What if right around now a solid hunk of global finance grew out of its devilishly anti-social phase and over the next few years got a social life, fell in love and got engaged?

I know. What are the chances that we'll ever see big money flowing into shapely investment pools that genuinely promote collective health, wealth and happiness?

But then again, maybe there's a way. A significant group of Canadian financial visionaries are part of a growing global movement that says it actually can happen. Together, they're scheming to introduce a player in the capital market that defies the traditional dichotomy between seeing investment as making money and donations as doing good.

Ever since the 2008 financial crisis, Canadian banks have enjoyed almost heroic stature for not being like those bad Wall Street banks that collapsed, triggering a global recession.

Certainly there's been no talk of imposing higher taxes on Canadian banks, to make them help pay for the huge government deficits brought on by the financial crisis and resulting recession.

That wouldn't be fair, since our banks -- unlike the Wall Street banks -- played no role in bringing about the financial crisis.

But why doesn't that logic apply to other groups who also played no role in bringing about the financial crisis?