Haven Toronto – A St. Michael’s Homes Program

Organizational Strategy, Development & Brand Revitalization
Repositioning a Legacy Nonprofit for Relevance, Growth, and Record Impact

Challenge

Haven Toronto is a 93-year-old nonprofit in downtown Toronto providing essential day-centre services to men aged 50+ experiencing homelessness — a rapidly growing and often overlooked demographic within the homelessness crisis.

In the wake of COVID-19, the organization faced challenges common to many legacy nonprofits: diminished visibility, donor fatigue, and disrupted fundraising momentum. While Haven’s mission remained critical, its brand, messaging, and development approach required modernization to remain relevant and competitive in an increasingly crowded charitable landscape.

Leadership recognized the urgency to stabilize, then reimagine and reposition the organization for long-term sustainability and growth — but lacked the internal capacity to lead this transformation across brand, communications, fundraising, and creative execution.

Solution

Haven Toronto engaged The Fractional CMO in a deeply embedded, long-term role to lead Strategy, Development, Marketing, and Creative direction during a critical post-COVID recovery period.

Operating as an extension of the leadership team, The Fractional CMO assumed responsibility for brand and marketing strategy, communications, fundraising, and creative execution. The engagement began with a rapid assessment of Haven’s positioning, donor landscape, and fundraising performance, followed by the development and execution of a clear, integrated go-forward strategy.

Key priorities included modernizing Haven’s brand narrative, strengthening fundraising strategy and infrastructure, and re-establishing the organization’s relevance and visibility within the Toronto donor community — while remaining grounded in its mission and legacy.

Delivered on a part-time basis, the model provided senior-level leadership capacity without adding permanent overhead, enabling Haven to stabilize quickly and scale impact efficiently.

Results

• Revitalized the organization post-COVID, restoring momentum, confidence, and external credibility

• Achieved meaningful gains in brand awareness and market presence within the Toronto nonprofit and donor ecosystem

• Delivered record-breaking fundraising results for two consecutive years, including the single most successful fundraising year in the organization’s 92-year history at the time

• Established a sustainable, repeatable approach to marketing and development that positioned Haven Toronto for continued growth, resilience, and long-term impact