Cohousing Options Canada Non-Profit Corporation

What Cohousing Options Canada Non-Profit Corporation does

Cohousing Options Canada Non-Profit Corporation is a Toronto-based non-profit consultancy that supports the formation, development, and ongoing operation of cohousing communities across Canada. Founded in 2018 (rebranded from CoLiving Canada in 2019), the organization delivers a curriculum spanning the full cohousing lifecycle, from introductory 'Cohousing 101' presentations through to custom communications and senior cohousing workshops. Its six core educational products include the 'Is Cohousing Right for You?' four-part online series, the 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' community-building series, 'Getting it Built' development workshops, senior cohousing programming, and bespoke communications strategy engagements.

The underlying methodology combines sociocracy-based governance frameworks (licensed from Sociocracy for All), WeGROK six-stage dialogue for conflict resolution, and facilitation techniques developed internally. Workshops are delivered via Zoom with asynchronous YouTube recordings and supplemented by in-person 'Coffee & Cohousing' meetups and community presentations. The organization maintains a documented track record of 35+ events between 2019 and 2022, partnerships with six or more forming/formatted communities across Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia, and earned media coverage from CTV, CBC, Globe and Mail, and Radio-Canada.

Revenue is generated primarily through workshop registration fees ($38-$130 per participant/session, with series priced at $75 per person or $100 per household) and modest consultancy engagements with forming cohousing groups. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website and Universe.com event platform, supplemented by partner co-hosting arrangements with local forming communities and affiliations with Canadian Cohousing Network, Cohousing USA, Sociocracy for All, Community Wealth, Ontario Co-operative Association, Levitt Cohousing, and WeGROK. The organization is privately funded as a non-profit corporation with 1-10 employees and no disclosed external investors.

Name

Cohousing Options Canada Non-Profit Corporation

Legal name

Cohousing Options Canada Non-Profit Corporation

Website

https://cohousingoptions.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cohousing Options Canada is a Toronto-based non-profit consultancy that delivers workshops, advisory, and project development services to Canadians forming and operating cohousing communities. It serves prospective residents, forming groups, seniors, and municipalities through curricula grounded in sociocracy and WeGROK methodologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cohousing Community Development Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional Organizations (81392), Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative (Co-op) Housing Association Management (BPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Cohousing development consulting
• Community building workshops
• Intentional community advisory
• Nonprofit housing services
• Senior cohousing training

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workshop Registration Fees: Cohousing Options Canada generates revenue through workshop registration fees. The 'Is Cohousing Right for You?' four-part online workshop series costs $75 per person or $100 per household. Individual modules are priced at $75 each. The 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' three-part workshop series is priced at $130. Additional workshops like WeGROK training are priced at $38. Registration includes workshop participation, pre-workshop questionnaires, handouts, and certificates of completion.
2. Educational Workshop Services: The organization provides paid educational workshops including Cohousing 101 presentations, 'Is Cohousing Right For You?' intensive full-day workshops, 'Cohousing 102: Taking Action, Taking Risks', and 'Successfully Attracting And Retaining Members' communications workshops developed for specific cohousing groups. Some workshops have been delivered free with donations going to local food banks.
3. Consultancy Services: Cohousing Options Canada operates as a non-profit cohousing consultancy providing guidance on forming and developing cohousing communities. The organization assists with everything needed to build happy, healthy, and sustainable cohousing communities, including strategic advisory services for groups at various stages of development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cohousing Options Canada is a non-profit consultancy that delivers paid educational workshops, multi-part workshop series, and advisory/project-development services to help Canadians explore, form, and operate cohousing communities. Offerings include introductory presentations (Cohousing 101), intensive workshop series ("Is Cohousing Right for You?" and "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"), specialized training (WeGROK, senior cohousing, communications), and hands-on consultancy for groups at every stage from initial concept through incorporation, site search, and move-in.

