How Impact Investing Builds Stronger Communities
Across Canada, communities are looking for more sustainable ways to grow and thrive. The answer lies in impact investing; an approach that blends financial returns with real social progress. Unlike traditional charity and conventional investing, impact investing puts capital directly into projects that strengthen communities, create jobs, and build affordable housing.
This model is reshaping how Canadians think about their role in social change. Instead of donating once or investing passively, individuals and organizations can support initiatives that generate measurable benefits for people and the planet while earning a return.
At Brique par Brique, impact investing means more than funding buildings. It means turning community care into lasting change by supporting local housing projects and infrastructure that give families security, stability, and pride. Each investment becomes a building block for stronger, more inclusive communities.
What Is Impact Investing?
At its core, impact investing is about putting money to work for both profit and purpose. Unlike traditional investments that focus only on financial returns or philanthropy that expects no return, impact investing aims for measurable social and financial outcomes. As the Global Impact Investing Network defines it, these are “investments made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social or environmental impact alongside a financial return.”
Impact investing can take many forms. It might be a loan to a social enterprise, a mortgage for a community co-op, equity in a sustainable company, or a bond issued by a non-profit.
What matters most are its defining principles:
Intentionality and Measurement: Investors set clear goals and track results, such as affordable homes built, jobs created, or emissions reduced.
Balanced Returns: Financial returns may range from below-market to market-rate, depending on the project, but always deliver blended value—earning income while driving social good.
Collaboration and Diversity: Impact investors often work with governments, communities, and businesses to scale change across diverse asset classes.
In Canada, impact investing helps align capital with values, turning savers and investors into active partners in building stronger, more inclusive communities.
How Impact Investing Strengthens Local Communities
Impact investing works at the grassroots level by meeting urgent community needs. Instead of waiting for grants or relying only on donations, communities can access new sources of capital to create lasting change. Local clinics, cooperatives, and social enterprises can borrow or attract funds through impact-driven channels to expand their services and reach more people.
According to the Global Impact Investing Network, this market offers investors diverse opportunities to generate both financial and social returns. The benefits are clear:
Meeting Local Needs: Impact investments often target areas that need help most, such as affordable housing, Indigenous businesses, and immigrant entrepreneurship.
Catalyzing Private Capital: When community projects offer returns, they attract private investors and expertise, multiplying resources available for social progress.
Encouraging Innovation: Impact investors are open to new approaches, helping social enterprises and cooperatives test ideas that can scale.
Building Relationships: Investors often engage directly with residents, building trust through open communication and shared goals.
In practice, these efforts keep money circulating locally through jobs, housing, and services, strengthening the social fabric and building long-term economic resilience across Canadian communities.
Community Bonds: Investing Directly in Change
One of Canada’s most effective impact investing tools is the community bond.
A community bond is a loan issued by a non-profit, cooperative, or charity to fund a specific project. Investors buy the bonds and receive interest payments, while the organization uses the funds to create housing, cultural spaces, or community facilities. It’s a simple yet powerful way for residents to invest directly in the places they care about.
Unlike bank loans, community bonds are owned by local people. They allow individuals to put their money to work for social good while earning a steady return.
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), community bonds can be a viable way to finance real estate and social infrastructure. Across Canada, they’ve funded everything from affordable housing to mental health facilities and arts centres.
Some recent examples include:
Brique par Brique in Montreal, which raised funds for affordable housing and a community centre through community bonds.
House of Friendship in Waterloo Region, which raised $1 million to expand addiction treatment services.
Local community hubs in Peterborough, which issued bonds to expand shared spaces and programs.
Community bonds make investing accessible. Even a modest contribution, such as a $1,000 bond, can help launch a project that transforms a neighbourhood.
Brique par Brique: Building Montreal’s Future
A leading example of impact investing in action is Brique par Brique, a non-profit in Montreal’s Parc-Extension neighbourhood. Founded in 2016, the organization builds affordable housing and community spaces for low-income and immigrant residents.
To bring its projects to life, Brique par Brique turned to community bonds, a financing model that invites residents to invest directly in their neighbourhood.
In 2018, the organization launched its first bond campaign, helping secure a contract with the provincial government to build 31 affordable housing units. It also raised funds to purchase a former school, now being transformed into a community cultural centre.
