Social Finance Forums

Editor's note: This post was originally published on the SocialFinance.ca blog.

Last year, over 300 people gathered at the MaRS Discovery District for the launch of the landmark report Mobilizing Private Capital for Public Good by the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance. The event was a call to action for all to consider the role of capital markets in creating not only economic value, but also social and environmental sustainability in our society.

With the one-year anniversary of this publication as the backdrop, we are excited to announce the 2011 Social Finance Forum on December 13th and 14th at MaRS. Join leaders from across the country to drive the development of Canada’s impact investing marketplace and to learn what it means to invest in good deals.

The evening of Tuesday December 13th will feature a cocktail reception followed by a reflective discussion on the advancements made in the past year and what is still needed to expand social finance in Canada. We will be joined by Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO of the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) who will explore the potential of impact investing during his evening keynote and Canadian launch of his groundbreaking book, Impact Investing: Transforming How We Make Money While Making a Difference.

The following day, Wednesday December 14th, features an exciting agenda that brings together inspirational social ventures, innovative impact investors, and aspiring mainstream practitioners.

The theme is investing in good deals. Organized by the team at the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, the aim is to provide practical education, mobilize capital, and catalyze new ideas.

Here is a sneak peek of the conference:


Featured presenters:

Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO, Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF)

Stanley Hartt, Chairman, Macquarie Capital Markets Canada

Nancy Neamtan, President & Executive Director, Chantier de l’economie sociale

Stephen Huddart, President & CEO, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation

Amit Bouri, Director of Strategy & Development, Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN)

Bill Young, Founder, Social Capital Partners (SCP)

Jonathan Jenkins, CEO, Social Investment Business UK


Featured activities:

Good Deals: Pitch Clinic and Pitch Presentation―MaRS has partnered with Good Deals UK, a leading impact investing conference, to help get good deals done. Social ventures can pre-register for a Pitch Clinic where a team of expert entrepreneurs and investors can help their business become deal-ready. A handful of ventures with high potential will be selected to present in the conference wide Pitch Presentation.

An SVX closed pitch session―For accredited investors only. Social ventures on the Social Venture Exchange platform will pitch for access to investment capital.


Breakout sessions:

Beans & Bonds: Case Study of Planet Bean Coffee and the CSI Community Bond
This session will dissect the Centre for Social Innovation’s newly published Guide to Community Bonds, as well as introducing the mechanics of alternative types of funding through the experience of Planet Bean.

Idea Jam: A Networking + Problem Solving Session with Leaders in Impact Investing
Participants will be encouraged to explore ideas of intrapraneurship within their own organizations and what roles they may take on in advancing impact investing.

For Good Measure: Understanding Impact Metrics for Your Enterprise
Participants will be guided through an interactive workshop on exploring the IRIS metrics tool and how they can adopt it within their organization. The objective is to provide hands on training for those interested in a practical understanding of the IRIS methodology as well as providing a brief introduction to how it may fit into other impact measurement categories.

Generation: Bridging the Investment Gap for Renewable Energy
This workshop will create a tipping point for creative solutions to bridge the financing gaps for pending projects. Inviting experts from diverse areas of the investment community (project finance, private equity, socially responsible funds, asset managers, etc) will facilitate a multi-disciplined approach towards bridging the investment gap for renewable energy.

Insiders Guide: What Investors Want
How do investors determine among themselves if an organization is deal ready? What are the deal breakers, the dealmakers and things you may not know investors care about?

Registrations are now open at http://socialfinanceforum.eventbrite.com!

Register early to take advantage of bursaries available for social ventures and non-profit organizations. Conference attendees will also receive a free copy of Antony Bugg Levine’s book Impact Investing, while quantities last, which can be picked up and signed at the December 13th reception!

Looking forward to seeing you in mid-December!