Supporter spotlight: The Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon's shared purpose in Windmill community bonds

For the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon, investing in Windmill Microlending comes from a simple yet powerful belief: when one person is supported, the impact doesn’t stop with them. It extends into the wider community.

Since 2022, Chagnon has been a key investor in Windmill’s Community Bond. Through this investment, the Foundation puts its capital directly toward long-term initiatives that generate social impact alongside modest financial returns. It is an investment in people that, over time, helps build a more equitable, resilient and mobilized society.

The Foundation is dedicated to preventing poverty and all other forms of inequity, so that all children and young people can develop their full potential. Recognizing that a child’s future is fundamentally inseparable from their family’s present, Chagnon’s approach to preventing poverty extends beyond traditional youth programming. It is primarily aimed at supporting efforts to address the root causes and systems responsible for the creation and persistence of poverty and inequities

As Jérôme Lacasse, the Foundation’s Director of Social Finance, explains, “Helping children develop their full potential starts with their parents being able to improve their conditions, whether it is employment prospects or salary.”

Lacasse describes it as a “trickle-down” effect within families. “If parents reach their full potential, it trickles down to their children through better housing, better food and more quality time together.”

Windmill addresses a challenge that often goes unseen. Every year, thousands of skilled newcomers arrive in Canada with years of experience, only to find their potential stalled by the high cost of Canadian reaccreditation. By providing an affordable loan and wrap-around career support, Windmill helps newcomers restart their careers and build a brighter future.

As Canada grapples with an aging population and thinning workforce, the stakes extend beyond individual needs. Integrating skilled newcomers into their professions plays an important role in Canada’s long-term economic and social resilience. When we support a newcomers’ journey early-on, the impact ripples outward: families find stability, communities become more inclusive and Canada takes a meaningful step towards breaking cycles of intergenerational disadvantage.

For the Foundation, impact investing is far more than an alternative funding model; it is a catalyst for rethinking how capital can drive change. By expanding this approach, Chagnon helps mission-driven organizations access the vital resources they need to deepen their human impact, secure long-term sustainability and fuel lasting social innovation.

Their support of Windmill Community Bonds reflects this philosophy in action. They view Windmill as a practical, scalable powerhouse within the broader social finance ecosystem.

Looking ahead, Chagnon envisions these bonds as a bridge to welcome more investors into the space, redefining how capital can serve the common good.

As Élyse Vigneault, Senior Analyst of Social Finance, explains, “Investing can go hand in hand with social impact.”

By proving that financial returns and social progress are intertwined, the Foundation aims to inspire a shift across the landscape—encouraging more institutions to invest their resources into strengthening communities and cultivating long-term resilience.