Product overview

Cohousing Options Canada is a non-profit cohousing consultancy that provides educational workshops, presentations, and consulting services to help people understand and develop cohousing communities. The primary offerings include the 'Is Cohousing Right for You?' four-part workshop series, the 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' community building workshop series, 'Cohousing 101' presentations, 'Getting it Built' development workshops, senior cohousing workshops, and custom communications workshops. The organization does not offer a software product but provides human-delivered educational and advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Is Cohousing Right for You? Workshop Series

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 attendees at single Cohousing 101 workshop event
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• Canadian Cohousing NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Canada's national cohousing network. The Canadian Cohousing Network connects cohousing communities and groups across Canada and supports the growth of cohousing in the country. Cohousing Options Canada displays the network logo as an affiliated organization.
• Cohousing USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with the Cohousing Association of the United States (Cohousing USA). This partnership connects Canadian cohousing efforts with the broader North American cohousing movement and provides access to resources, best practices, and community connections across the continent.
• Sociocracy for AllcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Sociocracy for All (SoFA), a nonprofit social enterprise providing easy access to resources, training, and implementation of sociocracy. SoFA's governance and decision-making methodology is integrated into Cohousing Options Canada's workshop content. Ted Rau, SoFA's Operational Leader, is featured as an author and contributor. The organization promotes SoFA's book 'Who Decides Who Decides?' and provides access to sociocracy training.
• Community WealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Community Wealth organization. Community Wealth Fund is described as a financial mechanism with potential to make homeownership in cohousing financially more accessible. The partnership supports financial accessibility initiatives for cohousing development in Canada.
• Ontario Co-operative AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with the Ontario Co-operative Association (OnCo-op), which supports and advocates for co-operative enterprises in Ontario. This partnership connects cohousing communities, many of which are structured as cooperatives, with the broader co-operative movement in Ontario.
• Levitt CohousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Levitt Cohousing, led by gerontologist Alexandria Levitt. Levitt Cohousing works with developers and groups looking to create Senior Cohousing in Southern California. Cohousing Options Canada and Levitt CoHo co-host the 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' workshop series. Alexandria Levitt moderates workshops on aging and cohousing.
• Cohousing HamiltonregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal partnership with forming cohousing community Cohousing Hamilton. Cohousing Options Canada delivers workshops and information sessions in partnership with this group to help build the local cohousing community in the Hamilton area.
• Cohabitat Sweetfern CohousingregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with forming cohousing community Cohabitat Sweetfern in Sudbury, Ontario. Cohousing Options Canada has conducted 'Cohousing 101' workshops with this group, which raised funds for the Sudbury Food Bank. Joint hosting of 'Coffee & Cohousing' informal meetups.
• WeGROKTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with WeGROK, a communication methodology created by Jean Morrison and Christine King. Cohousing Options Canada hosts 'WeGROK for Two Training' workshops ($38/person) teaching the six-stage dialogue process for decision-making, conflict resolution, and mutual understanding.
• Cohousing TorontoregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with forming cohousing community Cohousing Toronto, listed as one of the organization's projects. The organization provides support and workshops for this Toronto-based cohousing initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada: National federation of housing co-operatives and co-op housing organizations in Canada. Adjacent and overlapping in audience (co-op and intentional community residents) and policy advocacy on community-based housing models.
• Foundation for Intentional Community: North American nonprofit supporting intentional communities broadly, including cohousing, ecovillages, and other collaborative-living models. Comparable audience and educational mission; complements rather than directly competes with Cohousing Options Canada.
• Ontario Co-operative Association: Ontario-wide association supporting and advocating for co-operative enterprises, including housing co-operatives. Comparable as a broader umbrella organization that overlaps with the cohousing/cooperative housing ecosystem Cohousing Options Canada serves.

Emerging players

• Sociocracy for All (SoFA): Nonprofit social enterprise providing governance training and sociocracy implementation resources. Overlaps with Cohousing Options Canada's facilitation/governance workshop content and is a core strategic partner; serves communities and groups interested in consensus-based decision making.
• Community Wealth: Canadian organization developing a financial mechanism to make cohousing more accessible. Strategic partner of Cohousing Options Canada; overlaps in mission around enabling community-based and co-op homeownership models.

Direct peers

• Cohousing USA: U.S. national association advancing the cohousing model across North America. Comparable in mission and activities (education, advocacy, community support) and an explicit strategic partner; serves the same persona of prospective residents and forming groups as Cohousing Options Canada.
• Canadian Cohousing Network: National umbrella network connecting cohousing communities and forming groups across Canada. Directly comparable as a Canada-focused cohousing body; Cohousing Options Canada is an affiliated organization and shares the same audience of prospective residents and forming groups.
• Levitt Cohousing: Southern California-based consultancy led by gerontologist Alexandria Levitt, focused on senior cohousing development. Directly comparable as a niche cohousing consultancy with educational workshops; partners with Cohousing Options Canada to co-host the 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' series.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/COHOOptions
• Facebookfacebook.com/COHOOptions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coliving-canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cohousing Options Canada Non-Profit Corporation