Mackenzie Financial Corp. has won IFIC’s Investor Education Award for its educational initiative aimed at improving Canadians’ understanding of socially responsible investing.

The Investment Funds Institute of Canada award was handed out last night at the Canadian Investment Awards Gala in Toronto.

Mackenzie’s socially responsible investing campaign includes guides for investors and advisors on the concept of socially responsible investing and how to incorporate personal social and environmental values into investment decisions without sacrificing performance. Judges applauded the winner for separating educational content from product information.

The runner-up was Manulife Investments for its multi-faceted retirement risk xone program. With the first wave of baby boomers now hitting 60 years of age, Manulife Investments is raising awareness of the important investment period in the five to 10 years before and after retirement, IFIC says.

“We are extremely proud to sponsor the IFIC Investor Education Award, which recognizes innovation and excellence in investor education by members of the Canadian investment funds industry,” said Joanne De Laurentiis, IFIC President & CEO, in presenting the award.

“Providing clear, easy to comprehend information to Canadian investors not only makes them better informed in the investment decisions they make, but also increases the level of confidence they have in the products they buy.”

The panel of judges for the IFIC Investor Education Award included: Dr. Gerald Bissett, chairman, Learning Library Inc.; Patricia Dunwoody, vp, member services & communications, IFIC; Maureen Loweth, Dean, Faculty of Business, Arts and Design, George Brown College; Ellen Roseman, business columnist, Toronto Star; and Glorianne Stromberg, writer and commentator on the financial services industry.