There are often gaps between theory and practice in new and emerging areas, and often it is theory struggling to catch up with developments on the ground. Given the relatively nascent state of play around social finance in Canada, I would propose that this description fits accurately. A positive sign, however, is the emergence of more Canadian-focused academic literature on social finance, as was recently the case at the Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research (ANSER) conference in Montreal.
Social Entrepreneurship
Hello colleagues across Canada and peers following this website internationally. Today is a very exciting day for me. I get to introduce myself to all of you as the new Managing Editor of SocialFinance.ca.
In the past year, SocialFinance.ca has emerged as a go-to resource for discussions about the social finance marketplace and movement taking form in Canada. I am extremely honoured to help deepen and expand the conversation at this important moment.
TD Financial Literacy Grant Fund calls for applications from community groups for millions in grants. Co-founded by TD and SEDI, the Fund will provide grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to qualified community groups for financial education.
I have a new favourite noise - the sweet sound of planes overhead. After 12 memorable days in the UK, it was delectable to finally touch down in TO, flying safely by the falling ash from Eyjafjallajökull. While my journey involved meetings with several social finance organizations and attending the Skoll World Forum on social entrepreneurship, many unexpected events reaped great rewards.
One of the hottest topics at Skoll was Social Finance. Much of the content fell under the banner of Impact Investing (also referred to as Social Investment or Sustainable Investment).While there were numerous examples of impact investing presented at Skoll, I will highlight four particularly compelling ones here that offer a range of approaches.
The social entrepreneurship movement is making clear gains. Social enterprise start-ups pop up regularly, and there’s been a noticeable injection of new vocabulary employed by both grantmakers and applicants – a good indicator of shifting priorities. From my own vantage point I’ve seen a drastic increase in the number of people – many of them under 30 - willing or aspiring to identify as social entrepreneurs.
There is a great deal of interest, instruction and debate around the how of social enterprise: how to start, how to manage, how to fund, etc. As I see it, this is partly to meet growing demand for practical knowledge, partly the process of deciphering what works and doesn’t in the huge experiment that is social enterprise, and partly our response to bolster its credibility as a new way forward.
Is anybody talking about the why?
Jeff Mowatt on Three Business Models for the Bottom Billion
Sep 03, 2010