FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH: UNA TERRA • VANCITY • SPRING ACTIVATOR • COAST CAPITAL SAVINGS • FORESIGHT CANADA • BLACK OPPORTUNITY FUND • HARVEST IMPACT • CIRCULAR OPPORTUNITY INNOVATION LAUNCHPAD | OUR FOOD FUTURE A GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE IS UNDERWAY From accelerating the circular economy to strengthening and supporting underrepresented communities, these featured organizations are demonstrating what’s possible when financial capital and investment acumen align with a clear commitment to building a better world FORCE FOR GOOD CAPITAL AS A February 2023,Issue 04 MAGAZINETogether, let’s create content to make the world better. Get in touch with us here: sparxpg.com Do you want to build a better world? Marketing can make it happen.Visit our website to find out how Sparx Publishing Group makes the world better, and stay up to date on our latest partner- ships and initiatives. Plus, get in touch for future projects: sparxpg.com/make-the- world-better 16 VANCITY Imagining the world of financial services through an impact lens 36 BLACK OPPORTUNITY FUND Dismantling the impacts of anti-Black racism 12 SPRING ACTIVATOR Springboarding impact through values-aligned capital 32 FORESIGHT CANADA Accelerating Canada’s cleantech ecosystem to win the net-zero race Sparx would like to acknowledge that Vancouver is on traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples– Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)Nations. CONTENTS 6 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 8 MIND THE VALUE- ACTION GAP: HOW REFRAMING CONSUMERS AS INVESTORS CAN IMPROVE MARKETING RESULTS FOR PURPOSE-DRIVEN BRANDS Providing a fresh approach that will enable consumers to invest in more purpose-driven purchases 4 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINEFebruary 2023, Issue 4 PUBLISHER Sparx Publishing Group Inc. sparxpg.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hamish Khamisa EDITORS Libby Shabada Michelle Baleka ART DIRECTOR Elisabeth Choi PROJECT MANAGER Alexandra Nikitina CONTRIBUTORS Black Opportunity Fund Dennis Mitchell, Co-Founder & Member, Board of Directors, and Craig Wellington, Executive Director Coast Capital Savings Erin McKinley, Senior Manager, Public Relations COIL | Our Food Future Andrew Telfer, Lead, Circular Opportunity Launchpad and Development Foresight Canada Jeanette Jackson, CEO Harvest Impact Julia Grady, Executive Director Spring Activator Keith Ippel, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, and Caroline von Hirschberg, Co-CEO Una Terra Chiara Covone, COO and Founding Partner Vancity Andrea Harris, VP of Impact Strategy All photo credits to the organizations. For advertising rates and placements, please contact us at mtwb@sparxpg.com 22 HARVEST IMPACT Social finance to create a circular food future 26 COAST CAPITAL SAVINGS Unlocking financial opportunities to catalyze positive impact 40 COIL | OUR FOOD FUTURE Driving circular collaborations to achieve Canada’s net-zero targets 44 UNA TERRA Funding sustainable solutions to fight climate change We are recognized by the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council as a certified minority-owned and -led organization This issue helps advance progress on the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: FEB 2023 • ISSUE 04 5There is no question that capital can be a catalyst for getting things done. What can or should be done with capital, be it at an individual level or an institutional one, however, is at the heart of this Make The World Better Magazine issue. Almost every dimension of our lives is shaped by finance. With such a broad scope to choose from, our team was challenged to think about the different facets that could reveal where and how capital could be used for good and to provide a clear example of what that looks like in action. Remarkably, in just eight stories, it is clear that regardless of what side of the profit spectrum actions stem from, aligning capital to the intention of making the world better yields positive outcomes. In short, purpose matters. From kick-starting the next big business to providing a better model for financial services that impacts our daily lives, to levelling the economic playing field for marginalized communities and fueling community-level growth, this issue showcases stories of finance-focused organizations and companies that have chosen to embed positive, purpose-driven impact into their business DNA. Some of the companies featured in this issue like Coast Capital Savings and Vancity have a long track record of creating impact with capital, with both firms launching around the early 1940s. They offer compelling examples of the ability of financial service firms to do well financially while simultaneously prioritizing positive impact across their business models. Others, such as Una Terra, Black Opportunity Fund, and Circular Opportunity Innovation Launchpad (COIL), each of which started within the past three years, are in their infancy. Despite their young age, their