Our programs
Overview
Our research initiatives focus on developing and advancing innovative finance approaches that enables communities to design, lead and sustain solutions on their own terms.
Guided by Indigenous values and knowledge, our research contributes to the broader investing ecosystem while centring the well-being and self-determination of Indigenous communities
The research program generates more than reports and datasets. It builds shared language, sharper frameworks, and deeper alignment across communities and institutions working toward Indigenous-led change.
This knowledge informs Otipêy Foundation’s broader work and contributes to a growing ecosystem committed to learning, accountability, and long-term wellbeing.
Areas of focus
We research and develop innovative financial tools to bridge the funding gap in Indigenous communities. Our focus is on creating non-extractive, regenerative, and patient capital solutions that truly serve and empower these communities.
For too long, success has been defined by capital holders rather than by those directly affected by investments. Our Impact Measurement and Management (IMM) research projects focus on developing Indigenous-led tools that center community voices and leadership, while capturing the systemic value of impact-first and community-centered investments.
As part of our impact thesis, we believe that social and environmental outcomes deserve a fair economic value that reflects the collective wealth they create. Our research explores valuation models that account for this impact while moving beyond traditional, extractive economic frameworks.
Scaling Outcomes-Based Funding for a Stronger Canada explores how governments can improve the effectiveness of public spending by funding measurable social outcomes rather than activities alone. The report draws on international examples and Canadian experience to identify policy actions that can help scale outcomes-based funding, strengthen accountability, and improve social impact across the country.
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Outcomes-Based Finance (OBF) is a powerful tool to generate positive change for a range of communities. In Raven's case, it enables us to realize the intentions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This is achieved by flipping the traditional way of funding social or environmental programs to focus on the achievement and payment of outcomes rather than outputs or inputs. For more information on how OBF is currently working in Canada, the benefits of this finance model and recommendations for how it can be better utilized, read the new report from Raven Indigenous Impact Foundation and Sorenson Impact Institute on the State of Outcomes-Based Finance in Canada.
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Research Engagement Protocol (PDF)
In partnership with the Sorenson Impact Institute, Otipêy Foundation is advancing research on how wellbeing is understood and measured across different cultural and geographic contexts. This work focuses on articulating what wellbeing means in a contemporary Indigenous context, and how it can be defined, measured, and valued within an Indigenous-led impact measurement and management framework.
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