Sector-Wide Support

As part of our mandate under the Social Finance Fund, we offer strategic support that we believe will offer sector-wide benefit.

 

Our objective is to assist in developing and implementing programs and services that will help build capacity among social finance intermediaries, whether new, emerging or established.

While often these supports are complementary to our investment thesis, and enhance the repayable investments we make, through this program we also are enabling market-level initiatives that reach a broader audience in the social finance sector.

Thematic areas for sector-wide support include relevant education and training programs, social finance events and shared-service provision.

At this time, we are not accepting funding requests for this program.

Sector-Wide Support to Date

BKR Capital

BKR Capital is an Black-led emerging SFI. With our grant, BKR Capital supported two cohorts of its Launch Readiness Program, helping new and emerging Black SFIs build investment readiness and prepare for future capital commitments to scale their impact.

(Read more)

Canadian Private Capital Investment School

The Canadian Private Capital Investment School is a training program out of the Ivey Business School. It’s a five-day intensive program to accelerate careers in venture capital and private equity.

We supported four SFIs to attend in 2025, in support of enabling their investment readiness.

“As a former founder stepping into fund management, Private Investment School sharpened my lens on capital formation, investment strategy and what it takes to scale a gender-lens fund with integrity.”
– Raissa Espiritu, Audaxa Ventures

Picture: Ivey five-day training program

“CPCIS is a unique learning experience that provides practical and first-hand knowledge from industry leaders in the venture ecosystem. The learnings and relationships built during the experience will be an asset for years to come.” – Alfred Burgesson, Tribe Ventures

“The program brought together a great variety of practitioners and academics that stimulated deep discussions on highly practical topics. For me, it was an opportunity to compare my own practices with those of the instructors, guest speakers and fellow participants.” – Graham Day, Spring Impact Capital

Picture: Cohort participants

“Participating in the CPCIS program was an incredible experience, deeply insightful, practical, and filled with meaningful connections. I walked away with new tools, fresh perspectives, and relationships that continue to inspire my work.”
– Tupaarnaq Kopeck, EntrepreNorth

CIVIC

The Canadian Impact Venture Investors Coalition CIVIC) is a community of practice at the intersection of impact investors and impact entrepreneurs. We are supporting CIVIC to deliver the first cohort of Investors Circles, a peer-learning and community-building program for impact fund managers across Canada. This investment aims to help strengthen leadership capacity and knowledge sharing across Canada’s growing impact investing space.

Equity Cubed

Equity Cubed is an Indigenous-owned social purpose venture studio aiming to support under-represented founders to build businesses.

With our assistance, Equity Cubed undertook research and analysis on various potential impact venture studio models. 

Events

Events. We have supported several events that promoted the growth of the social finance sector, including:

ImpactVC

ImpactVC by Better Society Capital is an impact investment community and training program.

Our grant brought this program to Canada. In 2024 17 impact venture funds participated in the program. Over the course of the five-week program, participants gained an understanding of how to integrate impact into venture capital and apply that within the Canadian context.

(Learn more)

Kwaxala

Kwaxala is an Indigenous-led and majority-owned regenerative forestry cooperative created by Kwiakah First Nation that establishes Indigenous regenerative businesses.

With our support for legal and financial advisory services, Kwaxala will launch Living Forest Shares, an innovative investable product designed to protect at-risk forests and support the generation of stewardship revenue for First Nations communities.

(Read more)

Propel Impact

Propel Impact supports impact-driven organizations.

We supported Propel’s impact analyst internship program.

Rural Routes to Climate Solutions

Rural Routes to Climate Solutions is a nonprofit that helps rural communities adopt tailored regenerative agriculture climate solutions. It has developed a Steward Ownership model that brings agriculture producers, investors, and conservation organizations together to accelerate sustainble land management systems.

With our funding, the organization is testing the feasibility and viability of scaling this model into a new investable product.

(Read more)

SVX

SVX is a financial services firm. Its Towards: Community Finance Development Accelerator program is a cohort-based support program for community finance intermediaries seeking to drive positive social and environmental impact in their communities.

At the end of its 2025 cohort, one participant will receive a $10,000 award, with the winner chosen by the peers in the cohort. We’re pleased to be funding this award.