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YWCA Toronto | 2025 Annual Report

Message from Retired Chief Executive Officer

Every year at YWCA Toronto has been unique since our founding in 1873. Yet through every era of change, our commitment to a bold feminist vision has remained unwavering. 2025 was no exception. Exciting changes became opportunities. Programs and services were strengthened and celebrated. And together, we met challenges with courage and determination.

Two Employment and Training programs in Scarborough began working with a new funder, and our teams quickly adapted to new systems while welcoming new program participants facing increasing barriers to employment. We also celebrated the 95th anniversary of Camp Tapawingo, substantially increased subsidies so that more campers could attend, and upgraded our facilities with the generous support of the Barrett Family Foundation and Pamela Graham. And in the midst of national economic uncertainty, we successfully negotiated a new Collective Agreement with our union, CUPE 2189—an important milestone that reflects mutual respect and shared commitment.

Financially, after several years of deficits, 2025 marked a significant shift toward greater stability. With the support of our Municipal and Provincial governments, we strengthened our ability to meet our expenses and plan proactively for the future. It was also a year in which we once again demonstrated that YWCA Toronto’s impact extends far beyond direct service delivery. We continued to speak out strongly on systemic issues affecting women, girls and gender diverse people and the broader community—advancing change through our tenacious advocacy efforts.

YWCA Toronto’s 2025 Annual Report: Community Action Blooms, captures this momentum—revealing growth in our work, while amplifying the meaningful impact we have in our communities across the city.

Many thanks are due to our very generous donors, funders, sponsors, and community partners. Together with our dedicated Board and staff, they were powerful voices for progress and equity.

I left my position of 31 years proud and confident about the future of this great organization. I look forward to seeing community action continue to grow, deepen and bloom—guided by the values that have always defined YWCA Toronto.

As ever,

A SAFE PLACE TO CALL HOME

Having a safe place to call home is fundamental to anyone's wellbeing, especially if that person is facing instability elsewhere in their life. This was as true in 2025 as it was in 1873 when YWCA Toronto began providing housing for women in our city.

Adobe Stock photo

Our housing options have evolved significantly over the past 152 years, shifting to meet the changing needs of our participants and their families, and now consist of a wide range of options, including supportive rent-geared-to-income, dormitory-style and affordable market-rent units. Some of these units are owned outright, others are leased, and some are managed on behalf of other organizations, such as our Scatterhomes. Through our South Etobicoke program, we also support participants in finding and maintaining housing across west Toronto. 

As one of Canada’s largest providers of housing for women, gender diverse people and their families, we have worked determinedly to respond to the mounting housing crisis – one that disproportionately affects those already living in poverty or facing violence. Since 2020, we have expanded our housing portfolio from 517 units to 824 in 2025. Recognizing the intersecting challenges faced by the communities we serve, we have also expanded our wraparound supports to include mental health services, food pantries, and food banks, ensuring participants have access to holistic, dignified support. Underpinning this frontline work are our fierce advocacy efforts, which champion policy changes that advance the right to housing for all.

As we closed out 2025, we began early work with the City of Toronto to support individuals seeking to transition from encampments into stable, supportive housing. Our hope is that initiatives like this will open new pathways for women and gender diverse people experiencing homelessness and violence, offering them increased safety, stability and opportunity. It is work we are committed to advancing with care, collaboration and determination.

CONFIDENCE BLOOMED

As a proud single mom of two remarkable girls, ages 11 and 14, I want to give them every opportunity to grow into confident and compassionate young people. YWCA Toronto’s Girls’ Centre and Camp Tapawingo were exactly what they needed at the right time, giving them the opportunity to connect with other kids, find their voice and learn new skills.

Egypt, Jasmine and Amani, program participants

While planning for March and summer breaks for my girls in early 2025, I realized that they had aged out of aftercare programming at their schools. I immediately reached out to my work colleagues and other mothers in my community for recommendations. One mom told me about YWCA Toronto’s Girls' Centre, so I gave them a call. I was impressed right away. They told me about their drop-in, fitness and Girls’ Empowerment programs for March Break, and even though we lived outside the catchment area, the Girls' Centre staff went above and beyond to make sure my girls could participate. They coordinated transportation for Egypt and Amani to get to the centre safely and easily.

