Achieving Impact! 2015 – Community Investment in Canada

Sep 29, 2015 6:45 PM ET

TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2015 /3BL Media/– In 2014, 36 LBG Canada companies invested $428 million dollars in community. When including funds leveraged from external stakeholders, this total increases to $551 million dollars. Over the course of the next two days, 65 community investment professionals will gather at the RBC Centre for Achieving Impact! 2015, the annual national conference for LBG Canada.

Hosted by the RBC Foundation, this will is an opportunity for the network to connect with peers from across the country, explore emerging trends, and discuss different approaches to maximize value - for the community, employees, and business. This year’s conference boasts an impressive lineup of speakers, from the LBG Canada network, government, and leading experts in community investment, engagement and public consultation sectors.

In addition to moderated panels and keynote speakers, SiMPACT Strategy Group will continue its consultation on the LBG Canada Gold Standard in Community Investment. This standard seeks to uphold LBG Canada Principles in order to set the highest standard in community investment management, performance measurement and reporting in Canada.

This meeting marks an opportunity for the LBG Canada network to celebrate its successes from the 2015 benchmarking cycle, as the 2015 audit results are announced. The $428 million invested in community by LBG Canada companies was composed of 76% cash investments, 14% in-kind contributions, 1% employee volunteering time during-working hours, and 9% program management costs. This on average was an investment of $1,217 per employee.

In addition to the 20% of LBG Canada network employees who participated in during-working hours volunteering, companies saw 11% participation in non-working hours volunteering programs.

Founded in 2005, LBG Canada is part of a growing international network that audits, measures, and manages community investment.  Over 300 companies around the world, including 36 from Canada, use the LBG framework to achieve superior standards in community investment.