Supporting Social Purpose Real Estate (SPRE) projects from IDEA to IMPLEMENTATION
About the Groundwork Initiative
The Infrastructure Institute’s Groundwork Initiative encompasses both an ecosystem of partners and a structured series of capacity building programs designed to support and speed-up the pre-development processes for mission-driven organizations who wish to invest in their own spaces. Through networking, capacity-building programs, mentorship and professional supports, the Institute’s Groundwork initiative supports the development of social purpose real estate projects that can supply the missing housing, services and other social infrastructure urgently needed in our cities.
United Way partners with the Infrastructure Institute at the School of Cities (UofT) to support an array of activities to build opportunities for SPRE. This include co-convening the SPRE reference group and supporting initiatives such as the Groundwork program series which supports network-building and capacity building.
Current Program
Read our FAQ sheet here
The 2023 – 2024. Accelerator capacity-building series includes:
Organizational Readiness
Applications are closed.
Assess your organization’s capacity to develop a SPRE project. The Organizational Readiness program leads into the Accelerator Program.
Accelerator Program
Applications are closed
Develop your SPRE project and pitch the concept to potential partners & investors in the main program of the Accelerator.
Catalogue of SPRE webinars
Youtube webinar recordings
An ongoing series of webinars on social purpose real estate topics that complement our program curriculum.
SPRE 101 Video Series
Youtube Video Series
For non-profit organizations to empower them to become partner-ready to pursue real estate development projects.
SPRE Resources Toolkit
Explore below for our repository of resources for social purpose real estate (SPRE) projects. Please note that many of these resources are external content that we have compiled.
Roadmap Connect
Infrastructure Institute is thrilled to support CP Planning as a program delivery partner in the Social Purpose Real Estate (SPRE) mentorship programs as part of CP Planning’s Roadmap For Redevelopment: Plans to Confront Systemic Racism “Roadmap”. These programs seek to address the barriers that racialized leaders and communities of non-profit organizations face in the development and procurement of affordable housing. Programming starts in November 2023 and will run until May 2024.
Learn more about the programs and how to apply!
SPRE Accelerator 2023 pitch night
To learn more about our SPRE Accelerator pilot program please see our program summary
The Accelerator Ecosystem
If you are a consultant, professional, service provider, landowner or funder who is interested in becoming involved with the Groundwork initiative, please consider joining the Groundwork Ecosystem.
Mentor
Share your expertise through the Accelerator program
Collaborator
Pitch an opportunity for collaboration
Sponsor
Support a SPRE project
What we've heard
We came into the program trying to figure out what to do in terms of our vision for development. For any non-profit considering a development project, the SPRE Accelerator HAS TO BE your next step! Leaving the program, we came away with a concrete plan, a clear path forward, a wealth of knowledge, new relationships and partners, and getting ready to pitch to a developer!
– The Rhema Foundation Canada
The Accelerator program made it possible for non-profit organizations like ours, to have access to information about housing development processes that we would otherwise have to pay for. This program has certainly supported us to gain a better understanding of our capacity to engage in housing development.
– Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke
The Accelerator program is a must for any non-profit starting a SPRE project. The team has a wealth of knowledge to share. Projects are able to support and learn from one another. The guest speakers bring very practical and relevant information of development, planning, and financing.
– Blue Door
The SPRE Accelerator offers non-development professionals the space to learn, the tools to build, and the capacity to workshop opportunities with the experts in the room to help you get to your final destination of building affordable housing. It takes your big dreams and ideas and helps you synthesize the different elements, knowledge gaps, and milestones required – in order to make your dream development a reality.
– Home Suite Hope
The Groundwork Initiative is carried out in partnership with
