Community Coordination Plan (CCP)

From rising poverty and climate crises to the surge of newcomers fleeing global conflict, today’s emergencies are overwhelming our essential community organizations.

Through the Community Coordination Plan (CCP), we’re helping hundreds of organizations work together so communities can access the support they need, when they need it.

Communities across Toronto are facing growing challenges. Climate emergencies, rising poverty, newcomer arrivals and other unexpected events place growing pressure on the organizations people rely on every day.

No single organization can meet those challenges alone.

The CCP was launched by United Way Greater Toronto and the City of Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic, when community organizations needed new ways to quickly share information, coordinate services and respond to rapidly changing needs on the ground.

What began as an emergency response network has evolved into a city-wide system that helps over 300 community organizations stay connected and ready to respond to both everyday needs and unexpected crises.

By working as a network, organizations can act faster, share resources and develop solutions that reflect local priorities.

The Community Coordination Plan includes 10 geographic and two population-focused Clusters — community coordination tables that bring local organizations together — to coordinate services at the neighbourhood level. 

Population-focused Clusters include:

Each Cluster is co-led by United Way Greater Toronto and City of Toronto staff and brings together local organizations, community leaders and partners with deep knowledge of local needs.

Together, they surface emerging issues, connect organizations to resources and highlight broader systemic barriers affecting residents.

The result? Faster, more aligned efforts — and stronger outcomes for the people and communities who need support most.

The pandemic showed what’s possible when communities come together — and how important it is to have trusted relationships and coordination in place before a crisis occurs.

Today, we’re building on that experience to help communities prepare for future challenges, from extreme heat and public health emergencies to sudden increases in newcomer arrivals and other unexpected events.

Through the CCP, organizations are strengthening how they get ready to adapt, to respond and support communities to recover. Together, we’re advancing a roadmap focused on coordinated action, strong local networks and shared learning across the sector.

This work helps ensure communities are not only prepared for challenges but better positioned to recover and thrive.

Building resilience requires many different kinds of expertise. Through the CCP, we’re working alongside partners who bring critical tools, knowledge and capacity to support communities across Toronto. Together, these partnerships strengthen the systems that communities rely on.

The Community Coordination Plan is designed to evolve as community needs change. Together with the City of Toronto and Health Commons Solutions Lab at Sinai Health, along with community partners, we are testing new approaches, evaluating what works and applying those lessons to strengthen future responses.

We’re also engaging Indigenous partners to better understand and support the priorities they identify, including improving access to community space and strengthening local resilience.