Yes, in the sense that they are debt securities with a nominal value, a term (duration of the loan) and an interest rate.
Private companies and governments (municipal, provincial and federal) can also issue bonds, but they are not “community” bonds. These types of securities can only be issued by social economy enterprises. In other words, community bonds are a form of loan without a financial institution. It is not a donation. The bonds pays annual or compound interest to the investor, with no management fees. It’s a bond because the principal is repaid at maturity (due date).
Groupe TAQ (Ateliers T.A.Q. Inc.) is a non-profit organization (NPO) legally constituted and governed by Part III of the Companies Act (R.S.Q., chapter C-38). The organization is exempt from issuing a prospectus under the Securities Act (Art 3) but must inform investors, hence the mandatory reading of the Investor Kit prepared by Groupe TAQ.
In addition to its NPO status, Groupe TAQ is also an adapted enterprise (dedicated to the employment of disabled people) and a registered charity.
Find out more about community bonds:
- L’Ampli (Chantier de l’économie sociale) – Quebec’s experts in community bonds financing
- Tapestry – Ontario’s Community Bonds experts
- TIESS – Guide to issuing community bonds for social economy enterprises
Community bonds – a new source of financing (Espace OBNL – Blog)