The Community Investment Summit is a pan-Canadian gathering focused on community finance and the role that locally rooted capital can play in building stronger, more resilient communities. It brings together community finance organizations, funders, investors, social purpose organizations, community leaders and other ecosystem partners to share knowledge, build connections and advance community-led approaches to investment.

The Summit is being held to strengthen Canada's community finance ecosystem and explore how capital can better serve communities. Its goals include connecting organizations across the country, sharing knowledge and practical experience, developing a coordinated policy agenda, and showcasing community investment opportunities.

The Summit is intended for people and organizations involved in community finance and community-led development, including community finance organizations, funders, investors, social purpose organizations, community connectors and ecosystem partners. It is also relevant to people working in areas such as affordable housing, clean energy, community ownership, Indigenous-led investment, local economic development and impact investing.

The Community Investment Summit will take place in Ottawa on April 5 and 6, 2027. Join the waitlist to see the full program when it's announced.

Community investment is an approach to financing in which people and organizations invest capital in projects, businesses or assets that create benefits for the communities where they live and work. Unlike traditional investment models that may focus primarily on financial returns, community investment can combine financial returns with social, environmental and local economic benefits.

Community investment can support projects such as affordable housing, renewable energy, community facilities, local businesses and other assets that strengthen communities.

Community capital is money that is raised and invested to support community-led projects and organizations. One example is a community bond: a charity, non-profit or co-operative issues bonds that community members and other investors can purchase. The organization uses the investment to finance its project and repays investors over time, typically with interest.

In this way, community capital can turn relationships and community support into financial resources while giving investors an opportunity to put their money toward projects they care about.

The two Summits are distinct but address complementary parts of Canada's investment landscape. The federal Canada Investment Summit is focused on attracting global investment into Canada and advancing major investment opportunities. The Community Investment Summit focuses on how communities, local investors, social purpose organizations and community finance institutions can mobilize capital from the ground up.

Together, these conversations point to a broader question: how can Canada attract investment while also ensuring that communities have opportunities to participate in, benefit from and help shape economic development?

Communities can help identify local priorities, develop projects, mobilize local capital and create partnerships that make investment work for people and place. Community finance can also help direct capital toward projects and organizations that may be underserved by conventional financial institutions.

Canada's current investment strategy emphasizes nation-building, infrastructure, economic resilience and investment across the country. Community-led investment can complement those priorities by strengthening local ownership, economic participation and community resilience.