Social Innovation & Social Finance Strategy

Consultation has concluded

The Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group of experts and leading social innovators, with the Government of Canada, is co-creating a strategy to improve and strengthen our communities and regions through social innovation and social finance.

To better inform the development of the Strategy, the Steering Group has launched an online consultation to hear about new and innovative ideas in communities and regions across Canada.

We want to enable and support communities and organizations to advance new and innovative approaches to persistent social problems.

The overall goal is to improve the lives of the most vulnerable Canadians, and help our communities and regions thrive and flourish in an inclusive and sustainable way. This means helping all Canadians access good jobs and homes, healthy food and strong social connections.

If you’re interested in learning more about this engagement, we invite you to read the Consultation Document.

We invite you to provide a written or visual submission of your ideas by email, using following email address: social_innovation_sociale@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca.


The Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group of experts and leading social innovators, with the Government of Canada, is co-creating a strategy to improve and strengthen our communities and regions through social innovation and social finance.

To better inform the development of the Strategy, the Steering Group has launched an online consultation to hear about new and innovative ideas in communities and regions across Canada.

We want to enable and support communities and organizations to advance new and innovative approaches to persistent social problems.

The overall goal is to improve the lives of the most vulnerable Canadians, and help our communities and regions thrive and flourish in an inclusive and sustainable way. This means helping all Canadians access good jobs and homes, healthy food and strong social connections.

If you’re interested in learning more about this engagement, we invite you to read the Consultation Document.

We invite you to provide a written or visual submission of your ideas by email, using following email address: social_innovation_sociale@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca.


Tell your story

To help shape our strategy, we want to hear your stories about innovative practices taking place in communities and regions across Canada.

Have you seen or done something new, innovative or creative in your community or workplace to address a social problem? Have you seen any improvements that you think are worth sharing?

Share yours!

                          

Please avoid using peoples’ names and the names of other organizations, in order to respect federal privacy laws. In these cases, please use more general names such as “my boss,” “our local food bank,” “our school” and so on.

We encourage you to submit a document, photo or video, to share your ideas, success stories or anything else you feel might be helpful.

Selected stories may be posted on this site, or used in other Government of Canada communications activities.

CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

  • Improving our health & productivity by improving indoor air quality

    by natamyk, almost 7 years ago

    We spend 90% of time indoors and one faulty heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system can cost over $6,500/person/year in employee productivity losses. In addition, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems represent one of the largest components of building energy usage, wasting over 20% of electricity and significant carbon emissions. In fact, most HVAC systems waste excessive amounts of energy and over 25% of HVAC systems have undiagnosed issues, which result costly failures. Reliable operation of these systems depends on system age, the level of air pollution, air filtration effectiveness and environmental conditions. Efficient operation of HVAC systems... Continue reading

  • Community Collaboration Helping High-Risk Children

    by SNAP, almost 7 years ago

    Stop Now And Plan (SNAP®) is an effective evidence-based gender specific model developed at the Child Development Institute (CDI) in Toronto over 30 years ago. Today this Canadian made social innovation is scaling internationally. The model uses trauma-informed principles to teach elementary school-aged children with disruptive behaviour problems, and their parents, how to stop and think before they act and make better choices ‘in the moment’. The focus of SNAP is to increase emotion regulation, self-control and effective problem solving while improving parent management strategies and child-parent-teacher relationships.

    SNAP is now in a major expansion phase to... Continue reading

  • What can I do with my retirement savings? Not what I want!

    by Tom Webb, almost 7 years ago

    I am in my early 70s and have a modest RRIF that I would like to use to help finance green industry, co-operatives and social enterprise.  For example I would like to invest in Solar Share Co-operative or CED Co-operative where I can get a set, limited return of 5-7%.  

    What I do not want is to invest in is the casino economy of tobacco, fossil fuels, mining companies and other investments where my savings will be used to diminish the future of my children and grandchildren.  I am not looking for windfall profits but simply investments designed to meet... Continue reading

  • Finance and Social Life

    by Hassan, almost 7 years ago

    I'm out of Canada leaver and I have more options to leave and live in Canada, but the reason is the opportunity reject us, we are not going to pay attention to the opportunity and life, that what wants!

    So Finance and Financial are the most attractive things in our life when a student wants to participate in a social life without any support, this is too much hard for a student that has nothing (financial support). 

    My story is about the same person who hasn't financial support in their social life. 

    Here in our country (Afghanistan) the big problem... Continue reading

  • www.my-keep.com

    by Servant, almost 7 years ago

    We have a plan to improve child protection housing.  The title is our web site.  Please read the site pages, starting with the Glossary, and contribute to our blog.  Blair

  • Road Safety Invention

    by Zaid, almost 7 years ago

    I moved out of Canada at a young age, and was stationed abroad where my parents pursued their careers. During my time residing abroad, road safety was one of the most pressing issues.

    Not only were traffic fatalities destroying societies before my very eyes, but many of my friends died behind the wheel. This pushed me to take matters into my own hands, and work on finding solutions to this global tragedy. I reached out to a US based inventor, and together we executed on bringing a road safety device to market.

    The Lifebelt, once installed in a vehicle will... Continue reading

  • Guaranteeing Lines of Credit for Small Charities

    by caif, almost 7 years ago

    CAIF (Canadian Alternative Investment Foundation) is a registered charity established with the express purpose of providing low cost flexible loans to registered charities.  Although the foundation is only 5 years old it has assets of $3M and builds on CAIC’s (Canadian Alternative Investment Cooperative’s) three decades of experience as a social lender. We recognize that it takes more than capital to strengthen the charitable sector. There is also a need for expertise and capacity building to ensure that capital is used for the maximum benefit of the borrower.

    CAIF is launching the Investing In our Community Partners Program.  The mandate... Continue reading

  • Community HUB

    by GiveBack, almost 7 years ago

    A hundred years ago spiritual institutions were community hubs. We are bringing back that concept through Community Innovation Hubs, Co-working Spaces, Makerspaces and Agrihoods. Spiritual institutions have up to 75% unused or underutilized space. This provides an opportunity to Engage and Give Back to the Community.

    Free space, workshops, roundtable discussions, elearning, mentoring is provided to small businesses, social enterprises, non profits and charities who want to learn, grow and give back to community. Our plan is to create up to 300 locations across the country in mosques, synagogues, temples, parishes and churches to share and give back on a... Continue reading

  • Empowering Women & Girls to Take The Lead

    by MartinaBuchal, almost 7 years ago

    Hello, my name is Martina Buchal. I am a  Sudbury, Ontario born, Ottawa ripened, Montreal local, and founder of Start Within. Me and my team work to coach young women (aged 18-25) to see their potential as leaders in their own lives, and leaders in their communities, and help them achieve it through personalized coaching and workshops. We also provide an online meeting place for peer-support and "cheerleading" to help our ladies reach their own definition of success. Our intentions are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, helping elevate women to a place of equality in society... Continue reading

  • Home and Local Jobs

    by we can, almost 7 years ago

    hi

    my name is mohammad hossein akbarnezhad 

    I'm from iran

    I have ideas , To start working with small funds , Making money for hard-working youth , To avoid unemploymentJobs with the possibility of development and expansion They are in groups:AgricultureBirds breedingAnimal husbandryAquaculturehoney productionAnd....I have good experiences in these fields in IranAnd if you wish , I can suggest themWishing   Success for the youth