Unique reforestation land trust launched in Quebec
All Canadian cities have industrial neighbourhoods that negatively impact the residents' quality of life and life expectancy, and the lack of green space worsens matters. Demineralizing and decontaminating a portion of the land is a promising solution. A social utility trust, or any other equivalent legal vehicle, is an effective structure for implementing this solution, so a group of Quebec City citizens is testing the formula.
4 reasons why social housing is a good investment, and 7 smart tips to stretch those investments further
Canadian governments have recently accelerated their investments in community housing in response to the affordable housing and homelessness crises. However, economic uncertainty and budget cuts could affect these efforts. Leveraging the maximum amount out of housing investments is essential.
Can community ownership save a historic neighbourhood? This land trust thinks so
Canada’s housing crisis has hit those searching for affordable apartments hardest. Community land trusts could help keep rents reasonable.
Q&A: Pain and gains after 2 years of Canada's Social Finance Fund
Launching the $755 million Social Finance Fund took ten years. Expectations are enormous for this 16-year program. It is too early to measure the impact of the first round of investments, however, we discussed the process and progress so far with the three wholesalers managing the funds.
A conversation with RBC’s Chief Economist: How the geopolitical landscape is impacting non-profits
The state of Canada’s economy greatly impacts non-profit’s funding, operations and the communities they serve. Sharing economic data helps organizations make strategic operational decisions.
The next step: Unique funding model for Indigenous groups now fully independent
Funders and grantmakers often wield considerable power over their fundees, determining what gets funded, when and how. The Right Relations Collaborative flips this power dynamic by putting Indigenous aunties in the driver’s seat.
Quebec asset manager makes unique investment, draws attention to benefits of community bonds
Community bonds campaigns don't attract big private or institutional investors, but Addenda Capital's first investment might change that.
'Spicy shift’: Canadian asset managers withhold director votes over climate inaction
Canada is not on target to reduce its carbon emissions to an agreed-upon level by 2030, and shareholder pressure is an underused strategy to enact change.
Quebec municipality testing ‘canopy charge’ tax to help tackle climate change
Eco-fiscal policies influence individual and collective behaviour to reduce pollution and damage to biodiversity. These policies also collect revenues to invest in climate adaptation and mitigation solutions. Ecofiscality is also a revenue stream for municipalities, which have seen their responsibility and the citizens' pressure expand over the years.
How are Social Finance Fund recipients selected?
Didn’t get selected for the first round of Social Finance Fund investments? This deep dive could be helpful next round.
2024’s social finance victories and challenges - in quotes and graphs
The 2025 Canadian social finance sector's challenges include unlocking much more private capital for intentional positive impact, pricing nature services, and growing the purpose economy.
As Boomers retire, non-profits are saving local businesses for non-profit purposes. Is this something your organization could do?
The Government of Canada’s Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy acknowledges a need for more social innovation focused on Canada’s more persistent and complex challenges. It also seeks to grow Canada’s social finance sector to catalyze community-led solutions to such challenges. Considering the context of significant entrepreneurial transfer, social acquisitions emerge as both a solution to the small business continuity problem and a way to leverage the growing social economy.
SOCAP recap: Civic infrastructure bonds, or how to make money by building community parks
The capital market generally doesn't finance public green spaces. Instead, most nature investing originates from philanthropy or government. Mobilizing private capital toward nature financing is critical to keeping our urban areas greener, but investors want guaranteed market returns.