As part of The Christensen Fund’s pledge to provide catalytic capital for projects that can have a transformative impact for Indigenous communities, we have committed $2 million over a seven year term to support the Raven Indigenous Outcomes Fund (RIOF.) The RIOF is founded by and for Indigenous communities. It is a first of-its-kind Indigenous-led fund of $50M CAD ($37.5M USD) dedicated to Indigenous outcomes-based financing deals, otherwise known as pay-for-success projects or pay-for-performance projects.
With their Indigenous Outcomes Fund, Raven has developed a strong pathway model for meeting their Community Development Outcome Contracts goals. This begins with Indigenous community-initiated calls for solutions, community leader engagement, demonstrated management capacity, and a process of defining the feasibility and clarity of a pathway to solutions.
At the heart of their approach to creating new and inclusive financing structures is The Solutions Lab. The Solutions Lab convenes Indigenous leaders such as elders, Chief, Council, and members of the target beneficiary demographic. The convening employs community learning to build trust-based relationships inclusive of Indigenous protocols and ceremony. Here, the participants co-design outcome measures and metrics with a focus on both governance and operational leadership as key to success and reducing leadership risk.
Raven’s work is innovative and impactful for First Nations and Indigenous Peoples globally. By harnessing their financial acumen and trust as well as engaging in deep collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, Raven has reduced the risk for investors seeking positive outcomes in communities considered too risky for investment of any type beyond grant funding. The return on investment is positive, the social and economic impacts are significant and align with The Christensen Fund’s core value of self-determined Indigenous outcomes.
IMPACT CHARITABLE
This exciting program related investment was set up with Impact Charitable, which exists to unite catalytic philanthropists, community partners, financial institutions, foundations, social enterprises, and governmental bodies. Impact Charitable helps close the gaps between the sources of impact-first capital and communities, ventures, and funds who have traditionally faced systemic barriers to accessing critical financial resources. This collaboration with Impact Charitable makes it easy for people to invest alongside us.
If you are interested in joining us in these investments, contact: cindy@impactcharitable.org or shawn@christensenfund.org
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