#SpatialJusticeTO Letter Template
You can use these letter templates to reach out to other organizations and to City Councillors. They provide information about the campaign and ask for their support and help to amplify the key messages. These letter templates are very similar in terms of providing background information and calls to action.
For sector colleagues
Dear colleague,
On behalf of the Toronto Nonprofit Network I wanted to bring your attention to a campaign focused on community space - ensuring that Toronto’s nonprofits, grassroots groups and collectives can access affordable and appropriate space located in the communities they serve.
The big picture
The City of Toronto is home to more than 14,000 nonprofits. These organizations engage 105,000 full-time workers and 100,000 part-time workers, while volunteers contribute over 1.7 billion hours each year. Though government investments account for only 7% of their total revenue, nonprofits generate more than 8% of the city’s GDP.
Nonprofit organizations are being forced out of their neighbourhoods or closing at an alarming rate due to commercial landlords raising rents. Torontonians deserve to live within walking distance of nonprofits that deliver services which bring people together and make Toronto dynamic, healthy and vibrant.
Why it matters
Toronto is home to Canada’s largest and most diverse concentration of nonprofits, grassroots groups and collectives. Together, they play a critical role in ensuring the physical, mental, and financial well being of Torontonians. From homelessness and housing to arts and culture to education and employment, they offer essential programs and community-building services to all.
Toronto risks losing its “community glue.” When community space is lost, it is not only a loss for the non-profit organizations that occupy them, but also the people these organizations employ, the communities they serve, and the cultural landscape of the neighbourhood.
Access to space for community-sector agencies is dwindling as affordable and free spaces that were once available in church settings or lower-cost commercial spaces become developed or rent increases. Public spaces like community centres and schools are becoming out of reach for the community sector to afford, limiting the availability of agencies to have programming close to where clients can access it easily. Without affordable and appropriate space located in the communities they serve, the community sector cannot provide the services that residents need.
The big picture
The City of Toronto has a number of programs to support community organizations to deliver direct programs to local neighbourhoods that meet specific community needs. Toronto’s Community Space Tenancy and Community Coordination Plan Clusters programs are examples. But they are no longer enough.
It is time that the City prioritizes nonprofit spaces in emerging and new development.
Much more development in Toronto takes place by private developers. And the City can play a more active role in ensuring that both affordable housing and community & nonprofit spaces are created.
Across the City, as developers propose property developments and commercial landlords raise rents, small community groups are pushed out, with few options on where to go. Community consultations are not rigorous or consistent, leaving little space for local communities to advocate and have a voice at the development table. Space for these groups must be prioritized in any development planning processes.
Why it matters
Toronto's nonprofits are best positioned to support the City's most vulnerable residents. But not if they cannot afford to remain in the neighbourhoods where they are needed.
Our call to action
We will be sharing specific recommendations for the City to implement in their Corporate Real Estate Management, Create TO, and Build Toronto programs. Implementing these will require action by City Council as well as City Staff:
- Establish city decision-making processes and targets that expand the opportunities for Toronto nonprofit organizations to steward land development and redevelopment projects in ways that advance public benefits (including affordable/accessible housing and community space).
- Ensure all municipal real estate and (re)development practices intentionally seek to expand access to secure and affordable community-use spaces for nonprofit community organizations and grassroots groups. This includes better community consultation processes and higher standard for assessing community services needs (space, programming) in areas around any development.
- Ensure a process for community consultations/community space needs before selling, leasing, or redeveloping publicly-owned lands - creating an impact report on the expansion or loss of affordable nonprofit community space, and associated community demands.
How you can help
We have created a campaign toolkit with Background information, a Fact sheet, a News release, and Actions you can take including:
- Key Messaging with Draft Social Media Posts and Graphics you can use in social media posts, newsletters, on your website, etc. starting on February 12th
- Letter templates you can use to reach out to other organizations and to your City Councillor
We’d like you to help share and promote the campaign messages.
We’ll also be reaching out directly to City Councillors to bring the campaign to Council and to work with City staff to operationalize our recommendations. We’ll have letter templates you and your communities can use to reach out to your local Councillor. And when the topic comes before Council and City Committees we’ll have resources to help depute and advocate in those avenues.
Who we are
The Toronto Nonprofit Network aims to create spaces where nonprofits and communities can flourish. We seek to bring together diverse nonprofits from across disciplines to address systematic issues that affect our sector, and to co-create solutions. We bridge the gap between the sector and government, elevating nonprofit voices in decision making processes. Toronto’s nonprofit sector has long been confronted with unique challenges related to access, development, and retention of spaces for community use. Prior to the pandemic, TNN identified access to space as a “founding and forever” issue, with almost 400 nonprofit organizations, representing a wide range of sectors, having indicated an interest in working on space-related issues together.
