Advisors and Coaches
What you need to know about community bonds.
A few figures*
57
The number of community bond issuances in Quebec
16,2 M$
The total amount issued in Quebec
5M$
The amount of the largest among them
0% à 6%
The most commonly charged interest rates
*March 31th, 2026
Why issue community bonds?
Review the benefits and limits of community bonds
Before you start, the right questions to ask yourself
Are community bonds a good option for the organization you are supporting? To help you clarify its objectives and to draw up an inventory of the prerequisites and to validate whether community bonds are a fit, L’ampli has developed a complete self-diagnostic test that you can suggest to the organization. Discussing the test’s results can be particularly useful for your support.
One issuance, 5 key steps
In this step, don't forget to inform the enterprise about the benefits of the L’ampli fund
Inform and plan
At each stage of the issuance process, the role of the accompanying person is decisive. Bonds are an innovative but demanding financial tool.
- The enterprise must understand the specificities of this tool, in particular the legal framework in which it is based.
The legal framework of obligations: taking stock of duties and responsibilities
- You can invite the enterprise to take the self-diagnostic test to ensure that they have all the prerequisites.
- In this step, don’t forget to inform the enterprise about the benefits of the L’ampli Fund.
Planning:
- A community bond issuance can take anywhere from 3 to 12 months, depending on the campaign’s size and complexity. It is useful for the company to have a realistic roadmap that includes the steps, tasks, a timeline, a budget and the human resources allocated to the campaign.
A useful roadmap to guide the organization in its planning
Some guidelines for good practice
How to choose your sales period
Design
1. Determine the issuance conditions
- The total amount issued and the bonds’ characteristics (term, rate, nominal amount, etc.: in other words, the issuance conditions) are determined depending on
- the campaign’s objectives;
- the needs related to the project’s delivery and the financial capacity of the organization (its long-term ability to repay the community);
- the community’s profile and expectations (e.g. financial capacity, ability to manage risk, etc.);
- the expectations and contribution of the project’s various partners
Learn more about the issuance conditions
2. Build the Investor Kit
This is the key element of the campaign that must be given to any subscriber. It includes:
- the backgrounder;
- the issuance conditions summary;
- the application form;
- the certificate of obligations.
Even if the NPO is exempt from filing a prospectus, the potential investor must be able to make an informed decision about his or her investment. The toolkit provides all information useful to them (including the characteristics of the bonds and the associated risks).
Learn more about the Investor Toolkit
3. Develop your management tools
To facilitate managing the bonds, especially in the case of a large-scale issue, it is important to create of management tools which:
- maintain the bondholders register;
- anticipate the method of payment;
- maintain information (virtually and on paper).
4. Think about your mobilization strategy and equip yourself with communication tools
Issue
The time has come to issue the bonds! The sales period may last a few weeks. It is then a question of mobilizing the team and the enterprise’s supporters, disseminating the tools and making the managers available to answer questions.
Administrators and partners must be aware that they can have a strong effect on the campaign’s success. The end of the sales period marks the end of the process and is not to be neglected.
Manage
The enterprise must maintain contact with its investors until the bonds mature. It will be responsible for keeping them informed of the use of funds and the progress of the project, maintaining the bond register and planning repayment.
What should be done during the bonds’ lifespan? A few suggestions
Repay
Successful community bond issuance is not only about successfully selling your bonds, it is also about successfully repaying them in the long term. An exit and repayment strategy must be adopted.
It is also possible to consider renewing the bonds with interested bondholders.
5 Takeaway Steps
To print or download all the information on these 5 key moments, consult free booklet 3 of the program guide produced by the TIESS.
Browse the booklet dedicated to the process of issuing community bonds
Good practices to adopt
Community bonds are a powerful mobilization and financing tool for social economy enterprises. Their use requires caution and patience. To ensure that the bond of trust between the organization and its community is maintained, as well as to avoid mistakes and preserve the organization’s reputation, it must be vigilant and rigorous at all stages of the process.
Here are some best practices that can be shared with the companies you support.
They did it!
Successes and failures: local companies tell the story of their community bond issuance.