My girls had a wonderful time. I am truly grateful for the care, flexibility and support the Girls' Centre showed our family.

It was through the Girls’ Centre that I first learned about YWCA Toronto’s Camp Tapawingo—it sounded terrific: a summer camp where youth are encouraged to show up fully as themselves in an inclusive, intentional space, building leadership skills, confidence and unforgettable memories through new experiences and fun adventures. It was the exact type of opportunity I wanted for my girls, but I did not have the financial means to send them. Remarkably, Andrea, the centre’s Program Worker, advocated for my family, securing a subsidy that covered the cost of two full weeks for my girls to attend camp.

Looking back, I was pretty terrified about my kids being away from home with new people—especially as a BIPOC mom. I could not help but worry: would they be accepted? Would there be kids that look like them? Would they be seen? But it turned out to be a truly life-changing opportunity. At Camp Tapawingo, my kids were not only seen but understood and celebrated. When my girls returned from camp, their confidence had blossomed, and they wanted to tell me everything: about their new skills, how they had tried new things outside of their comfort zone, and how they had gained a sense of belonging with camp friends and camp moms. I have no doubt that Egypt and Amani will attend camp in 2026.

CAMPERSHIPS CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH

Attending summer camp can be a life-altering experience for any child, giving them incredible opportunities to nurture their skills, become more self-assured, and flourish. However, many children miss out on this experience because of a variety of family and societal circumstances.

YWCA Toronto has long provided financial support to help families send their children to our beloved Camp Tapawingo on the shores of Georgian Bay. This past year, we proudly expanded our subsidy program, enabling even more campers to experience the beauty of nature on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek, which includes our neighbours, Wasauksing First Nation.

In 2025, YWCA Toronto granted $251,490 in subsidies to support 187 participants attending Camp Tapawingo. Not only did the subsidy program provide opportunities for individual girls and gender diverse youth, it also enabled parents and children to join us for our Family Weekend and our Mother-Daughter weekends and retreats, helping families new to camp to experience its benefits together.

A generous thank you is due to the Barrett Family Foundation, Pamela Graham (a Camp Tapawingo alumna), and the wide array of individual and institutional funders for making these subsidies, as well as the expansion of our leadership programming, possible. 

Our aim is to continue to grow the subsidy program, ensuring that regardless of a young person’s economic situation, they have the opportunity to build confidence, learn new skills, and form lasting friendships through the transformative experience of outdoor summer camp. In an age where screens and devices dominate children’s lives, providing opportunities to reconnect with the natural world—and with their own potential—has never been more vital.

Eadyn, YWCA Camp Tapawingo Community Engagement and Outreach Worker

When I talked with Eadyn, the new Community Engagement and Outreach Worker in YWCA’s Camp Tapawingo department, I was immediately struck and enamoured by her fun, easy‑going nature and her deep commitment to working with families to break down barriers to attending camp. She wants to help them understand what the camp experience is like and what it can offer their kids. Through her past experiences as a camper, counsellor, and camp coordinator at Tapawingo, she recognizes that the value of outdoor education goes far beyond arts, crafts, and land and water activities—it is a transformative vehicle for girls and gender diverse youth. She shared the following quote, illustrating Camp Tapawingo’s impact:

“Last year, a camper shared how incredible it was to learn sailing for the first time at Camp Tapawingo. They loved it so much that they wanted to continue sailing even when they returned home to Toronto. This camper also relished the opportunity to simply be a kid—exploring and doing what they truly enjoyed at camp.”

CONTRIBUTING TO A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE

I started as the December 6th Fund Support Worker in September 2025, but coincidentally, I had already assisted countless survivors of gender-based violence to apply for this December 6th Fund while in my former role as a women’s counselor and advocate at another gender equity organization.

