Social Planning Toronto is a non-profit, charitable community organization that works to advance social justice in Toronto to create an equitable and inclusive society for all residents. Our work involves community research and social reporting, sector capacity-building and convening, advocacy and supporting the community development efforts of frontline agencies and place-based grassroots groups.

Our sincere thanks to Arabind Nanda and Diana Campbell, who have stepped down from the Social Planning Toronto Board, for generously giving their time and talents to us!

Welcome to our two newest members, who were elected to the Board at our annual general meeting in June: Amanda Bland and Joe Bornstein.

2019 will be a year of transition for us. Under the leadership of a new Executive Director, Devika Shah, we're honing in on the kind of community building we want to do going forward for a more equitable city. 

As we begin this journey, we say goodbye to three Board members and welcome three new ones. 

Huge thanks to the departing Shannon Devine, Ginelle Skerritt, and Rabindra Nath Sabat for their service on the SPT Board. 

After a rigorous selection process, Social Planning Toronto enthusiastically announces and welcomes Devika Shah as our new Executive Director.

Devika is passionate about building a civic society in Toronto—the city she loves—that is grounded in diversity, equity, social and economic justice, and active democratic engagement. Her interdisciplinary background and experience in the environmental sector have strengthened her commitment to advancing grassroots, community-led, multi-stakeholder solutions, which she views as the most powerful lever for achieving systems change.

At its September meeting, the SPT Board received a report on the status of the search for the next SPT Executive Director. Crawfordconnect, the human resource firm leading the search, reported being in receipt of applications submitted by the August 27 posting deadline, as well as following up with prospects recommended to the firm by multiple community stakeholders.

After careful study of resumes and screening interviews with a selection of applicants, the search firm presented on September 11 a list of its top 10 recommended candidates to the search committee (made up of SPT Board staff members and two community representatives).

At SPT’s Annual General Meeting on May 9, there was robust discussion on keeping the membership updated on developments in the work of the Board of Directors. The Board made a commitment to provide regular updates. A communications working group of Board and community members was set up to explore how to do that.