Key Messages for Meetings with MPs
- In 2018, the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group released its report, Inclusive Innovation: New Ideas and New Partnerships for Stronger Communities.
- This comprehensive report contains 12 key recommendations that would help communities tackle their toughest social and environmental challenges through social enterprise skill development, social procurement, unlocking private capital, increasing market access, and regulatory changes.
- The federal government has already committed to developing a Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy and, in 2018, announced a $755M Social Finance Fund and $50M Investment Readiness Program.
- BUT, the Social Finance Fund has yet to be rolled out; after a very successful 2-year pilot, the Investment Readiness Program is set to expire in March 2021; and there has been little action on the remaining recommendations.
- A Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy would enable social innovation and social enterprise in our riding, such the work that our organization has been doing. (Here you can talk about your work in developing social enterprise, thinking outside the box to solve local social or environmental problems, spurring community economic development, etc. – in other words, your social innovation work! If you like, you can also talk about other local examples – click here to find a list of examples sorted by riding.)
- Minister Hussen and Minister Freeland hold the keys to moving this forward. The pieces are all in place, they just need to make it happen.
- ASK THEM TO write to Minister Hussen and Minister Freeland asking for Social Enterprise, Social Innovation, and Social Finance to be central features in the Government of Canada’s post-COVID economic recovery, through:
- the acceleration of the Social Finance Fund ($400 million of the $755 million immediately),
- the expansion of the Investment Readiness Program into an ongoing program ($100 million per year),
- additional investment into nationally-focused social innovation clusters in key impact areas, and
- implementation of the 12 recommendations of the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group.
- PROVIDE THEM WITH the template letter to make it easier for them to write to Ministers Hussen and Freeland.
- IF YOUR MP IS LIBERAL, ENCOURAGE THEM to join the Liberal Social Innovation Caucus, co-chaired by Ryan Turnbull and Lloyd Longfield.
- THANK THEM for their time!