Pomaa, December 6th Fund administrator

Today, I am thrilled to be facilitating the fund at YWCA Toronto, which provides interest-free revolving loans to women and gender diverse individuals in Toronto and Peel Region who have incurred unexpected expenses as a direct result of fleeing an abusive relationship. Given the current housing crisis, the majority of December 6th Fund distributions are provided to survivors requiring rental deposits or needing to address arrears. I believe that these funds contribute to a better quality of life that often seems impossible for many applicants. 

The word “loan” can be scary for a lot of people, especially survivors of financial abuse. YWCA Toronto makes every effort to ensure that the December 6th Fund process is low-barrier, accessible, and as impactful as possible: the repayments can be paused or adjusted on an individual basis, and we accept social assistance as a form of income to reflect the economic realities faced by survivors.

Survivors are often pleasantly surprised to learn that their loan repayments directly support another community member in accessing a loan. Many share that this understanding makes them more eager to begin repaying their loan. To me, this reflects a sense of community and empathy between survivors. It also mirrors the bond I build with each applicant. I am an administrator of an important loan, but also an ear for someone navigating challenging circumstances.

“Happy Holidays Pomaa! You made my day yesterday as the funds arrived and I was able to get the bed frame I shared with you that I ordered. Today is my birthday and you gave me the biggest gift. I thank you so much and I am excited to now have the opportunity to go to the Furniture Bank…I know we have not met in person however your support has made my quality of life more enriched during this difficult transition.” -Anonymous, December 6th Fund applicant

RESPONDING WITH URGENCY

An unexpected major expense can hinder anyone’s long-term plans, but for someone dealing with violence, poverty or homelessness, it can derail their ability to find even basic safety and stability. This is why YWCA Toronto offers multiple one-time emergency funds that support women and gender diverse people. These funds offer support to overcome urgent roadblocks that impede their path toward safe, fulfilling lives.

Our December 6th Fund—honouring the 14 women killed at L’École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989—provides survivors of intimate partner violence with an emergency interest-free loan of up to $1,500. In 2025, the December 6th Fund provided 28 loans, totalling $34,034, in turn supporting 50 survivors and their children. Covering expenses such as rent, movers, and furniture, the December 6th Fund supports survivors and their children to re-establish themselves in safety. Recipients repay the loan on an individualized, manageable schedule, and their repayments replenish the fund, allowing other survivors to find safety. This cyclical support offers more than just dollars. It demonstrates the power of community.

The Julia M. Ruby Fund, established in 1999 by long-time YWCA Toronto supporter Julia Ruby and her husband Walling, is an internal grant that supports existing participants to overcome urgent financial obstacles. What makes this type of financial support special is its openness. Participants can receive funds to address any kind of emergency expense and, in the past, have used them to cover dental procedures, identification replacement, legal fees and many other critical expenditures. Grants have ranged from $50 to $1,500 and the Association has distributed more than $200,000 since the Fund’s inception.

Both the December 6th Fund and the Julia M. Ruby Fund are integral pieces of YWCA Toronto’s continuum of care. They allow us to respond with urgency, and to help ensure we can meet our participants’ most pressing needs with care.

POWERED BY COMMUNITY: ADVANCING GENDER JUSTICE THROUGH COLLECTIVE ADVOCACY AND ACTION

In 2025, YWCA Toronto continued to advance urgent advocacy by pairing public education with deep, sustained collaboration alongside community members, advocates, partners, survivors, and government officials. Through this work, we amplified the voices and concerns of the women, girls and gender diverse individuals who rely on our programs and services.

Early in the year, we launched Provincial and Federal Election campaigns featuring resources to help build public understanding of key priorities related to advancing gender equity, justice and poverty reduction. We also disseminated resources to support greater participation in the electoral process. Alongside these campaigns, we collaborated with an Ontario-wide coalition addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV), and led two additional campaigns urging political candidates to commit to comprehensive prevention and response solutions.

