Impact organizations and social enterprises are designed to solve today’s challenges. They put the mission and mandate at the core of the work they do, are grounded in community, and benefit from the goodwill of many. Many are decades old, with considerable track records of impact with steady operations and leadership. They come in all incorporation structures, using blended governance to achieve their goals. And they face barriers to accessing financing, for a number of reasons:

• Lack of collateral or personal guarantee
• Blended revenues are not well understood
• Outdated myth that sees impact as ‘risky’ (not true!)
• Risk-averse governance models

However, more and more impact organizations are developing steady revenue streams and innovative social enterprises are taking root. With thousands of such organizations in British Columbia that fit Thrive Impact Fund’s target investee profile, the Fund works with impact investors to address untapped opportunities in this under-capitalized market.

Let’s talk ‘non-profit.’ ‘Non-profit’ is a legal term that describes a specific incorporation type. It is not a restriction on revenue generation or profits. The key difference is that non-profits can not pay profits out to shareholders as there are no shares to hold. Their profits must be redirected back into their operational expenses and achieving their mission and mandate for the well-being of the community. Charities are similar.

We respectfully acknowledge that the offices of the Thrive Impact Fund are located on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples, now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.