The Institute for Community Sustainability (ICS) is a grassroots organization based in the Carolinian Canada bioregion, headquartered in London, Ontario - the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, The Haudenosaunee and the Lenaapeewak.
Since 2018, ICS has worked on practical community-driven solutions in environmental sustainability and circular economies - operating a thriving Repair Café program, a Thing Library with 500+ items, and a community hub space.
ICS collaborates closely with SuperBenefit DAO and is a lead implementation partner in the Reimagining Power Project (RPP), a two-year initiative exploring Web3-powered funding, governance, and knowledge exchange for community resilience.
ICS is also experimenting with DAO formation, hypercerts, impact tracking, and on-chain compensation, while engaging with global ReFi networks through events like GFAL and GFEL. ICS DAO is now actively building open-source playbooks to support the adoption of Web3 tools in local social impact contexts.
ICS is being considered as one of the additional projects for Regen Coordination GG23 based on its strong alignment with Regen Coordination’s mission and potential to contribute meaningfully to the regenerative finance ecosystem.
Its deep integration of circular economy practices, grassroots experimentation with Web3 tools, and commitment to knowledge sharing position ICS as a valuable partner in advancing regenerative coordination strategies - especially for the Local ReFi Toolkit and Ethereum Localism infrastructure. This collaboration explores pathways for mutual learning, playbook development, and coalition building.
🌍 ReFi Web3 Awareness, Adoption, Development
ICS brings non-Web3-native organizations and funders (including major Canadian philanthropic institutions) into the ReFi fold through workshops, governance experiments, and public education - helping to expand the visibility and legitimacy of ReFi tools in civic and environmental sectors.
⚙️ Celo, Ethereum & Ecosystem Activity
ICS has facilitated six-figure philanthropic flows through Web3 infrastructure, established DAO governance for their local organization, and is exploring deployment of compensation and impact tokens such as CELO, $GLO, and $BREAD. This ensures funds don’t just pass through Web3—but stay circulating in regenerative loops.
🌱 Local Ecological, Social, and Economic Impact
From tool libraries and Repair Cafés to community ownership of local initiatives, ICS delivers tangible, place-based impact. Through its role in the RPP, it connects hyperlocal outcomes to global ReFi infrastructure, providing an actionable model for cosmolocal regeneration.
Contribute multiple playbooks to the Local ReFi Toolkit, including potential guides for launching DAO governance, hosting Repair Cafés, community workshops on Web3 for impact, and starting circular economy initiatives—based on ICS’ real-world experience and open-source documentation strategy.
Collaborate on cross-network experimentation and integration with Regen Coordination and Ethereum Localism, through co-documented local funding rounds, governance stack guides, and resource flows that keep capital and value embedded in local Web3 ecosystems.
Document impact experiments and share insights via the SuperBenefit Knowledge Garden and Regen Coordination platforms, building bridges between local implementations and the global ReFi commons.
Map and engage traditional philanthropic and civic funding networks, with the intention of identifying aligned funders and supporting fundraising efforts for Regen Coordination initiatives—including future ImpactQF rounds, ReFi Local Node pilots, and ecosystem-aligned public goods projects.