A Report by MaRS Centre for Impact Investing SOCIAL FINANCE AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING What is social finance? Social finance, or impact investing, is an investment approach that focuses on achieving positive social and/or environmental impact alongside some form of financial return. This includes debt and equity investments that range from producing a return of principal […]
International developments Although the concept of linking private capital to societal improvement has been around for decades in many jurisdictions, three countries are on the leading edge of social innovations and social finance models: United Kingdom (UK) The UK is the world leader in the development of social finance. Since introducing the world’s first social […]
In 2017, the Government of Canada created the Social Innovation & Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group. The group provided 12 recommendations to advance social innovation and mobilize social finance in Canada. In November 2018, the Fall Economic Statement from the federal government outlined a proposed $755M Social Finance Fund to invest into socially innovative […]
Authors: Denyse Guy and Carolyn Pletsch, Guy & Associates Advisory Group: Michael Toye, Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet); Liz Sutherland, Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN); Peter Frampton, Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF); Elspeth McKay, Operation Come Home; Rosalind Lockyer, PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise (PARO) Executive Summary In the fall of 2018, the federal government announced […]
The federal government recently announced the first organizations that will be responsible for implementing a program created to help support and invest in social purpose businesses. The program will include financial and programming support for startups. The Investment Readiness Program, as it is called, is a $50 million project meant to help social purpose businesses […]