CommunityWise Resource Centre

What CommunityWise Resource Centre does

CommunityWise Resource Centre is a Calgary-based registered charity founded in 1981 (operations since 1981, organization traces roots to 1979) that operates a co-location hub model for grassroots and nonprofit organizations. It provides affordable private offices (~22,000 sq ft total), common rooms (Main Common Room capacity ~70, plus Board Room, Dance Studio, and two smaller rooms), and shared infrastructure including internet, office equipment, mailboxes, projectors, and front-desk support. Approximately 50 member organizations — split between ~30 physically co-located tenants and ~30+ associate members — span social services, ethnocultural and racialized communities, 2SLGBTQ+ groups, arts organizations, women's networks, Indigenous services, and recovery support organizations. Beyond physical space, the organization delivers capacity-building workshops, governance and fundraising training, social work practicums, and community programs including the Good Food Box depot (currently paused until Fall 2026), the Period Project, Community Mapping, and Garden and Knitting Clubs.

The underlying technology is light: a WordPress-based website, the GetCommunal booking platform for common rooms, and standard social media channels. The principal proprietary asset is the AROC (Anti-Racist Organizational Change) framework — resource booklets, the 'Onion Tool' self-assessment, training materials, and evaluation frameworks developed since 2016 and released under a Creative Commons license, delivered in partnership with the Black Leadership Alliance Council (BLAC). Pricing across the portfolio is publicly disclosed: office space at $3/sq ft/month with all-inclusive utilities, memberships at $50/year, common room rentals at $30–$55 per 4-hour block (2x for non-members), and anti-racism training at $500/hour with a 3-hour minimum. The revenue model blends subscription rental income, modest membership and program fees, donations from individuals and workplace giving platforms (CanadaHelps, ATB Cares/Benevity, PayPal Giving Fund), and grants from the City of Calgary, Calgary Foundation, AGLC, the Department of Canadian Heritage, and other foundations. In 2025 the organization relocated from the Old Y Building (its 45-year home) to Deerfoot 17 at 2710 17 Ave SE due to rising building costs, marking a structural reset that opens capacity for incremental tenant growth.

Name

CommunityWise Resource Centre

Legal name

CommunityWise Resource Centre

Website

https://communitywise.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CommunityWise Resource Centre is a Calgary nonprofit hub founded in 1981 that provides affordable co-located office and meeting space, shared infrastructure, and capacity-building programming to ~50 small grassroots and nonprofit organizations serving equity-seeking communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Community Hub / Shared Workspace

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Community Food Services (624210), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Nonprofit co-location services
• Affordable office space
• Community meeting rentals
• Capacity building programs
• Anti-racism organizational training

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Office and Space Rentals: Monthly rental revenue from subleasing office space, storage units, and common rooms to member nonprofit organizations. Pricing starts at $3.00 per sq ft per month with various room rental rates.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees of $50 per organization, plus optional mailbox fees of $50 annually. One-time application processing fee of $50 applied to membership upon approval.
3. Donations and Grants: Financial support from individual donors, corporate matching programs (ATB Cares, Benevity), Facebook fundraisers, and government/foundation grants. CommunityWise is a registered charity able to issue charitable tax receipts.
4. Program Fees (Good Food Box): Revenue from the Good Food Box program where CommunityWise serves as a depot location. Boxes are sold at $30-45 depending on size (on hold until Fall 2026).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CommunityWise Resource Centre operates a nonprofit hub co-location model providing affordable private offices, storage units, and common rooms to roughly 50+ grassroots and nonprofit member organizations in Calgary. It bundles shared infrastructure (utilities, internet, printing, mailboxes, kitchenette), capacity-building workshops, peer-support programming, and community-building events. Supplementary programs include AROC anti-racism training, the Good Food Box depot, Community Mapping, the Period Project, and social work practicums.

