What CivicAction does

CivicAction is a Canadian non-profit civic leadership organization founded in 2002 (as the Toronto City Summit Alliance, rebranded in 2010) and headquartered at 111 Peter St, Suite 408 in Toronto. It operates as a neutral convenor and catalyst for cross-sector collaboration across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), serving emerging leaders, equity-deserving professionals, youth, and established regional leaders from business, government, academia, and community sectors. Its core programming includes DiverseCity Fellows (a year-long leadership fellowship with 300+ alumni since 2009), the Emerging Leaders Network, Youth CivicCorps (a federal-government-funded volunteer program targeting 120 young leaders across three cohorts), BoardShift (an online governance training program), and the Housing Affordability Initiative encompassing the Housing Affordability Collaborative, Mission: Affordable campaign, and the Centre for Housing Innovation partnership with DMZ at Toronto Metropolitan University. The organization also convenes the CivicAction Summit every four years and Policy Jam events for emerging leaders.

All CivicAction programs are delivered free of charge to participants; the organization generates revenue through a tiered corporate partnership model (Founding Partners, Legacy Champions, City Builders, City Friends, In-Kind Supporters), federal government grants (Canada Service Corps, FedDev Ontario), and individual donations via CanadaHelps. Notable corporate partners include BMO, RBC, TD Bank Group, CIBC, Maytree, Mattamy Homes, BCG, Deloitte, PwC, EY, McCarthy Tétrault, BLG, United Way Greater Toronto, and Avison Young. The organization is governed by a board chaired by Nan DasGupta (BCG Senior Partner Emeritus) and led by CEO Surranna Sandy. CivicAction employs approximately 11-50 staff (15-20 named individuals) and holds Canadian charitable registration number 787689694 RR 0001. Its website is WCAG Level AA compliant and AODA-aligned. CivicAction is not a technology company; it functions as a programmatic convening platform with no proprietary technology stack beyond standard digital channels (website, email newsletter, social media) and a self-paced LMS for BoardShift.

Name

CivicAction

Legal name

CivicAction

Website

https://civicaction.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CivicAction is a Toronto-based non-profit founded in 2002 that convenes cross-sector leaders across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area through leadership fellowships, youth programs, governance training, and housing affordability initiatives, funded by corporate partnerships, government grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Civic Leadership Development and Convening Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI), Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL), Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

Keywords

• Civic leadership development
• Community convening services
• Nonprofit fellowship programs
• Board governance training
• Housing affordability advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship: CivicAction generates revenue through corporate partnerships and sponsorship arrangements with businesses across various sectors. These partners include Founding Partners, Legacy Champions, City Builders, City Friends, City Champions, and In-Kind Supporters who provide financial and in-kind support for programs and initiatives.
2. Government Grants and Funding: The organization receives government funding for specific programs such as the Youth CivicCorps (funded by Canada Service Corps) and the Centre for Housing Innovation (funded by FedDev Ontario).
3. Individual Donations: CivicAction accepts individual donations through CanadaHelps platform to support leadership development and systems change initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

CivicAction is a non-profit civic leadership convener that designs and delivers fellowship, membership, volunteer-placement, and online training programs (DiverseCity Fellows, Emerging Leaders Network, Youth CivicCorps, BoardShift) to develop inclusive leaders across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. The organization also runs cross-sector convening initiatives and research-driven advocacy efforts (CivicAction Summit, Policy Jam, Housing Affordability Collaborative, Mission: Affordable campaign, Centre for Housing Innovation) that mobilize business, government, and community leaders to act on regional urban challenges. All participant-facing programs are provided free of charge and funded through corporate partnerships, government grants, and individual donations.

Product overview

CivicAction operates as a civic leadership organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and initiatives focused on building inclusive leadership and addressing regional urban challenges across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. The core programs include DiverseCity Fellows (a year-long leadership fellowship), Emerging Leaders Network (a career development hub), Youth CivicCorps (volunteer placements for young adults), and BoardShift (an online governance training program). These programs are complemented by convening initiatives including the biennial CivicAction Summit, Policy Jam events, and a Housing Affordability Initiative that encompasses the Housing Affordability Collaborative, Mission: Affordable campaign, and Centre for Housing Innovation partnership. The organization functions as a platform for cross-sector collaboration rather than a technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DiverseCity Fellows A year-long leadership fellowship for diverse rising leaders from equity-denied communities in the GTHA who want to develop leadership skills, deepen networks, and make positive community impact. Includes monthly panels, closed-setting sessions, workshops, mentoring relationships, and one-on-one professional coaching (100+ hours of mandatory and optional programming). Free for selected participants, with meals provided and subsidies available for travel/childcare.
• Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) A free membership community for early to mid-career professionals aged 18-30 across the GTHA providing career skills development, civic engagement, webinars, panel discussions, and authentic peer connections via email subscription and LinkedIn/Facebook groups.
• Youth CivicCorps A free volunteer placement program for young adults aged 18-30 across the GTHA. Over three years 120 volunteers join small project teams and complete 12-week placements with community organizations focused on housing, affordability, and economic inclusion. Funded by Canada Service Corps with wrap-around supports including reimbursement for travel, meals, and childcare.
• BoardShift An online, self-paced governance training program for equity-deserving leaders (Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, women, persons with disabilities, newcomers) preparing for board service. Three courses completed within 60 days culminating in a certificate. Free for equity-deserving leaders through sponsor support; organizations may purchase access for their boards or ERGs. Cohorts offered twice annually.
• Housing Affordability Initiative A cross-sector initiative bringing together leaders from development, finance, construction, academia, non-profit, philanthropy, and government to mobilize collective action on middle-income housing affordability in the GTHA. Encompasses the Housing Affordability Collaborative, Mission: Affordable campaign, and Centre for Housing Innovation partnership.
• CivicAction Summit A major regional convening held every four years bringing together diverse perspectives across sectors to tackle shared urban issues in the GTHA. Serves as a space for solutions grounded in data and lived experience, and a launchpad for action.
• Policy Jam A civic engagement event series where emerging leaders come together to discuss and prioritize issues around housing, transit, affordability, and civic participation. Synthesizes discussions into a public civic agenda shared with municipal candidates.
• Mission: Affordable A public awareness campaign to highlight the impact of unaffordability on local services, economies, individuals, and communities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
• Centre for Housing Innovation (CHI) A housing solutions accelerator offered in partnership with DMZ at Toronto Metropolitan University and funded by FedDev Ontario. Provides industry experts and mentorship, state-of-the-art facilities, training programs for sustainable design, new homebuilding techniques, and regulatory compliance to pilot and scale housing innovations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 DiverseCity Fellows alumni since 2009
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, founding, city builder, in-kind, city friend and city champion.

