Harvest Impact is a community finance initiative based in Guelph-Wellington that channels impact investment, loans and grants to local food, agriculture, climate and social enterprises. It runs funding programs and challenges, such as community agriculture initiatives, to support projects in the region. View Our Food Future Guelph-Wellington, City of Guelph's website for more information.
Harvest Impact is a community-based impact fund created to expand access to capital for organizations and enterprises working on food, agriculture, climate action and community well-being in the Guelph-Wellington region. Hosted by local non-profit partners, it mobilizes community investors and public partners to provide values-aligned financing to projects that generate social, environmental and economic benefits.
Harvest Impact acts as a bridge between local changemakers that need capital and impact-minded investors who want to support the transition to more sustainable food and community systems. The initiative offers a mix of financing tools, including loans and non-repayable contributions, to support start-up, growth and innovation among social enterprises, community organizations and small businesses.
Within its portfolio, Harvest Impact collaborates on themed funding calls and challenges in Guelph-Wellington. One example is the Guelph-Wellington Community Agriculture Challenge, which invites community agriculture and food projects to apply for financial awards. Selected initiatives receive funding to expand food production, improve local food access, and strengthen resilient, low-carbon food systems.
Beyond specific challenges, Harvest Impact can support projects through tailored impact loans and complementary grants where available, often linked to broader regional strategies around food security, circular economy and climate action. Funding is typically directed to initiatives that demonstrate clear community benefit, environmental responsibility and capacity to deliver measurable impact.
The primary beneficiaries of Harvest Impact funding are social enterprises, co-operatives, non-profit organizations and mission-driven businesses located in or serving the Guelph-Wellington area. By blending community investment with grant support, the fund helps organizations test new ideas, scale effective solutions and build long-term resilience in the local food and agriculture ecosystem.
Overall, Harvest Impact contributes to a growing ecosystem of community finance, supporting multiple funding programs, challenges and impact investments each year that advance sustainable agriculture, inclusive economies and community well-being.