About CAFIID

Canada Forum for Impact Investment and Development (CAFIID) is a community of individuals, organizations and investors who treat positive social and environmental impact and financial return as coexisting priorities.

CAFIID members combine many years of collaboration and engagement with a track record of innovation in structuring and funding impact investment products, designing and delivering technical assistance, and promoting sustainable investment ecosystems in emerging and frontier economies.

Strategy Team and Governance History

Mission

CAFIID Mission logo mountain with flag

To strengthen Canada’s contribution to global impact investing by connecting, sharing knowledge and advocating in Canada and internationally

Vision

CAFIID Vision logo eye

A more equitable and sustainable world through global impact investing.

2024 - 2026 Strategic Priorities

Education and Thought Leadership

  • Through its knowledge products, CAFIID helps raise the profile and awareness of impact investment and contributes to the continuous improvement of both its members and the ecosystem as a whole.

  • By driving its thought leadership CAFIID contributes to the ongoing evolution of best impact investment practices and their understanding across all practitioners and observers, in Canada and beyond.

  • CAFIID uses a variety of channels and tools to disseminate valuable data and information that contribute to creating a better understanding of impact investment and of its target markets.

Convening and Connecting

Directly or in partnership, CAFIID creates opportunities for members to meet, learn from each other, engage in concrete business collaboration, thereby contributing to greater cohesiveness and effectiveness of the sector.

Field-Building

  • CAFIID leverages its international network and expertise to contribute to the strengthening of the impact investment sector in Canada.

  • CAFIID enhances the profile of Canada as a global player, builds two-way bridges between Canada and international markets and helps identify business opportunities.

  • CAFIID contributes its expertise, network and firsthand experience to the development of a favourable, enabling environment for impact investment in Canada and beyond.

Team and Governance 

Board of Directors

Lindsay Wallace | Chair
MEDA

Patrick Hergt | Vice - Chair
Sarona Asset Management

Sabina Bharwarni | Treasurer
iDE Canada

Carolyn Burns | Secretary
Individual Member

Rubelyn Alcantara | Director
Individual Member

Robert BW.png

Robert Cheberiak | Director
DID

Marie-Claude Bourgie | Director
Baastel

Stephanie Emond | Director
FinDev Canada

Michel Brutti | Director
Clear Skies Investment

Geoff Moore | Director
ImpactAND

Brian Carrière| Director
Colleges and Institutes Canada

Supporting staff

Membership Engagement Commitee (MEC)

Create programs and services that meet and advance the needs of members and CAFIID

Team

Naomi Gichungu | Chair
Sila Agiroglu 
Sabina Bharwani
Abdelçamad Mahamat
Alicia Maitland
Katie Turner

Business Development Commitee (BDC)

Increasing and diversifying revenue sources

Team

Marie-Claude Bourgie | Co-Chair
Stéphanie Émond | Co-Chair
Rubelyn Alcantara
Ebenezer Arthur
Michel Brutti
Robert Cheberiak
Chris Clubb
Patrick Hergt
Sebastian Landau Menthonnex
Jason Sukhram

Thought Leadership Committee (TLC)

Creating opportunities to exchange best practices and strategies and act as a collective voice

Team

Sheimaa Ahmed
Brian Carriere
Carolyn Burns
Abhinav Jain
Kristina Kuznetsova
Geoff Moore
Jennifer E. Morales
Yashel Oliva
Lindsay Wallace

Gender Lens Investing Community of Practice

Steering Committee

Sabina Bharwani - iDE Canada
Carolyn Burns - Independent Consultant
Narinder Dhami - New Power Labs
Rachel Murphy - Deetken Impact
Carolina Robino, IDRC
Katie Turner - Gender Lens Investing Consultant

Impact Measurement and Management Community of Practice

Steering Committee

Brian Carriere - Colleges and Institutes Canada
Noura Kamel - MarketShare Associates
Sarah Nielsen - Relativ Impact
Joanne Norris
Emiko Savic - Social Capital Partners
Jason Sukhram
Alyna Wyatt

Board Members and Members of CAFIID Committees are committed to observing and promoting the highest standards of ethical conduct in the performance of their responsibilities on the Committees.

Board and Committee Members pledge to accept the CAFIID Code of Ethics as a minimum guideline for ethical conduct.

History

The Canada Forum for Impact Investment and Development (CAFIID) was established by MEDA in the summer of 2014. CAFIID rapidly gained support of industry stakeholders – including senior representatives of impact investment funds, non-governmental organizations, foundations, family offices, consulting firms, research institutions and businesses – who wished to offer a collective voice in support of transformative development finance mechanisms.

Early activities involved regular meetings at events such as the Social Finance Forum (SFF), hosting of public forums, development of marketing materials, awareness raising and advocacy with the government of Canada, and growth of the network itself.

In 2016, with momentum building and the support of network members, members decided to formalize the association by setting up a steering committee and working groups and move to the next stage of its development. CAFIID became a registered Canadian non-profit organization in August 2017 and elected its first board in September 2017.