We maintain free tools and resources that make using data easier for everyone. Our solutions aim to address common needs and serve broad audiences.
Sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to start. That’s why we offer our Ask Us helpdesk, a free resource for nonprofits with data and technology questions. Whether you’re wondering which tool to use, how to clean up a messy spreadsheet, or what steps to take before a big project, we’ll point you in the right direction. Honest, free advice with no commitments.
CensusAggregator makes census data more accessible to the social sector and the broader public. Using an interactive, map-based interface, visitors can combine standard census geographic areas to build a custom region. CensusAggregator returns aggregate statistics and charts for the selected region. CensusAggregator uses data from the 2021 Canadian census.
Community service providers will find this tool useful for summarizing the population and household characteristics for their service areas without having to retrieve, filter, aggregate, and visualize the raw data themselves.
Developed in collaboration with Sharla Gelfand and Mountain Math, the creator of CensusMapper.
The Toronto Drop-in Recreation Finder is a public listing of drop-in recreation programs and activities available across City-run facilities. The tool uses open data published by the City of Toronto and refreshes each night.
Developed as a proof of concept for community service providers interested in an interactive alternative to program calendars, the tool offers a variety of search capabilities, including by category, date and time, and location. It can be customized to other use cases such as children or seniors programming, workshops schedules, and operating hours for multi-site organizations.
The Low-end of Market Housing Rental Monitor presents critical information on the affordable "low-end" of the private rental housing stock in six urban regions across Canada: Calgary, Halifax, Greater Montreal Area, Greater Toronto Area, Metro Vancouver Area, and Winnipeg.
Current policy responses are focused on addressing affordability issues by increasing rental housing supply, primarily through new construction. However, much less attention has been paid to the extent to which existing affordable units are being lost, something that new construction does not directly address. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of affordable units is diminishing and that these units are increasingly unavailable in central urban areas. The LEMR Housing Monitor helps to translate anecdote into evidence by articulating the magnitude of this issue and identifying where it is most acute.
Developed in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights, the Ontario Nonprofit Housing Association, and R and Shiny Developer Sharla Gelfand.