Dragonfly Ventures uses a creative, holistic, and integrated approach to bring our vision, mission, and values to life.

Our Approach

We use an integrated capital approach, starting with building relationships with individuals, communities, companies and other entities working on solutions within our focus areas.

After careful consideration on mutual alignment, we work in partnership to identify the financial and non-financial tools best suited to meet our shared goals. We lean on creativity and flexibility, which has included direct private investments, community and impact bonds and funds, charitable giving, positive and negative public investment screening, shareholder advocacy, proxy voting, sponsorships, convening, and collaborative capacity building. Understanding the unique nature of our work and the ever-changing landscape of our planet and society, we strive to push back against typical narratives and practices in the philanthropic and investment space to allow flexibility to respond to emerging needs. 

Mission Asset Classes

To centre our mission and move away from an exclusively financially minded approach, we have created our own asset classes that are organized around alignment with our mission.

Our internal classification system embraces fluidity within and between the classes as companies and organizations evolve. Our mission asset classes consider the following attributes: 

  • Alignment with our mission, vision, values, and focus areas including internal operations, supply chain, products, and services

  • Expectation around financial return

  • Convention versus disruption: Is the work upholding conventional practices or are they reviving or creating new ones?

  • Nurture

    Alignment with vision, mission, values, and our focus areas is the first priority, ahead of capital preservation and financial return. If a financial return occurs, it is evaluated in the context of equity and fairness for all stakeholders including the earth. These efforts are disrupting conventional tools and practices to reimagine what’s possible.

  • Hybrid

    A combination of alignment with our vision, mission, values, and focus areas together with an expectation of some financial return. These investments typically use conventional tools but approach them from less conventional perspectives.

  • Harvest

    More conventional approaches that we know are largely imperfect while also being increasingly influenced by public demand for improved ESG practices. We achieve alignment with our mission through layering other tools like screening and shareholder advocacy.

Toxic Elimination

We support solutions designed to limit, reduce, and eventually eliminate the pervasiveness of harmful human-contrived toxic chemicals. Specific priorities include: 

  • Advocacy for policy frameworks and enforced legal standards that take a precautionary approach

  • Community-led efforts addressing immediate toxic threats impacting human and environmental health

  • Bringing safe alternatives to the forefront to replace their toxic counterparts

  • Improving public understanding of the deadly impact of toxic substances

  • Ensuring all people living in Canada have equitable access to a toxic-free life

Restorative Finance

We prioritize support of women, Black, Indigenous, and people of colour led and serving entities, knowing that access to capital for these communities remains inequitable.

While we are focused on supporting efforts that contribute to our other priority areas, we know that communities are best positioned to identify the needs of their people and environments. As a result, we remain flexible and trust in the wisdom of community.

In addition to the focus areas above, we continue to make space for passive engagement in climate resilience, land and soil health, sustainable food, and freshwater conservation, knowing they are all connected.

Considerations for Support

In addition to alignment with the focus areas above, we carefully consider the following when reviewing opportunities for support: 

  • Filling crucial gaps that help companies and organizations go from good to great.

  • Community-led and informed approaches that affect change and build trust. 

  • Strong and decisive action to address equity and justice internally and systemically.

  • Emerging, innovative leadership that reflects diverse ways of knowing and being. 

  • Experimentation and ongoing learning to build from mistakes and spark innovation. 

  • Collaborations where leaders and communities work together to tackle ambitious goals. 

  • Prioritizing those far along in their equity journey, with deep connections to land, spirit, and community.

  • Prioritizing emotional health and wellbeing of engaged community members and staff to reduce overwhelm and avoid burnout.

The Dragonfly Fund

To facilitate our charitable activities and granting as part of our commitment to an integrated approach, Dragonfly Ventures established its own foundation in 2022, The Dragonfly Fund.

The work of our foundation builds on granting activity from 2009-2022 using a donor-advised fund with MakeWay. During this period, MakeWay provided valuable advisory and administrative services, laying the foundation for this important work. The creation of our own foundation allows us to engage more deeply and build direct relationships to advance our broader work.


This work is guided by the Social Justices Principles of Philanthropy and ongoing learning through reciprocal relationships.