Community Investment Co-ops
Localizing Investments for Social and Impact Investing
While the demand for investing locally is increasing, traditional investment options limit who and where we can invest in. The result is that most investment capital leaves rural communities and is placed into far off stock markets and corporations. In 2013, tax filers in rural British Columbia contributed $1.2 Billion new monies into their RRSP’s, much of that money leaving the Province and even Canada. An unintended consequence is that our money is creating significant jobs and wealth elsewhere in the world, while leaving the places we live, work and play underfinanced. Imagine how we could support the local and social economies by re-directing just 5% of this capital back to our own communities. That would amount to $60 Million each year in local impact investments. We call this diversifying our portfolios locally! This will contribute to the retention and creation of meaningful employment opportunities.
Community Investment Co-ops
Community Investment Co-op's are a new community investment tool in BC that aim to direct new, or pre-existing, investment capital from local residents into local ventures with community impact. The longer a dollar can circulate within a community, the greater its economic impact. Community Investment Co-op's are a for-profit cooperative corporation owned and governed by local residents, that serve a specific geographic region of communities.
Creston & District's Community Investment Co-op
Creston & District's Community Investment Co-op was the first CIC established in rural BC and has over 107 member/owner/investors.
Mission
The mission of Creston's Community Investment Co-op is twofold: to provide residents with a mechanism to invest directly into local businesses and projects and to assist these ventures to attain their fiscal goals.
Vision:
We envision Creston's Community Investment Co-op as a leader in rural British Columbia’s local investment sector. Community Investment Co-op's contribute to a supportive, resilient and diversified local economy by redirecting local capital into local businesses. Residents see the full social, environmental and economic impacts of their investments growing at home, businesses have access to an additional source of capital, and community relationships, civic pride and knowledge naturally deepen as a result.
For the past 3 years, Kootenay Employment Services (KES) led the research, development, launch and governance of Creston's Community Investment Co-op. In 2018, KES is facilitating the development and launch of several other Community Investment Co-ops throughout rural BC.
See the following website for more details:
Consultation has concluded
