Listed below are links that will
be useful to practitioners and those interested in the community
investment sector. Where possible, we have tried to highlight
Canadian materials. CCINC can not be held responsible for the
content on these sites.
National initiatives related to community investing
The Canadian National Steering Committee for the United
Nations 2005 International Year of Microcredit
The Canadian National Steering Committee has been officially
recognized by the federal government and the United Nations.
The committee is planning events throughout the Year and leading
up to November 2006 when Canada will be the host of the International
Microcredit Summit in Halifax. The Canadian National Steering
Committee have developed a website called the Canadian Gateway
to Microfinance to help Canadians celebrate the Year and build
awareness about the need to support microfinance in Canada and
around the world.
» Visit
Website
The National Round Table on the Environment and the
Economy
The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
(NRTEE) is an independent advisory body reporting to governments
and the Canadian public. It is dedicated to exploring new
opportunities to integrate environmental conservation and economic
development. With the Capital Markets & Sustainability program,
the NRTEE is exploring the relationship between capital markets,
financial performance and sustainability in Canada. They commissioned
the Scan
of the Community Investment Sector in Canada.
This paper is a beginning attempt to bridge the gap in awareness
of the community investment sector as a sustainability driver
and to identify the operating constraints confronting the sector
in today’s marketplace. More information on the Capital
Markets and Sustainability Program and the Scan of the Community
Investment Sector paper can
be found online.
The Social Economy Research Program
Recognizing the importance of the social economy to Canada,
the federal government allocated $15 million to Social Science
and Humanities Research Council of Canada to design and fund
a program to support research on the social economy conducted
by academic researchers in partnership with community-based organizations.
The broad objective of the Social Economy program is to fund
teams made up of university-based researchers and representatives
of community-based organizations, operating as intellectual partners,
to create regional nodes (networks) that will conduct research
relevant to the social economy in Canada. The program includes
research into questions such as “How do Canada’s
financial systems, policies and methods (e.g., access to credit,
capitalization, accounting practices) need to evolve to best
serve the social economy and what is the relationship of Canada’s
taxation system to the social economy and social economy enterprises?”
» Visit
Website
Provinces with tax credits to stimulate community investing
Province of Manitoba Community Economic Development
(CED) Tax Credit
The CED Tax Credit encourages local private investment in Manitoba-based
opportunities by providing community-based enterprise development
projects with the means to raise necessary equity capital. Eligible
investments may be made either directly in qualifying Manitoba
community enterprises or indirectly in a qualifying Community
Development Investment Fund (CDIF). A CDIF uses a pool of funds
to invest in eligible enterprises that are identified as local
priorities.
» Visit Website
Province of Nova Scotia – Community Economic Development
Investment Fund
A Community Economic Development Investment Fund ("CEDIF")
is a pool of capital formed through the sale of common shares
to persons within a defined community. The fund is created to
operate or invest in a business or businesses in that community.
» Visit
Website
Related Canadian networks and organizations
The Canadian Community Economic Development Network
The Canadian Community Economic Development Network is a national
member-based, democratic organization. The mission of
network is to promote and support community economic development
for the social, economic and environmental betterment of communities
within Canada.
» Visit
Website
The Co-op Zone
The Canadian Co-operative Association has been collaborating
throughout the past years with its co-operative partners the
Conseil Canadien de la Coopération and the federal Co-operatives
Secretariat to promote the co-operative model in a growing number
of sectors and communities. One of the results of this partnership
is CoopZone, a website that provides tools, co-op development
resources and advice on starting and growing co-operatives.
» Visit
Website
The National Aboriginal Capital Association
The National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association (NACCA)
is a growing network of Aboriginal
Financial Institutions dedicated to promoting economic growth
across Canada through the Aboriginal communities it serves. Owned
by 59 lending institutions known as Aboriginal
Financial Institutes (AFI's), NACCA provides programs, products
and services designed to promote and stimulate growth of Aboriginal
business in Canada. Business loans, Aboriginal financial consulting
services, and youth business programs are just some of the services
NACCA supports through its member AFI's.
» Visit
Website
Pan Canadian Community Futures Group
The Pan Canadian Community Futures Group represents 268 Community
Futures Development Corporations and Community Business Development
Corporations in every province and territory. Community Futures
Development Corporations/Community Business Development Corporations
(CFDCs/CBDCs) provide their communities with a variety of services
including business development loans, technical support, training
and information. In addition to the business development component,
CFDCs/CBDCs involve themselves in a wide array of community initiatives,
including strategic planning processes, research and feasibility
studies, and the implementation of a diverse range of community
economic development (CED) projects. This group also has a best
practices website.
» Visit
Website
Réseau québécois du crédit
communautaire
The mission of the Réseau québécois du
crédit communautaire is to develop and promote the community
credit approach in the province of Quebec to assure individual
and collective wellness and to eliminate poverty. The membership
of the network is community loan funds and loan circles.
» Visit
Website
The Social Investment Organization
The Social Investment Organization is a national network committed
to integrating social responsibility and environmental sustainability
with investment. The Social Investment Organization’s mandate
is to promote the practice of socially responsible investment,
which includes screening on
social and environmental issues, shareholder
advocacy to improve corporate responsibility and community
investment to help local development.
» Visit
Website
The Tides Foundation
The Tides Canada Foundation is a national, public foundation
supporting its donor partners (individuals and families, private
foundations, and businesses) making charitable social investments
with grassroots and community organizations that actively promote
positive change in environmental sustainability and social justice.
» Visit
Website
Related international networks and organizations
Association for Enterprise Opportunity
The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is a member-based
association dedicated to microenterprise development in the United
States. The American association provides its members with a
forum, information and a voice to promote enterprise opportunity
for people and communities with limited access to economic resources.
The AEO has training manuals available on its website.
» Visit Website
The Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute houses the Access
to Capital and Credit project within its Economic
Opportunities Program. This project is engaged in research
efforts aimed at helping low-income individuals and communities
gain access to mainstream financial services, including financial
education and support, high-return savings products, investment
opportunities and the purchase and maintenance of assets. This
research also has led to the development of both an extensive
framework and several models for achieving “scale.” While
the research was conducted in the US, much of it is applicable
in the Canadian context.
» Visit
Website
cdfa
The cdfa is the trade association in the United Kingdom for
Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs are
sustainable, independent financial institutions that provide
capital and support to enable individuals or organisations to
develop and create wealth in disadvantaged communities or under-served
markets. The cdfa have publications for sale and a glossary of
terms that will be of interest to Canadian practitioners.
» Visit
Website
The Community Investing Centre
The Community Investing Centre was created by the Social Investment
Forum Foundation and Co-op America. The purpose of the website
is to familiarize American investors with community investing
by covering key topics as due diligence, how to incorporate community
investing into different types of portfolios, risk/return issues,
and other fundamental considerations for institutional investors.
Canadian fund managers who are seeking news ways to inform and
attract new investors will find new ideas on this website.
» Visit
Website
National Community Capital Association
National Community Capital is a network of more than 170 private-sector
community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that provides
financing, training, consulting, and advocacy for CDFIs. This
website has publications for sale that are geared to an American
audience but some will be of interest to Canadians.
» Visit
Website
|
