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"Impact investing can be broadly defined as investments aimed at solving social or environmental challenges while generating financial return. Examples of impact investing include community investing, where capital is specifically directed to traditionally underserved individuals or communities, or financing that is provided to businesses with a social purpose or to enterprising (i.e. revenue-generating) non-profits.  According to data collected by the Canadian Social Investment Organization (SIO) there is a total of $4.45 billion  in impact investing assets in Canada, a dramatic increase from $1.4 billion in 2008. While there has certainly been growth over the last two years in particular segments of the impact investing industry, a significant reason for the large increase in assets is that the SIO was able to capture more organizations in their 2010 survey. For example, this is the first year that the SIO was able to include the impact investing assets of foundations and Canadian international investors.  Despite the fact that there was some real growth in the industry over the last two years, because of the inclusion of assets not captured in the past, and some adjustments made to the categorization of assets, it is difficult to make meaningful conclusions about the extent of real growth."