June 30, 2025
Key Takeaways from the 2025 Social Finance Forum
The 2025 Social Finance Forum brought together a diverse community of 500+ investors, philanthropists, community leaders, entrepreneurs and enablers working to grow Canada’s economic systems with purpose. Held in Toronto in mid-June, the Forum served as a powerful reminder that there remains a strong and growing commitment to advancing positive social and environmental outcomes related to Indigenous reconciliation, equity, climate, food and housing through finance, even in a complex economic and political landscape. It also underscored the importance of mobilizing institutional and philanthropic capital, embedding measurement, formalizing accountability and modernizing mainstream finance.
Here are our five takeaways from the Forum:
1. Foundations and Endowments are Aligning Investments with their Missions
Several speakers emphasized the potential for endowments and foundations to align their investments with their charitable missions. Community Foundations of Canada published a report in 2020 noting that Canadian foundations held approximately CAD 123 bn in assets, most of which are invested traditionally without consideration for environmental or social outcomes.[1] These organizations are now beginning to align their investment portfolios with their philanthropic values, prioritizing investments may contradict their mission. This shift is being driven by growing expectations for alignment and new opportunities to invest in line with mission values.
2. Impact Measurement Lends Credibility to Progress
Impact measurement and management (IM+M) is the practice of measuring, analyzing and reporting on social and environmental investment to demonstrate progress toward stated impact objectives and an overarching theory of change. Increased sophistication and tech-enabled data tools are advancing IM+M practices across the industry, but there are still lessons to be learned.
Samuel Vionnet, CEO of Valuing Impact, reminded participants that “some data is better than no data,” underscoring that impact measurement is a journey. Stakeholders must data collection and use transparent methods with clearly stated assumptions. While data may not always be complete or perfect, clarity and integrity in how it is gathered, analyzed and communicated are essential for credibility, decision-making and continuous improvement.
3. Momentum is Building for Institutional Impact Capital
Speakers noted that Canadian pension funds collectively manage over CAD 2.5 tn in assets, with approximately 38 percent currently invested domestically.[2] The allocation toward Canadian investments has gradually decreased over time, prompting discussion about reversing this trend.
Speakers and participants emphasized this as a pivotal moment in influencing how institutional capital is allocated toward impact. In alignment with their fiduciary duty, pension funds are being encouraged to consider how generating positive social and environmental outcomes alongside targeted financial returns can contribute to Canada’s economic growth and prosperity. Redirecting even a portion of this capital toward impact investing could have a significant influence on nation-building priorities.
4. Broadening Risk Management to Drive Resilience
Speakers agreed that traditional investment approaches focused solely on financial risk are no longer sufficient. Integrating material environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks, particularly physical and transition-related climate risks, is critical for long-term value protection. As Julie Segal, Senior Manager of Climate Finance at Environmental Defence, noted, “The more we decarbonize, the more we increase resilience.”
While ESG integration helps mitigate risk, impact investing goes further by aiming to address systemic challenges through positive social and environmental outcomes. Frameworks such as the Operating Principles for Impact Management, particularly Principle 5, require investors to assess and manage the potential negative impacts of each investment, which reflects a more comprehensive approach to risk management.
5. Collaboration is Essential to Scaling Impact
A strong sense of shared purpose was evident throughout the Forum. Speakers and participants emphasized that advancing impact requires cross-sector collaboration, shared learning and coordinated action to simplify complexity and build on past efforts.
A compelling example is SCALED (Scaling Capital for Sustainable Development), a new initiative by public and private institutions including Canada, Germany, the UK, CDPQ, and Allianz. SCALED aims to overcome structural barriers in blended finance by standardizing investment vehicles and streamlining capital formation. It plans to mobilize several billions of USD for sustainable development over the next decade by launching two to three investment vehicles per year targeting high-impact projects in emerging markets.
Despite global uncertainty, the drive to collaborate on initiatives that will direct capital toward real-world outcomes in Canada is gaining traction. The challenge now is to turn intention into action.
At Quinn+Partners, we advise leading asset owners and asset managers on building and advancing their impact investing strategies and processes. If you are interested in learning more, please get in touch.