Social Impact Investment Taskforce

On June 8, 2015, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, delivered a keynote address to members of the Social Impact Investment Taskforce, who are meeting for the first time in Canada. The event was held at the MaRS Discovery District, in Toronto. In his speech, the Governor General addressed the growing momentum behind social finance in Canada right now and how our nation can be a global leader. He also talked about the important role foundations can play in the impact investment space.

Following his address, His Excellency participated in a question period with the audience. In June 2013, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron and then-Chair of the G8, launched an independent taskforce with the objective of reporting on “catalyzing a global market in impact investment” in order to improve society. The Taskforce comprises 22 people, including one government official and one representative of the social or private sector from seven countries and the European Union, as well as one observer from Australia. To inform the work of the Taskforce, there are also eight National Advisory Boards and four International Working Groups to address the challenges of measuring impact, asset allocation, mission in business and international development.

"Measurement is one of the keys to our success. Measuring a financial return is straightforward enough, but we also have to be able to demonstrate how the stated goals of an investee translate into a measurable social impact. And that’s a challenge, because social, environmental and cultural goods can be difficult to quantify," said His Excellency.