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Community Bonds in Pictures

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CSI

CSI

We’re creating a new home for social innovation with impact investors like you!

In October, the Centre for Social Innovation launched its $4.3M Community Bonds campaign to help us transform our new 64,000 sq. ft location at 192 Spadina Ave. into a home for social innovation. (Want to learn more? Join us for an Info Session!)

We took possession of the building on Oct. 31, and the entire staff team could not wait to see our fourth Toronto location. We grabbed some chairs from CSI Spadina and headed over for our first staff meeting.

We discussed our plan and vision for the new building, which includes filling the existing vacant units, renting out the ground floor as part of our event space rental business, and making necessary repairs and upgrades. We’ll gradually convert it to the CSI model with shared facilities, meeting rooms, event spaces, offices and coworking for changemakers!

192 Spadina Ave. is twice the size of CSI Annex (pictured below) and shares many of its characteristics, such as exposed brick and beams. In 2010 we purchased the CSI Annex location by issuing Community Bonds. Our bond holders have earned an annual return and 217 organizations now make CSI Annex their home.

With this bond offering, we wanted to make the investment accessible to our members and our wider community, so we created three bonds with investments starting at $1,000.

The response has been incredibly moving, with over $1.8M raised from 87 investors who believe in our mission to support and facilitate social innovation.

News of our Community Bond spread, and we were featured in InsideToronto, Metro, the Financial Post, and the Toronto Star. Tonya Surman, Co-founder and CEO, has started a tradition of doing cartwheels in every new building we buy (that’s two cartwheels so far!).

Community Bonds allow citizens to invest in the projects they believe will make a difference all while earning a competitive financial return…

Thank you to our incredible investors who believe in what we do, and to all those who have helped spread the word about our campaign!

We have more to raise and are holding info sessions throughout the month of November and December.

We also have beautiful office spaces for rent from 300 to 900 sq. ft.

And those who become Community Bond holders before the end of the month will be invited to our Community Bond PARTY this December in the new building to CELEBRATE!!!

Help us spread the word!

Sample tweet:
The @csiTO Community Bond has raised over $1.8M: A real estate investment with social impact! Find out more http://ow.ly/i/7jkK6

THANKS FOR INVESTING IN SOCIAL INNOVATION!

We’re a coworking space, community and launchpad for people who are changing the world, with four locations in Toronto and a location in New York City. We provide our members with the tools they need to accelerate their success and amplify their impact. Together, we’re building a movement of nonprofits, for-profits, entrepreneurs, artists and activists working across sectors to create a better world.

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CSI Spadina in the ground floor kitchen, looking out towards the lounge and meeting rooms. In the foreground is a kitchen counter, with waffles, toppings, and glasses of coffees and teas. In the background, CSI CEO Tonya Surman is speaking into a microphone on the left. In the middle and on the right, a variety of people stand and sit, listening to her speak.
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Third floor lounge of CSI Spadina. In the foreground is a light blue loveseat sofa. In the background, we see two people working separately at coworking desks and tables. On the ceiling is a chandelier; to the right, a progress Pride flag.
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