The Gathering

Community economic development is often explained through the concept of the ‘leaky bucket economy’ -- where wealth and resources are pouring through holes and cracks created by economic ownership far from communities, leaving many people and helpful organizations without everything they need. Finance is a really leaky bucket. And, the financial system including banks, investments, pensions & savings funds, philanthropic funds, and other tools can be contributors to inequality and discrimination. Social finance has recently taken center stage as an innovative way of tackling these challenges. But this conversation can get stuck on particular models, like social impact bonds. It often feels really remote and complicated or just impossible to engage in when we’re so busy working in community. This session is an opportunity to join folks involved in social finance and the federal Investment Readiness Program from various perspectives. We’ll explore the potential and pitfalls for big change if we can plug this leaky bucket with community-owned models and bold social finance ideas to pour finance back into our communities.