• DMZ at Toronto Metropolitan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CivicAction partnered with DMZ's Centre for Housing Affordability (CHI), an accelerator for housing solutions that offers mentorship, facilities, and resources to pilot and scale housing innovation.
• MaytreefoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Maytree is a founding partner of DiverseCity: The Greater Toronto Leadership Project, which identified the need for more diverse leadership to create a stronger and more prosperous region. CivicAction continues to deliver the DiverseCity Fellows program that launched from this partnership.
• McCarthy Tetraultcity builderStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcCarthy Tetrault provides legal expertise and governance support with Senior Strategic Advisor Godyne Sibay serving on the Board.
• Deloittein-kindStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeloitte provides professional services support as an in-kind supporter of CivicAction.
• PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)city friendStrategic or Co-development PartnerPwC is a City Friend partner providing expertise in housing affordability research and analysis.
• EY (Ernst & Young)in-kindStrategic or Co-development PartnerEY provides professional services as an in-kind supporter.
• United Way Greater Torontocity builderStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way Greater Toronto is a City Builder partner with President & CEO Heather McDonald serving on CivicAction's Board.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCG is a founding partner with roots in CivicAction's origin, with Senior Advisor Nan DasGupta serving as Board Chair.
• Housing Affordability Collaborative PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners include Forum for Strategic Leadership, 2Morrow, PwC, Emblem, Sotheby's, BCg, Navigator Ltd, RBC, Toronto Star, and others working on housing affordability solutions.
• Avison Youngin-kindOthersAvison Young provides in-kind support as part of the In-Kind Supporters network.
• Blake, Cassels & Graydon (Blakes)in-kindOthersBlakes provides legal professional services as an in-kind supporter.
• Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG)city builderStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLG is a City Builder partner providing legal expertise.
• EllisDoncity championStrategic or Co-development PartnerEllisDon is a City Champion partner in the construction and building sector.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• YMCA Canada: National nonprofit delivering youth leadership, civic engagement, and community programs across Canada. Comparable as a multi-program nonprofit with leadership development offerings for young adults, particularly relevant to CivicAction's Emerging Leaders Network.
• Brookings Institution: A major U.S. think tank producing research and convening policymakers, business leaders, and academics on urban and economic policy. Comparable as a policy research and convening organization with a focus on cities and regional challenges.
• Community Foundations of Canada: National umbrella for 191 community foundations across Canada. Comparable as a convening platform for local civic action, philanthropy, and community leadership development at greater scale and geographic reach than CivicAction.
• The Aspen Institute: A U.S.-based educational and policy studies organization that convenes leaders around societal challenges. Comparable as an established cross-sector convening and leadership development organization, though at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• United Way Greater Toronto: A major Toronto-based nonprofit that convenes cross-sector leaders, funds community programs, and addresses regional challenges including poverty and housing. A current CivicAction Board Partner (City Builder) and overlapping funder of leadership development and social impact initiatives in the GTHA.
• Maytree Foundation: Toronto-based foundation focused on poverty reduction, civic engagement, and inclusive leadership. Founding partner of CivicAction's DiverseCity Fellows program and operates overlapping leadership development and policy advocacy programming across Ontario.
• Toronto Foundation: A community foundation serving the Greater Toronto area that funds and convenes around social issues, civic participation, and quality of life. Comparable as a regional civic infrastructure organization supporting cross-sector collaboration.
• Volunteer Canada: National nonprofit that promotes civic engagement and volunteerism across Canada. Comparable as an organization building volunteer pipelines and civic leadership capacity, directly relevant to CivicAction's Youth CivicCorps program.

Regional players

• Ontario Chamber of Commerce: Ontario-wide business advocacy organization whose CEO Daniel Tisch sits on CivicAction's board. Comparable as a convener of business and policy leaders on regional economic issues, including housing affordability and civic engagement.

Emerging players

• Habitat for Humanity Canada: National nonprofit focused on affordable housing solutions through volunteer-driven builds. Comparable as a partner-relevant nonprofit addressing the GTHA's housing affordability crisis that CivicAction's Housing Affordability Initiative also targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CivicActionGTHA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CivicActionGTA
• Facebookfacebook.com/civicactiongtha
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/civicaction
• Instagraminstagram.com/civicactionca

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CivicAction