CSI invented the Community Bond in 2010 as a means to turn a non-profit’s social capital into financial capital. 10 years later, the Community Bond is a household name in impact investing, having been replicated around Toronto, and the world.
Tonya sat down for a video chat with CSI member Tim Nash, to tell the story of the Community Bond’s beginning, and how it is helping CSI build the next economy:
The whole interview is absolutely worth your time. Here are our favourite four quotes, to entice you to watch:
On the behind-the-scenes glamour of buying the first building
“I was literally biking around the city picking up cheques the day of closing from this amazing group of people who I am so grateful for.”
On the frustrations of navigating unimaginative systems
“The bank just says if you are already wealthy and a so-called ‘qualified investor’, it’s no problem we’ll take care of you. But if you’re not — which is most of us — then they think it’s just a pain in the butt.”
On sticking with the Community Bond model, ten years later
“It would have been easier to go to one investor, but we wanted to prove this is a viable model. This is how our economic systems should be working. It’s our commitment to social innovation and our commitment to social finance that draws us back to this process.”
On being a role model for change
“We really want to make sure that we are accelerating the next economy. It’s about ethical investing, it’s about social enterprise, it’s about actually crafting and demonstrating what the next economy looks like. These are the types of tools that allows us to show the rest of the world that another way is possible.”
Do you want to be part of building the next economy? Check out our Community Bond 2020 investor package. It contains everything you need to know, including how you investment will create impact across six of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
