Ask an entrepreneur or non-profit what they need and you’re bound to hear “funding”. But how do social entrepreneurs ready ventures for investment? Who are the funders, and how should leaders and fundraising teams prepare to develop fruitful relationships?

In this How To session, CSI’s Social Innovation Specialist Jo Reynolds, will share strategies to assess your investment readiness and introduce you to the current funding landscape for social enterprise ventures. Participants will have the opportunity to share questions upfront to increase relevance for attendees through the presentation.

How To Navigate Social Enterprise Funding with Jo Reynolds
Wednesday, April 28th, 12:30-1:30pm
Members register via the Common Platform or CSI listserve.
Not a CSI Member yet?  Join Us!

Jo Reynolds works alongside community groups, foundations, social entrepreneurs, and business leaders to advance the application of social finance and social entrepreneurship. With roots in community development at West Neighbourhood House working with youth, newcomers to Canada, and adult literacy, Jo then jumped into working alongside the visionaries at Social Innovation Generation to advance social finance in Canada. In this role, they supported the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance, report, “Mobilizing Private Capital for Public Good” that led to the start of the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing where they were a founding team member​. Over this period, Joanna curated Canada’s Social Finance Forum, and co-authored the report the “State of the Nation: Impact Investing in Canada”. Jo also is proud to have supported SocialFinance.ca as a knowledge catalyst for engaging policymakers, community members, investors and changemakers. Joanna regularly speaks on social enterprise and impact investing and participates as a guest lecturer at various post-secondary schools.

Jo leads social enterprise development across a number of vibrant networks in Ontario such as WOSEN. They are the SI Canada Weaver for Ontario supporting efforts focused on community wealth and inclusive economic development Jo is grateful to live, learn, and play on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples, (also known as ​Kingston) with their partner and two kids. You can find them engaged with their queer and trans communities, growing food, cycling, and generally enjoying life!

What is How to CSI? 
If 2021 is to be the year of recovery, we all need to be prepared. Part of our CSI Recovers initiative, our weekly How To workshop series is focused on helping CSI members sharpen their skills to rebuild and launch the Next Economy: one that is regenerative, equitable, and prosperous for all.