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Discover CSI Month

Submitted by mike brcic on February 1, 2010 - 12:55pm

February is Discover CSI Month at the Centre for Social Innovation. We've got lots of free stuff going on, including free workshops, speakers, tours, our first ever Open House and Talent Night, and more!

In addition, we're also offering free meeting space and a great deal on Hot Desks. We'll be updating the website with lots of events and goings-on, so come back often and sign up for our semimonthly Innovators Update (at right) to keep informed!

SE Series: The What and Where of Social Enterprise in Canada

Submitted by Tonya Surman on May 15, 2009 - 11:12am

Since opening in 2004, the Centre for Social Innovation has focused on catalyzing, supporting and inspiring social innovation. There is no doubt in my mind that social enterprise and social finance fall squarely within this realm.

CSI in the News!

Submitted by Eli Malinsky on January 18, 2008 - 9:53am

We've been waiting a long time for a bit of media attention and we're thrilled that The Toronto Star published a fantastic article about CSI in today's paper. Special thanks to Carol Goar for her keen interest and enthusiastic reporting of our work.

$2 trillion of private investments flowing into the global green economy

Submitted by Eli Malinsky on February 17, 2011 - 6:49pm

CSI Member Strategic Sustainable Investments has just completed research on behalf of Ethical Markets Media for their February 2011 Green Transition Scorecard. The Scorecard has been tracking private investments since 2007 in green companies and technologies globally, now totaling more than $2 trillion.

This is astonishing growth in an emerging sector and seems by all accounts to be just the tip of the iceberg.

Shared Values - The Next Big Idea

Submitted by Tonya Surman on January 24, 2011 - 6:40am

Perhaps an old concept for many of us, this article in the Harvard Business Review, "Shared Values" by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer may be a defining moment in the transformation of thinking about capitalism.

'Business Makes Push for Charity Innovation' in the Globe

Submitted by Tonya Surman on January 23, 2011 - 3:45pm

It was a delight to see mention of Community Bonds in the Globe and Mail this week in their article about social finance. It is pretty darned exciting to see people talking about the different ways that we might use social finance to change the world.Very exciting indeed.... hey Ontario! Are you listening? Just think of what we could do together?

 

Awesome TO launches: What DIY Social Innovation Looks Like

Submitted by Tonya Surman on January 23, 2011 - 3:36pm

$1000 cash to do something AWESOME! That is the idea behind the Awesome Foundation TO.  This week #awesometo launched and is already the talk of the town.

What is the Awesome Foundation? Here is how Wired Mag describes it...

“The Awesome Foundation is an ever-growing, worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of awesomeness in the universe.

Many Happy Returns - Community Bonds in NOW magazine

Submitted by Tonya Surman on January 21, 2011 - 2:15pm

NOW Magazine's editor (and one of our amazing Board Members) Alice Klein writes about the growth of social impact investing in her article Many Happy Returns. In it, she profiles CSI's Community Bond offering.

And today, we discoverd that we have met our $2million investment target and are now selling Community Bonds to buy out the bank... yupp... you heard. We are seriously keen on having the community buy out the bank so that we are writing cheques to all of you. Pretty cool huh?

 

Social Change, Courtesy Wal-Mart

Submitted by Eli Malinsky on January 21, 2011 - 10:21am

Evil evil Wal-Mart. Crushes the competition, strong-arms its suppliers and perpetuates a consumerist monoculture. What does Wal-Mart have to do with social change - at least, 'positive' social change?

Well, it turns out that Wal-Mart has just announced a five-year plan "to cut prices on healthy food and press its suppliers to cut back on sodium, sugar and trans fats in their packaged products."

My guess is that this change - if they stick to it - will do more to counter the rise of obesity than any government program.

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