scale and speed showcase the shift that is taking place in the world of impact finance. No stranger to bridging the worlds of finance and impact, firms such as Foresight Canada, Spring Activator, and Harvest Impact, also all relatively young, paint a portrait of possibility. Their respective portfolios of impact show what is possible when entrepreneurs who carry a spark to change the world are given the leadership, financial, and human resources to facilitate success. Although many solutions and conversations in impact finance require confronting multiple crises facing humanity's collective existence, it is our hope that we can shift focus away from the risks and toward the opportunities in front of us. Central to the thesis of this issue is that organizations — whether for-profit or not — do not have to choose between doing well and doing good. In fact, the greatest opportunities for long- term, sustainable impact appear to be in figuring out how to put making the world better at the centre of the business model. The good news is that for individuals or institutions, opportunities abound for positive impact. At the micro level, more choices are appearing every day in terms of where to shop and invest that are more sustainable in nature. And to those who are dreaming big, there is now more capital than ever before to catalyze turning ambitions to make the world better into reality. Hamish Khamisa Founder, Sparx Publishing Group Letter from the Editor This issue showcases stories of finance-focused organizations and companies that have chosen to embed positive, purpose-driven impact into their business DNA. Visit the Sparx blog for helpful purpose-driven marketing tips, news about individuals and organizations that are making the world better, and more. Read now: sparxpg.com/blog FOLLOW US ON: 6 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINE(Your Organization Here) Are you part of an organization that’s working to make the world better? Share your story in a future issue of our magazine! Join our mission to amplify good, boost awareness of critical issues, and inspire others. To be featured, get in touch with us here: Be featured in Make The World Better Magazine sparxpg.com/contactFOCUS ON CUSTOMER EDUCATION We’ve all heard that phrase of “voting with your dol- lar” as a way to directly align purchasing behaviour with desired outcomes. Th e problem is, it’s not that easy or simple for most people to do that. We believe that most people, given no other bar- rier, would choose to purchase a “better” option for the planet; however, aff ordability and perceived cost are genuine hurdles to being able to cast one’s vote. For example, in today’s world, environmentally sustainable products tend to require more time, eff ort, and ingenuity to make and, as such, their cost is typically higher. Th e consequence: it’s hard for these products to exist in large supply. In order to empower consumers and businesses to choose purpose-driven products and services over the “default option,” brands need to provide resources that will educate consumers about true cost. Once made aware of this information, per- ceived value will begin to shift and purchasers will be equipped to decide if a brand’s impact is really worth their investment. EXPLAIN RETURN ON INVESTMENT Th is brings us to a critical point – purpose-driven brands should consider treating their customers more like investors. Investors want to feel that the reward is greater than the risk, they want to see tangible impact, and they want to know they can trust your brand. Also, by reframing customers as investors, the end game for companies and brands shifts to ensure they’ve considered how their customers can feel invested in seeing the brand they support thrive. Aligning marketing eff orts to meet these needs and viewing customer purchases as capital to sup- port your cause will help bridge the value-action gap and create a more-deeply engaged customer base. DRAW LESSONS FROM LUXURY BRANDS Th at people are willing to pay more for one type of product relative to another, regardless of a diff erence in quality, is not new. Luxury brands, for example, have already fi gured this out. Consumers of luxury goods, such as a $4,000+ purse, spend their money because it allows them to make a statement about the vision they want to project. If purpose-driven brands follow this example and clearly communicate why their products or services are worth the premium price, it will encourage cus- tomers to invest. For instance, Patagonia has been very successful in both selling products at a high MIND THE VALUE ACTION GAP: HOW REFRAMING CONSUMERS AS INVESTORS CAN IMPROVE MARKETING RESULTS FOR PURPOSE DRIVEN BRANDS Providing a fresh approach that will enable consumers to invest in more purpose-driven purchases By Sparx Publishing Group When it comes to making purpose-driven purchases, there’s a gap that can’t be ignored. While 65% of consumers want to buy from purpose-driven brands only 26% do. To make the world better, we need to narrow this divide. So how can you