Today, Brique par Brique continues to expand its impact. Its latest bond campaign aims to raise $5 million for two new projects:
A community centre that will host arts programs, workshops, and essential services.
A second housing project designed to protect affordability as Parc-Extension continues to gentrify.
Investors who purchase Brique par Brique’s community bonds earn a stable return while helping neighbours find safe, affordable homes. It’s a simple way for people to invest in their values, to make their money work for their community.
The social impact is significant. Once complete, these housing projects will provide stable homes for more than 70 residents, many of whom are new Canadians or families facing housing challenges. The community centre will serve as a gathering place for hundreds of activities each year, from cultural events to educational programs.
By supporting Brique par Brique, investors are helping to preserve affordability, strengthen cultural life, and build community ownership.
Why Impact Investing Matters
Whether through community bonds or other social finance tools, impact investing creates a cycle of shared growth.
For investors, it means earning a return that reflects their values. Many impact portfolios in Canada now achieve competitive or market-level performance, proving that doing good doesn’t mean sacrificing profit.
For communities, it means access to reliable funding that supports long-term development — projects that create jobs, build affordable homes, and foster social inclusion.
And for society, it means more sustainable and equitable systems. By investing with intention, Canadians can help address issues like housing insecurity, climate change, and inequality from the ground up.
How You Can Get Involved
You don’t have to be a large investor to make an impact. Here are ways Canadians can participate:
Learn More: Explore organizations like the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) or CAFIID to understand how impact investing works.
Check Local Foundations: Many community foundations, such as the Toronto Foundation or Waterloo Region CF, offer local impact investing programs.
Buy Community Bonds: Support projects like Brique par Brique’s affordable housing initiatives by purchasing community bonds. Your investment will generate interest while directly improving lives in Montreal.
Choose Ethical Funds: Ask your financial advisor about ESG or socially responsible investment options that align with your values.
Invest in Co-ops: Join local co-operatives, renewable energy projects, or community-owned enterprises that reinvest profits locally.
Even small investments can make a meaningful difference. Over time, these choices add up creating stronger, more connected communities across Canada.
Build the Future You Want to See
Impact investing is more than a financial choice. It is a growing movement that uses capital to create fairer, more sustainable communities. By investing in projects that serve both people and the planet, Canadians can achieve meaningful social impact while earning steady financial returns.
At Brique par Brique, this vision is already taking shape. Through community bonds and local partnerships, we are building affordable housing, cultural spaces, and lasting opportunities for everyone to thrive.
Your investment can make a difference. Join us in shaping a stronger, more inclusive Montreal. Learn more about our community bond campaigns and see how you can help turn shared values into real progress.
FAQs
1. What makes impact investing different from traditional investing?
Impact investing focuses on generating measurable social and environmental benefits alongside financial returns. While traditional investing aims solely for profit, impact investing measures success through outcomes like affordable homes built, jobs created, or carbon emissions reduced.
2. How does impact investing strengthen local communities?
By funding projects such as affordable housing, social enterprises, and community hubs, impact investing keeps capital circulating locally. This supports job creation, improves access to essential services, and builds long-term economic and social resilience within Canadian communities.
3. What are community bonds, and how do they work?
Community bonds are loans issued by non-profits or cooperatives to fund projects with social impact. Investors earn a fixed return while their money helps create affordable housing or cultural spaces. For example, Brique par Brique’s community bonds directly finance affordable homes and community centres in Montreal.
4. How can Canadians start investing for impact?
Canadians can get involved by purchasing community bonds, joining local co-operatives, or choosing ethical investment funds through their financial advisors. Even modest contributions can drive real change when invested in community-led initiatives like those supported by Brique par Brique.
TL;DR: How Impact Investing Builds Stronger Communities
Impact investing empowers Canadians to use their money for both profit and purpose. Instead of donating or investing passively, individuals can fund projects that strengthen communities, create jobs, and build affordable housing. Organizations like Brique par Brique in Montreal are proving that financial returns and social good can go hand in hand. Through community bonds, they give residents a direct way to invest in local housing and cultural spaces, helping create lasting change, one brick at a time.