Throughout the year, we partnered with organizations across the sector through more than 100 advocacy engagements, including the launch of a podcast, panel discussions, rallies, joint submissions, letters, statements, deputations and other public initiatives. We also met with elected officials at all levels of government to address deepening crises related to IPV, housing, income security, employment and training supports, and more – highlighting the challenges facing our communities, their intersections, and offering concrete recommendations for coordinated action.

As a founding member of the City of Toronto’s Gender-Based Violence and Intimate Partner Violence Working Group, we continued to advocate with our sector partners to ensure survivors’ voices remained central to shaping and driving meaningful action to address this violence. Together, we hosted a survivor led consultation to inform the implementation of City of Toronto Motion CC8.2, advancing survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the City’s response to rising rates of intimate partner violence.

Our YWCA Ontario Coalition convened in person to assess and affirm our shared advocacy priorities and strategies for the years ahead, and made several formal submissions to the provincial government, including advocacy related to the Canada Disability Benefit and an examination of poverty through an intersectional Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) lens.

We collaborated on and supported more than 30 digital campaigns, harnessing community action and integrating advocacy with strategic communications to propel change. This approach allowed us to support partners addressing a wide range of gendered issues by pairing strong policy work with clear, accessible messaging that builds awareness and mobilizes support. As we look ahead to 2026, we remain committed to driving lasting change through community action, particularly with a municipal election on the horizon.

ADVOCACY REACH AND IMPACT
Our advocacy and communications efforts reached wider audiences, growing engagement across media and digital platforms, as reflected in the following outcomes:

  • Published an advertorial insert in the Toronto Star, aligned with Giving Tuesday, which achieved a total reach of 1.34 million.
  • Recorded 36 media mentions, including op-eds and speaking engagements.
  • Across LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, our social media performance demonstrated strong year-over-year growth:
    • 43.9% increase in impressions
    • 51.5% increase in engagements
    • 14.4% increase in followers
  • Instagram experienced particularly significant growth, with impressions increasing by 119.4% - from 277,971 in 2024 to 609,930 in 2025.

2025 ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Celebrated prevailing feminist advocacy alongside hundreds of organizations and advocates as the Federal government reinstated the Minister of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) – a role essential to driving policies, funding and initiatives that empower women, girls and gender diverse people across Canada. This outcome reflected the power of sustained community action.
  • Throughout the Hockey Canada Trial, we reaffirmed our unwavering solidarity with E.M. and all those impacted by gender-based and sexual violence. We joined the #WeBelieveSurvivors campaign to challenge misinformation and victim-blaming, and shared several timely statements and resources.
  • Published an op-ed in The Toronto Star highlighting the realities of Toronto’s housing crisis and the disproportionate risk of homelessness faced by women, children, and gender diverse people, as well as an op-ed in the Hill Times to support our election campaign, Vote to End Gender-Based Violence.
  • Deputed before the Toronto Police Service Board to respond to its Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) report, sharing key concerns and recommendations for transformative change.
  • Alongside YWCA Ontario, raised significant concerns about Bill 60, emphasizing that the proposed legislation would deepen poverty, increase vulnerability to violence, and undermine the economic and social well being of communities across Ontario.

Heather McGregor, Retired Chief Executive Officer, at a press conference as proud members of the Coalition for Gun Control, alongside members of the Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, Mothers of Peace Regent Park, and Danforth Families for Safe Communities urging that gun control be an election priority.

Sami Pritchard, Director of Advocacy and Communications, joined Hope for Refugees International at their International Voices for Change Conference on Ending Gender-Based Violence Among Refugees and Newcomers.

THE HEATHER M. MCGREGOR FUND: BUILDING AN INNOVATIVE, RESILIENT FUTURE

Recently retired Chief Executive Officer Heather McGregor, never feared boldness in YWCA Toronto's philanthropy efforts. Her ambition and tenacity have propelled the Association to incredible growth and allowed us to realize remarkable milestones, such as the completion of our Elm Centre in 2012.

Last year, to ensure we have the flexible resources to help sustain and expand all that Heather has built, we created the Heather M. McGregor Fund. This initiative will embolden our future by providing a boost of funding to allow YWCA Toronto to continue expanding our efforts in affordable housing, responding to gender-based violence, strengthening mental health services and igniting new advocacy and programming.