We hope you will be able to support this campaign and look forward to amplifying your stories, impacts, and advocacy in our campaign work.
On behalf of the Toronto Nonprofit Network,
Name
For City Councillors
Dear Councillor,
On behalf of the Toronto Nonprofit Network I wanted to bring your attention to a campaign focused on community space - ensuring that Toronto’s nonprofits, grassroots groups and collectives can access affordable and appropriate space located in the communities they serve.
The big picture
The City of Toronto is home to more than 14,000 nonprofits. These organizations engage 105,000 full-time workers and 100,000 part-time workers, while volunteers contribute over 1.7 billion hours each year. Though government investments account for only 7% of their total revenue, nonprofits generate more than 8% of the city’s GDP.
Nonprofit organizations are being forced out of their neighbourhoods or closing at an alarming rate due to commercial landlords raising rents. Torontonians deserve to live within walking distance of nonprofits that deliver services which bring people together and make Toronto dynamic, healthy and vibrant.
Why it matters
Toronto is home to Canada’s largest and most diverse concentration of nonprofits, grassroots groups and collectives. Together, they play a critical role in ensuring the physical, mental, and financial well being of Torontonians. From homelessness and housing to arts and culture to education and employment, they offer essential programs and community-building services to all.
Toronto risks losing its “community glue.” When community space is lost, it is not only a loss for the non-profit organizations that occupy them, but also the people these organizations employ, the communities they serve, and the cultural landscape of the neighbourhood.
Access to space for community-sector agencies is dwindling as affordable and free spaces that were once available in church settings or lower-cost commercial spaces become developed or rent increases. Public spaces like community centres and schools are becoming out of reach for the community sector to afford, limiting the availability of agencies to have programming close to where clients can access it easily. Without affordable and appropriate space located in the communities they serve, the community sector cannot provide the services that residents need.
The big picture
The City of Toronto has a number of programs to support community organizations to deliver direct programs to local neighbourhoods that meet specific community needs. Toronto’s Community Space Tenancy and Community Coordination Plan Clusters programs are examples. But they are no longer enough.
It is time that the City prioritizes nonprofit spaces in emerging and new development.
Much more development in Toronto takes place by private developers. And the City can play a more active role in ensuring that both affordable housing and community & nonprofit spaces are created.
Across the City, as developers propose property developments and commercial landlords raise rents, small community groups are pushed out, with few options on where to go. Community consultations are not rigorous or consistent, leaving little space for local communities to advocate and have a voice at the development table. Space for these groups must be prioritized in any development planning processes.
Why it matters
Toronto's nonprofits are best positioned to support the City's most vulnerable residents. But not if they cannot afford to remain in the neighbourhoods where they are needed.
Our call to action
Our specific recommendations will require action by City Council as well as City Staff:
- Establish city decision-making processes and targets that expand the opportunities for Toronto nonprofit organizations to steward land development and redevelopment projects in ways that advance public benefits (including affordable/accessible housing and community space).
- Ensure all municipal real estate and (re)development practices intentionally seek to expand access to secure and affordable community-use spaces for nonprofit community organizations and grassroots groups. This includes better community consultation processes and higher standard for assessing community services needs (space, programming) in areas around any development.
- Ensure a process for community consultations/community space needs before selling, leasing, or redeveloping publicly-owned lands - creating an impact report on the expansion or loss of affordable nonprofit community space, and associated community demands.
How you can help
We have created a campaign toolkit with Background information, a Fact sheet, a News release, and Actions you can take including:
- Key Messaging with Draft Social Media Posts and Graphics you can use in social media posts, newsletters, on your website, etc. starting on February 12th
We’d like you to help share and promote the campaign messages.
We’ll also be reaching out directly to you to bring the campaign to Council and to work with City staff to operationalize our recommendations. We hope we can count on your support to bring important changes to the way the City partners with community organization to ensure a dynamic, healthy and vibrant Toronto for all.
Who we are
The Toronto Nonprofit Network aims to create spaces where nonprofits and communities can flourish. We seek to bring together diverse nonprofits from across disciplines to address systematic issues that affect our sector, and to co-create solutions. We bridge the gap between the sector and government, elevating nonprofit voices in decision making processes. Toronto’s nonprofit sector has long been confronted with unique challenges related to access, development, and retention of spaces for community use. Prior to the pandemic, TNN identified access to space as a “founding and forever” issue, with almost 400 nonprofit organizations, representing a wide range of sectors, having indicated an interest in working on space-related issues together.
We hope you will be able to support this campaign and look forward to connecting with you should you have any questions or suggestions.
On behalf of the Toronto Nonprofit Network,
Name