Community Bonds and Social Enterprise

Community Bonds and Social Enterprise -where no one loses


There is an increasing interest in the use of Community Bonds to help non-profits achieve their financial goals. They can be used to finance program development or for capital build projects where the 'first-in' dollars are hard to find. For people in the non-profit sector, they are a form of investment that clearly shows what the investor is in interested in - you. And this is the most marked difference between community bonds and regular financial bonds; there is a direct link between what you want to do and how your investor wants you to succeed.

Community bonds differ from donations in that the money is eventually returned with interest. In talking with various organizations using community bonds, the construction of the bonds are as individual as the organizations themselves. Creating a bond requires careful financial analysis and the non-profits must understand themselves and their 'business' in order to achieve. Considering the relationship to the investor - direct, connected, local (usually) and of average income, the organizations carry a significant emotional commitment to taking care of and managing that investment and this too, makes community bonds different from other financial products.

The history of community bonds shows they are not a recent invention but one that is being used more broadly than before. Perhaps it is the donor fatigue that non-profits are experiencing or just the fact that there is less 'free money' around to be donated; whatever the case, community bonds offer an alternative that moderate income donors favour and this has captured the attention of social enterprises.

While recent community bond success stories like that of the Centre for Social Innovation clearly show the interest and ability of investors to direct funds to what they care about, smaller groups particularly co-ops, have long histories and rich stories of achieving their organizational goals through investor support as well.

Listen today to hear about the West End Food Coop and their discussion of successful community bonds  on So Fine Canada. They sold out their first issue in 2009 and have created a new bond which is also selling well in the west end of Toronto. Their local community support has created the opportunity to start new programs, expand their farmer's market but more importantly, open a community store. All non-profits should give themselves and their 'investors' the chance to expand and succeed with no loss to anyone.

Leadership, Mission Possible as Social Enterprise

Mission Possible: Social Enterprise + Innovative Leadership PLUS 

how to get someone to donate a cruise ship

Mission Possible is an extraordinary organization filled with amazing people and I don't just mean the staff. The videos that they show on their website www.mission-possible.ca emphasize the many faces of people living in one of Canada's toughest neighbourhoods, Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. It's tough because the poverty, addiction and mental health issues blanket the community and cause most of us to give up hope. But when you watch the videos, you'll change your mind and addressing your prejudices about the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver won't be the only thing you'll learn either.

Mission Possible put together a Lunch & Learn meeting this week - on a cruise ship no less. As I stood there on a Hollland America Lines ship (I've never been on a cruise ship before), I thought 'How does a non-profit get someone to donate them a cruise ship?' With Brian Postlewait and the Board members of Mission Possible at work, anything is possible. Cliches aside, how do they accomplish everything that they do?

I apply the word 'extraordinary' to them at every turn. Not only did they get a cruise ship donated as a board room but they also got a South Pole explorer to be the keynote speaker - seriously, what can't they do?

I tout Mission Possible as an example of leadership, vision and caring in our fast-paced, constantly changing world of social finance. They run 2 social enterprises to provide meaningful work to people whose lives have lost direction, not meaning and they show value of everyone: their staff, their Board and volunteers, their corporate sponsors and even someone like me, working alongside them in the social finance sector.

Tune in on Sunday June 26th to So Fine Canada to hear what extraordinary sounds like straight from the leaders in our field.

Canada’s Only Social Enterprise Dragon’s Competition

Canada’s Only Social Enterprise Dragon’s Competition

 Vancity Community Foundation and JDQ Systems’ 3Spheres of Reciprocity Initiative have teamed up for the 3^rd year in a row to bring to Vancouver another exciting social enterprise dragon’s competition. Engaging, stimulating, and ‘quite a show’, the competition presents the best the field of social enterprise has to offer with each business vying for cash and two other chances for a full-scale business review and assistance. In the world of social finance, this competition puts the success of social enterprises on display for supporters to view the amazing abilities of social enterprises to meet their mission, help society and make money.On Sunday January 30^th, So Fine Canada will host the originators of the Social Enterprise Dragon’s Competition, Liz Green of Vancity Community Foundation and Jon Morris of JDQ Systems. As partners and founders of the event, both guests bring a wealth of knowledge and insider information to help social enterprises get into the competition. Additionally, one of 2010’s winners, Mission Possible’s, Executive Director, Brian Postlewait will be on the show to discuss their experience and to offer some compelling advice to get more social enterprises into the competition.

Al Etmanski on launch of So Fine Canada

Ashoka Fellow 'Al Etmanski': Guest for launch of So Fine Canada
Meeting Al Etmanski at the Social Innovators Event was a given: he and the organization he founded PLAN,  were sponsors. So was one of the other groups who sponsored the event, the Ashoka Foundation to which Al has been named a 'fellow'. Not only is this a highly-earned honour in the world of social enterprise but at the event, I learned that Al was the first Canadian, ever, to be named an Ashoka fellow.

So I am very honoured to have Al as one of the first guests on So Fine Canada. He is an amazing person, great thinker and creative individual and along with co-founder, Vickie Cammack, created one of the most innovative social finance strategies in the world (I'm biased because I use it), the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP).

Tune in this Sunday at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm EST to learn more about Al, PLAN, the RDSP and Ashoka. It will be 15 minutes well spent; the other 45 will be just as intriguing.

New Advisory Council on Social Enterprise for BC

New Advisory Council on Social Enterprise for BC

Social finance in Canada is developing at a great rate and BC has definitely carved out its space in creating exciting innovations. Leaders in the field like Al Etmanski and Stacey Corriveau have been providing British Columbians and Canadians with exciting, thoughful alternatives to standard business and standard non-profit practises for years. David LePage at enp has encouraged a number of non-profits into the sphere of social finance. And Joel Solomon and Carol Newell have been providing the financial backing (and the advice!) to get great ideas moving toward fruition. This is just a short, short list of all those people working towards creating the new. It makes for an exciting time and now, with the BC government establishing an Advisory Council on Social Enterprise, even more can be done.

I've been in a room with several hundred people working on social finance. The energy is amazing and the feelings so positive that it's hard to return to one's regular work. I wish every SME and new start-up had such an amazing community to draw upon. Maybe someday soon.