In 2025, contributions from 109 donors totalled $424,096, for which we are deeply grateful. Their gifts recognized the critical moment we were—and still are—in: gender equity is under threat globally, intimate partner violence remains pervasive, and the housing crisis continues to leave too many women, children and gender diverse people vulnerable to homelessness—all while nonprofit organizations continue to face the realities of short-term, highly restricted funding that can constrain innovation and timely response.

The Heather M. McGregor Fund ensures that YWCA Toronto can face these challenges, acting with speed, adapting strategically and continuing to offer the continuum of services that make a difference in the lives of women, girls and gender diverse people every day. To counter the seen and unforeseen barriers we face as an organization, these contributions will address the Association’s greatest needs as they arise.

This initiative is more than a tribute to Heather’s impact. It is a launchpad into a future as bold, visionary and resilient as our past.

Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered, or otherwise supported YWCA Toronto in 2025. Your contributions build strong communities and drive change that enables women, girls and gender diverse people to succeed and thrive.

In 2025, YWCA Toronto’s Philanthropy Department:

  • Raised $1,569,138 in major gifts.
  • Raised $542,054 at our Women of Distinction Awards.
  • Acquired $857,577 in corporate and foundation gifts.
  • Set a new Giving Tuesday record, bringing in $56,257 worth of donations.
  • Appreciated the commitment of 29 members of our planned giving group, the Monarch Society.
  • Acquired $519,225 in in-kind donations.
  • Collaborated with supporters to raise $30,357 from third-party events.

YWCA TORONTO'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

YWCA Toronto’s Board of Directors is committed to creating change for women, girls and gender diverse people across Toronto. The Board ensures that our work is aligned with our vision and mission, stewards our financial resources, and provides leadership and oversight of our strategic plan and initiatives.

Our Board of Directors: Sarah Yaffe, Sonia Sahdev, Lee-Anne Kovacs, Uchenwa Genus, Megan Fowler, Kiana Blake, Catherine Milne, Jennifer McGoey, Chilombo Olawoye, Darcie James-Maxwell, Sobiga Kamalakaran, Carrie Russell, Aniska Graver, Priyanka Debnath, Lorrie King, Fatema Lotia, Naba Saeed

OUR VALUES

INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM
We support the strength of women, girls and gender diverse people, with creativity and passion. We acknowledge the profound and differential impact of racism, oppression and colonialism across the diversity of our participant population and our staff teams. We work to promote a climate that is welcoming and responsive to all women and gender diverse people. We strive to provide participants and staff of all races, religions, classes, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities and immigration statuses with programs, services and work environments that are culturally responsive, safe, equitable and accountable.

COMMUNITY VOICES
We center the voices and experiences of all participants in establishing our advocacy priorities and in developing and evaluating our programs.

SOCIAL JUSTICE
We work tenaciously to create meaningful social change and equity for women, girls and gender diverse people. We specifically call out and work towards eradicating anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. We acknowledge the Indigenous land on which the Association works, and we are committed to meaningful acts of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP
We seek opportunities to strengthen our capacity and the capacity of allied and sister service organizations, to expand service offerings for participants and to strengthen advocacy and movement building initiatives.

SERVICE EXCELLENCE
We hold ourselves accountable to deliver high-quality, trauma-informed services and provide programs that reflect the self-identified priorities of our communities.

SUSTAINABILITY
We work to ensure that the resources and strategies of the Association will allow us to evolve and thrive.

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

  1. Strengthen and Build a Sustainable Association
  2. Deliver Programs for Impact
  3. See, Be Seen, Speak Out

OUR VISION
YWCA Toronto seeks a radical transformation of society where all women, girls and gender diverse people can thrive.

OUR MISSION
YWCA Toronto is a leader and collaborator in the provision of feminist, intersectional and transformative shelter and housing, employment and training, leadership, and advocacy for women, girls and gender diverse people.

Read the full 2025-2028 Strategic Plan at purposefulfutures.ca.