Mission
Reducing Poverty Through Community-Owned Business
Community Ownership Solutions exists to support, enhance, and transform the Social Enterprise economy in Canada. Working with pre-qualified affiliated organizations, Community Ownership Solutions provides a unique avenue for philanthropy to support poverty reduction through supportive and sustainable employment of individuals who face barriers to employment. Through COS donors are able to create positive impact in a targeted way that benefits all.
COS was founded by a small group of people working in the venture capital industry in Manitoba. Following extensive consultations and planning with a set of North American business and community development professionals, COS was formally established in 1999. At this time COS became Canada’s first registered charity using a focus on market-based business models to achieve social outcomes in poverty reduction and high quality employment.