empow- er more people to choose purchases that are better for the world? Here are six recommendations purpose-driven brands can incorporate into their impact marketing so customers are empowered to vote with their dollar.price point and expressing their values. Th eir customers support and participate in Patagonia’s impact by purchasing their products to the point where the Patagonia brand is now symbolic of a more conscientious purchase. COMMUNICATE THE REWARD RATHER THAN THE RISK You know what your brand’s vision for the future is, but does your audience? If there’s one important lesson to draw from investor psychology, it’s that people opt for a reason to believe in something working out. Th e key for purpose-driv- en brands is not to just talk about your product or service, but to truly market your vision for the world. If you want consumers to invest in the true cost of the product or service you’re off ering, you have to connect what you’re selling to that vision of a better world, and one very eff ective way to do this is with storytelling. When purpose-driven companies use storytelling, it proves that the reward customers receive from investing in purchases from brands are worth the risk. Th is is vital for attaining customer loyalty and gaining long-term investors, rather than short-term consumers. TOMS’ Our Story page presents a compelling narrative, which traces the company’s impact goals and accomplish- ments from 2006 to the present. Along with these highlights, it showcases their signature design and communicates tangible progress so customers can read more about their impact story. REPORT YOUR IMPACT Investors live and breathe progress re- ports – the same is true of your custom- ers. What your company or organization is doing to help improve the world has to go beyond your product or service. Your active and ongoing work to create impact needs to be documented publicly and transparently in order to provide your consumer base with the up- dates they require to continue investing. Whether you use social media, press releases, e-mail newsletters, or other doc- umentation, your steps to live out your vision can’t be taken in secret. Th ey have to be a part of your communications fl ow, ingrained into your online pres- ence, and something your audience can easily access through your website. Seventh Generation, for example, publicly presents their Climate Impact Report. Key takeaways and infographics furnish the page, along with a link to download the full report. Th ey also pub- licly share product safety data sheets. BUILD TRUST WITH THIRD PARTY RECOGNITION Deciding whether or not to make an investment requires trust. Your custom- ers don’t want to have to conduct due diligence every single time they think about making a purchase. Th at’s what makes involvement with trusted third parties so vital – it’s a quick and eff ective way to build trust. Organizations like UN Global Compact invest signifi cant resources (i.e. spend money on marketing) to inform consumers about brands that are com- mitted to reliable and higher standards of operation. Participating in initiatives like UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals proves that your brand is one that people can trust to deliver the impact you promise. People believe in the UN’s criteria and goals, and that in turn will enable them to believe in your brand. B Lab is an international network of organizations designed to lead economic systems change and to make business a force for good. Th eir B Corporation Certifi cation is awarded to companies that are dedicated to impact, demon- strating a high level of social and envi- ronmental performance, transparency, and accountability. 1% for the Planet is an initiative that was co-created by Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard, which drives environ- mental philanthropy. Companies that gain 1% for the Planet Certifi cation meet the commitment of donating 1% of their sales to environmental causes. Certifi cations such as these, along with other recognitions such as third-party partnerships, programs, initiatives, and event participation all indicate to your customers that they can trust they will have a real impact when they invest in your brand’s goods and services. It proves your brand’s commit- ment to doing good, and that commit- ment will make your customers want to commit too. The key for purpose-driven brands is not to just talk about your product or service, but to truly market your vision for the world. CONCLUSION Ultimately, we believe most people will want to shop for better items or services given the opportunity. With price still a barrier – real or perceived – reframing conscious consumers as investors helps to rethink your approach to building a long-term, sustainable, successful enterprise. The capital clients or donors bring with them is an investment in making the world better – which means tapping into what we know about investor behaviour and psychology can be an important way to help bridge the value-action gap. FEB 2023 • ISSUE 04 9Next >