Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The challenges for nonprofit groups are many and include funding, client services, strategy and visibility. Choosing the right platform to enable all of these aspects to flourish is the challenge of Matthew Johnson and his Not For Profit Advisory Group, based in Colliers International's Toronto offices.

"Unlike most brokerage operations, which come to the table as transaction specialists, we connect with our clients at a fundamental level," says Johnson. "We help nonprofits translate strategy into real estate space."

This client-driven approach to specialization differs from most brokers', who typically specialize in a product type such as office, industrial or retail.

Johnson's team, formed five years ago, is the only group of its kind serving nonprofits throughout Canada. The team is the single point of contact for nonprofits, partnering with the appropriate product-type specialists to complete transactions.

Clients have required design/build projects, office leases, land acquisition and industrial leases.

“As much as you need to understand the client, you need to understand the client’s clients,” Johnson explains.  “That’s the heart of it.”

The Not For Profit Advisory Group holds focus groups and conducts surveys to better understand stakeholders’ concerns.

For example, nonprofits that serve clients with physical disabilities—which make up about 80 percent of the team’s clients—need fully accessible space near transit options.  Some, such as a hospice or parole office, want limited visibility.  And others value proximity to hospitals, research centers or funding agencies.

“In this economic climate, nonprofits need to collaborate by offering clustered services,” Johnson says.  “It’s easier to serve the client, and it’s more attractive to the funder.  Shovel-ready projects are the buzz now; they tend to win the funding rather than conceptual projects.”

Many nonprofits realize property tax benefits by owning rather than leasing.  The Not For Profit Advisory Group also identifies landlords who may accept tax receipts in lieu of cash as a rental payment, or who are willing to accept termination clauses should the agency’s funding run out.  For more information, contact Johnson at 416.620.2862 or Matthew.Johnson@colliers.com.

About Colliers International

Colliers International is a global affiliation of independently owned commercial real estate firms. The organization's 12,700 employees span the world in 294 offices in 61 countries. On a worldwide basis, Colliers manages 1.1 billion square feet, and has revenue of $US 1.6 billion.

Contact Information

Matthew Johnson
Chair, Canada - Colliers Not-For-Profit Advisory Group

(416)620.2862
matthew.johnson@colliers.com 

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