Owning or leasing a permanent space is a transformational step for any organization. It can stabilize programs, strengthen community presence, and open the door to long-term growth. Yet most nonprofit leaders aren’t trained in real estate development, leaving many unsure of where to start.
That’s why we’re thrilled to officially launch the Real Estate Readiness Toolkit: a free, self-paced digital learning series designed to guide nonprofit leaders through the fundamentals of commercial real estate and facility development.
A Practical Starting Point
Nonprofit leaders are experts in mission, programs, and community impact—not necessarily real estate. Yet at some point, questions about space become unavoidable: Should we lease or buy? How much space do we really need? Can we afford this? Where do we even begin?
The Real Estate Readiness Toolkit was created to help navigate those questions and more. It bridges the gap between vision and action by breaking down the real estate development process into clear, manageable steps.
What’s Inside the Toolkit
The Toolkit is a free, online learning series featuring:
- 15 short video sessions, each about 10 minutes long
- Downloadable tools and worksheets paired with every video
- A self-paced, action-oriented format designed for busy nonprofit leaders
Topics include:
- Navigating the real estate development process
- Defining your organization’s space needs
- Assessing financial capacity
- Exploring funding options for your project
Rather than sitting through long webinars or enrolling in costly courses, leaders can explore one topic at a time, practice with the corresponding tool, and steadily build the foundation for their facility project—whether they’re considering a lease or planning to purchase property.
Built from Real Experience
Over the course of a year of building the Toolkit, our team of real estate advisors drew on decades of hands-on experience supporting nonprofit facility projects. We expanded and refined existing tools, developed new resources, and carefully structured the content to make complex concepts approachable.
To bring the Toolkit to life, we partnered with former Community Vision client Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) at the 9th Street Media Center in San Francisco to professionally produce the series.
The result is a learning experience that feels clear, grounded, and directly relevant to the realities nonprofit leaders face.
Why the Toolkit Matters Now
Across California and beyond, nonprofits are increasingly seeking to secure land and control their spaces. But real estate projects are complex, and few resources speak directly to the needs of place-based, community-serving organizations. The Toolkit extends Community Vision’s decades of experience in nonprofit facility planning to meet this urgent need.
By providing free, accessible, and targeted guidance, we’re helping:
- Nonprofit leaders self-assess readiness and understand the real estate development process.
- Community Vision clients come to advising sessions with a strong foundation, allowing for deeper, more catalytic engagements.
- Field partners—including other CDFIs, philanthropic institutions, and municipal agencies—share a powerful tool with the organizations they support.
Because the content is broadly applicable, nonprofit leaders nationwide can benefit—regardless of geography.
Explore the Toolkit
We’re excited to officially launch the Real Estate Readiness Toolkit and invite nonprofit leaders, partners, and funders to explore and share it. Visit the Real Estate Readiness Toolkit to get started and take the first step from vision to space.
Special thanks to Sobrato Philanthropies for generously funding this project and making it possible to offer this resource free to the community.
