Social Innovation Works
Looking for proof? We’ve got it. We believe that shared resources bring us all closer to the Next Economy, so we’re sharing all our ideas here!
Innovations
Community Rent Pool
When COVID-19 hit, we knew our many of our members would need support. We came up with a unique solution that offered relief: a pay-what-you-can rent pool.
Senate Special Committee on the Charitable Sector
Our co-founder and CEO Tonya Surman was invited to speak to the committee and presented her ideas for unlocking the charitable sector for more Canadians.
MAKING SOCIAL CHANGE AND HAVING FUN DOING IT
A conversation between Creative Bureaucracy Festival President Charles Landry and our CEO Tonya Surman.
Projects
SHARED SPACES FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION
CSI builds shared workspaces with the right ingredients for innovations to emerge and take root! We created the Shared Spaces for Social Innovation book series to share what we’ve learned so others can replicate our success.
Community Bonds
The idea that made our buildings possible. In 2014 we conceived the Community Bond – an innovation in social finance that allows citizens to purchase RRSP-eligible bonds from a nonprofit, that allowed us to buy two of our spaces!
CONSTELLATION MODEL OF GOVERNANCE
The Constellation Model of Governance is a framework for collaboration amongst a variety of partners. Borrowing insights and tools from complexity science and the Internet, the Constellation Model is a strategy for pursuing social change in a dynamic universe.
Ontario Catapult Microloan
In 2013 we created the Ontario Catapult Microloan Fund, which provided social enterprises with loans of $5,000 to $25,000.
Videos
Here is a sampling of some of the video content we’ve made over the years. Want more? Check out our Youtube channel!
Magazines
The Collider is CSI’s community magazine! It connects and champions our members, and showcases social innovation in action. You can find the latest magazine issue on our site or pick up your own copy at any of our locations.
Books & Guides
Emergence
Starting back when the Centre was just a glimmer in the eyes of a few social entrepreneurs, Emergence follows our growth from concept to operation to scale.
The Community Bond
Turn your supporters into investors. The Centre for Social Innovation turned its community of supporters into investors with the Community Bond. This DIY guidebook can help you do it! Check out the Community Bonds website to read an excerpt from the book, purchase the guide and templates, find out about other community investment opportunities, and much more.
Network Evaluation - Cultivating Healthy Networks for Social Change
This book explores the unique character of networks and offers a new framework for assessing their impact. Its goal: to further empower the success of networks that are making a difference.
A hardcopy is also available.
A hardcopy is also available.
Rigour
A manual for planning or operating shared space. It reveals the knowledge of 6 years of experience and offers tips, lessons, and tools for developing a strong organization and vibrant community.
From Social Enterprise to Social Franchise
This book will introduce Canadian social enterprises to the concept of social franchising by first taking a look at how social franchises compare and differ from traditional models of commercial franchising and then by exploring some of the inherent benefits and challenges of this approach.
Pilot Lessons: How to design a basic income pilot project for Ontario
Co-presented with the Mowat Centre, this report examines the potential for a basic income pilot in Ontario and explores how basic income could impact entrepreneurship, innovation and our society’s relationship to work in general.
Proof
This report shares our most recent research on the impact of the Centre for Social Innovation in order to demonstrate just what shared spaces for social innovation can accomplish.
Crowdfunding Guide for Nonprofits, Charities and Social Impact Projects
HiveWire and the Centre for Social Innovation are proud to present the 2015 Crowdfunding Guide for nonprofits and charities. With insights gained from examining over 27K nonprofit crowdfunding campaigns, this comprehensive guide will help your nonprofit or charity in the journey for crowdfunding success. This guidebook is a project of ESDC.
Looking for more reading material? Check out our blog!
CSI Stories is our way to share new ideas, community & member updates, learnings from the social innovation field, and more.