Product overview

CommunityWise Resource Centre operates as a nonprofit hub offering a co-location model for grassroots and nonprofit organizations. The core offerings include affordable office space rentals and common room facilities for meetings, events, and programming. Supporting programs include anti-racism training (AROC), community mapping, the Period Project, Good Food Box program, and social work practicum opportunities. Shared infrastructure includes internet, printing equipment, mailboxes, and kitchen facilities. The organization focuses on capacity building and community development for its member organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Office Space Rental Affordable private and shared office spaces for nonprofit and grassroots organizations, with flexible month-to-month leases, all-inclusive utilities, internet, printer access, and front desk support.
• Common Room Rentals Rental of common rooms including the Main Common Room (capacity 70), Board Room (capacity 25), Dance Studio, and Common Rooms 2 and 3 for meetings, workshops, events, and programming, available to members and non-members at differentiated rates.
• Period Project Provides free period products in CommunityWise washrooms to create inclusive spaces for people with periods, aligned with the organization's equity and inclusion values.
• AROC (Anti-Racist Organizational Change) Resources Open-access anti-racist organizational change resource library including resource booklets, self-assessment tools, training materials, and evaluation frameworks to help nonprofits address organizational racism.
• Anti-Racism Training Paid training services for nonprofits based on the AROC framework, delivered in collaboration with BLAC facilitators, designed for leadership and organizational change (priced at $500/hour with a 3-hour minimum and 6-hour maximum).
• Community Mapping Interactive online community map listing local organizations and resources in Calgary's SE quadrant to help individuals and organizations find accessible community resources.
• Good Food Box (Depot) Depot location for the Community Kitchen Program of Calgary's Good Food Box program, offering fresh produce at $30-$45 per box depending on size (currently on hold until Fall 2026).
• Shared Resources and Backbone Infrastructure Backbone infrastructure including shared internet, office equipment, photocopier access, mailboxes, projectors, sound systems, and kitchenette facilities available to member organizations as part of their tenancy.
• Capacity Building Workshops Workshops, learning circles, and peer-support activities for small nonprofits covering governance, volunteer management, communications, fundraising, and community engagement.
• Social Work Practicums Practicum placements for social work students supporting programming, community development, administration, member support, and facilities management within an anti-oppression framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1500 activities annually including peer support sessions, workshops, performances, and community events
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Board Leadership Calgary ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Coalition including Community Development Unit of Alberta Culture and Tourism, Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary, Federation of Calgary Communities, and Sport Calgary. Organizes annual Make Dollars Make Sense funding and financial management training events.
• The Community Kitchen Program of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunityWise serves as a depot location for the Good Food Box Program operated by CKPC, distributing affordable fresh produce to community members.
• ShareWarmthYYCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Knitting Club workshop program - collaborative community programming initiative.
• Black Leadership Alliance Council (BLAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for anti-racism training delivery. BLAC members have been trained in AROC training delivery and directly support grassroots groups and nonprofits in the charity sector with intersectionality and anti-oppressive practices training.
• Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CommunityWise on second phase AROC resource booklet 'Deeper AROC: More Tools & Resources'.
• Sovereign SpiritsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots organization created to support Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer Folx in Treaty 7 area. CommunityWise met with them for Addressing Racism in the Nonprofit Sector project, resulting in visual facilitation illustration by artist S.O. Nault.
• CanadaHelpsminorOthersOnline donation platform enabling one-time and recurring donations to CommunityWise. Provides charitable tax receipt processing.
• ATB Cares / BenevityminorOthersWorkplace giving platform with 20% matching donation program for CommunityWise donations.
• PayPal Giving FundminorOthersAlternative donation option where PayPal covers fees and sends official receipts.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Calgary Foundation: Major community foundation and current funder of CommunityWise; comparable in its grantmaking and capacity-building role for Calgary's nonprofit sector.
• Vancity Community Foundation: Canadian community foundation funding affordable-space and capacity-building initiatives for grassroots nonprofits — adjacent funder and capacity-builder peer.

Direct peers

• Centre for Social Innovation: Toronto-based nonprofit hub that rents affordable workspace and runs capacity-building programs for social-purpose organizations — the closest Canadian analogue to CommunityWise's co-location model.
• Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (CCVO): Calgary nonprofit sector association providing training, advocacy, and capacity-building services to member organizations — closely overlapping mission and member base.
• Federation of Calgary Communities: Calgary-area umbrella for community associations providing capacity-building, training, and shared resources to grassroots organizations — overlapping membership and partnership network.
• Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary: Calgary umbrella supporting ethnocultural organizations through shared services, training, and advocacy; co-listed with CommunityWise in the Board Leadership Calgary Consortium.
• 312 Main: Vancouver nonprofit coworking and community hub offering shared office, meeting, and event space to mission-driven organizations with a focus on affordability and capacity building.
• The Network Hub: Nonprofit coworking operator in Western Canada (Vancouver/Calgary area) that provides shared workspace and infrastructure to social-purpose and community organizations.

Regional players

• Calgary Co-operative Association: Local Calgary nonprofit and cooperative development association that supports member-driven organizations through shared services and capacity building — comparable regional support ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Spring (Social Purpose Real Estate): Toronto-area social-purpose real estate initiative providing affordable, stable space for nonprofits and charities — directly comparable physical-infrastructure model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/community_wise
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityWiseCentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/communitywiseyyc/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/old-y-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 CommunityWise Resource Centre