Request for Proposals: Consultant Services for a Pan-Canadian Housing Funding Landscape Scan

Proposal Submission Deadline: Friday, April 10, 2026

Anticipated Project Start: Q2 2026

Project Duration: Q2, Q3 and Q4 2026 (to be confirmed with selected consultant)

Organizational Background

Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC) is the national network of grantmaking foundations, committed to strengthening Canadian philanthropy through collaboration, capacity-building, and policy leadership. PFC convenes funders across issues and geographies to share knowledge, align efforts, and catalyze collective impact.

PFC has deep connections across the nonprofit, charitable, housing, social impact, and social finance sectors, as well as experience in policy engagement and sector research. These strengths uniquely position PFC to lead collaborative initiatives that bring together funders, practitioners, and policymakers.

Project Background and Context

Canada’s housing crisis demands coordinated, informed, and strategic philanthropic engagement. Many foundations entering this space have expressed a strong desire for shared intelligence on who is funding what, where gaps exist, and how philanthropic efforts intersect with government policies and investments.

PFC has been approached by its network to convene funders around housing and homelessness issues and to help make sense of a complex and rapidly evolving funding and policy landscape. This initiative reflects growing interest expressed during PFC’s inaugural 2025 Housing Roundtable, and will be co-led by PFC staff and a Working Group of Housing Funders, as an initiative of PFC’s new Housing Funders Affinity Group.

This project is intended to serve as a first step in a broader, potentially multi phase effort to strengthen funder collaboration and engagement on housing issues in Canada.

To support this need, PFC is seeking a consultant to lead a national housing landscape scan that consolidates existing knowledge, identifies funding patterns and gaps, and produce a practical, accessible resource to support funder learning, collaboration, and decision-making.

Project Objectives

The resource will map housing-related funders, projects, and initiatives across Canada, including systems change efforts, research, homelessness responses, impact investing, and relevant federal, provincial, and municipal housing funding programs.

Overall, our aim is to aggregate and synthesize existing data, research, and sector insights into a concise and accessible resource for funders and use the resource to mobilize knowledge and catalyse action. We want to produce intelligence that supports newer funders entering the housing space while enhancing connectivity among experienced funders.

Scope of Work

While the scope below outlines our current thinking, potential consultants are encouraged to suggest refinements based on their expertise.

Working collaboratively with PFC staff and the Chair of the Working Group of Housing funders, under their guidance the consultant will be expected to:

1. Project Design and Methodology

• Provide expert recommendations on the design of the landscape scan, including frameworks, segmentation, and analytical approach.
• Identify and leverage existing data sources, reports, and sector connections.
• Synthesize findings into a workplan and methodology memo (early project phase).
• Consult with PFC and the Working Group Chair on specific needs and requirements from the analysis, synthesis and final product.

2. Landscape Scan and Analysis

• Identify philanthropic funders actively engaged in housing and homelessness across Canada.
• Review existing data, research and reports relevant to the scope of this analysis.
• Conduct a small series of key-informant interviews and/or develop a questionnaire for funders.
• Identify nonprofits, charities, and other organizations with demonstrated impact.
• Include projects and initiatives focused on systems change, research, homelessness, affordable housing, and impact investing.
• Review government housing funding programs at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels to understand their role in the ecosystem.

3. Synthesis and Insight Development

• Analyze funding patterns, emerging trends, opportunities for collaboration, and notable gaps.
• Ensure this insight development complements existing sector insights and provides tangible value for housing funders and broader sector (e.g. review insights before final product development with PFC’s Housing Funders Affinity Group)
• Translate findings into actionable insights for philanthropic funders, including recommendations towards clarifying strategy, gauging willingness to act, identifying where foundations may want to move next, and determining where they need support in navigating, finding, coordinating, or collaborating, with the overall goal of mobilizing action.

4. Knowledge Products

• Develop a clear, well-organized final knowledge product, summarizing findings and insights, and is a practical, accessible resource to support funder learning, collaboration, and decision-making.
• Co-develop and deliver at least three knowledge mobilization products/initiatives such as articles and presentations (e.g., PFC website blog post, presentation at Housing Funders Affinity Groups, sector webinar/learning session, PFC conference, etc.).

Timeline

The project is expected to commence in Q2 2026. Proponents should propose a realistic timeline outlining key phases, milestones, and deliverables. PFC anticipates a total project duration of approximately 7-9 months.

Budget

The total estimated budget for this initiative is $15,000 to $20,000 CAD, inclusive of all expenses (including taxes).

PFC welcomes proposals with detailed budgets and clear value-for-money considerations. The scope of work may be refined based on the proposed approach.

Consultant Qualifications

• Deep expertise and networks in housing, homelessness, and social policy in Canada
• Strong understanding of philanthropic, nonprofit, and government funding landscapes
• Experience conducting landscape scans, sector mappings, and policy-informed research
• Ability to synthesize large volumes of complex information into concise, clear, accessible insights for executive funder audiences
• Experience working with funders and foundations
• Bilingual capacity (English/French) is an asset

Proposal Submission Requirements

Proposals should be no longer than 5 pages, and include:

We are actively seeking a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds and from both official languages to apply. As the project Working Group, including external partners, operates in English, exceptionally, we request that all proposals be submitted in English.

References will be requested for shortlisted candidates.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Demonstrated understanding of the project and sector context
• Quality and feasibility of the proposed approach
• Relevant experience and expertise
• Clarity, accessibility, and usefulness of proposed outputs
• Budget alignment and overall value
• Ability to work collaboratively with PFC, the Housing Funder Working Group chair and network

Process and key dates

Proposals should be submitted via this form.

• RFP deadline: Friday, April 10
• Monday, April 13 – Friday, April 24: RFP submissions reviewed
• Monday, April 27 – Friday, May 8: Interviews, reference checks, finalization
• May-June: Project work begins

Questions can be addressed to:

Sara Krynitzki, Associate CEO