Urban Native Youth Association

What Urban Native Youth Association does

Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) is a registered Canadian non-profit/charitable organization founded in 1988 and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, that delivers prevention-focused, culturally grounded programs and services to self-identified Indigenous youth ages 11–30 across Metro Vancouver. UNYA operates 20+ programs organized into five pillars — Drop-in Programs (Aboriginal Youth Worker, Overly Creative Minds, Aboriginal Youth First Sports & Rec, 2-Spirit Collective, Native Youth Learning Centre), Education & Training (Aries and Cedar Walk alternative education schools), Health & Wellness (Aboriginal Outreach Team, Young Bears Lodge, multiple counselling streams, and the recently launched Native Youth Health & Wellness Centre primary-care clinic), Housing & Transition (Aboriginal Transition Team, Aboriginal Youth Safehouse, Ravens Lodge), and Community & Connection (Jordan's Principle Service Coordinator, two volunteer mentorship streams). Service delivery is supported by 100+ Indigenous and allied staff plus 175+ volunteers, with clinical and cultural care provided through Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and traditional healers under a stated Philosophy of Care (two-eyed seeing, culture-as-therapy, trauma-informed, harm-reduction, person-centred).

The underlying technology stack is intentionally light and operational rather than differentiated: a WordPress CMS website with Google Analytics and Google Ads conversion tracking, Cognito Forms for online referrals/intake, Jane App for drop-in counselling booking at the Wellness Centre, and CanadaHelps as the third-party donation platform. There is no proprietary software, mobile app, API, or SDK; integration value comes from a unified wraparound program architecture that lets youth move between drop-in, education, health, housing, and mentorship services without leaving UNYA's umbrella. Notable proprietary frameworks are service-model rather than technical — the Philosophy of Care and the wraparound design are referenced as the organization's defining differentiators.

UNYA's revenue model is that of a diversified community non-profit rather than a commercial enterprise. All youth-facing services are free (drop-in programs require no referral; residential/education programs require MCFD or VACFSS referral but are also free). Funding flows from five streams: (1) individual donations — one-time gifts in suggested $50/$70/$150/$250/$500/$1,000 tiers plus recurring Cedar Circle monthly donors, processed via CanadaHelps; (2) annual charity events including the Lattimer Gallery Bentwood Box Auction ($375,000+ cumulative over 11 years by 2018) and PLUS1 concert tie-ins ($1/ticket for Big Thief, Neko Case); (3) corporate and community partnerships such as the MAKE Vancouver Orange Shirt Day T-shirt campaign ($100,000+ cumulative 2021–2024) and Stikeman Elliott (Sept 2024); (4) government and institutional program contracts with MCFD, VACFSS, Vancouver School Board, First Nations Health Authority, Jordan's Principle federal funding, and a $400,000 Women and Gender Equality Canada grant (Sept 2023); and (5) ancillary program-related revenue from cultural wellness retreats, day programs, and youth art sales. The organization is preparing a Native Youth Centre capital campaign to consolidate and expand operations.

Name

Urban Native Youth Association

Legal name

Urban Native Youth Association

Website

https://unya.bc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) is a Vancouver-based registered Canadian charity founded in 1988 that delivers free, culturally grounded drop-in, education, health, housing, and mentorship programs to over 24,000 self-identified Indigenous youth ages 11–30 across Metro Vancouver each year, funded by individual donations, government contracts, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Child and Youth Services (62411), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Alternative & At-Risk Schools (Continuation, Credit Recovery, Juvenile) (EDAJACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alternative Schools (Behavioral/Disciplinary & Nontraditional Settings) (EDAJAEAC), Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ), Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools) (EDAAAEAB)

Keywords

• Youth social services
• Indigenous youth programs
• Community health services
• Alternative education programs
• Youth housing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual donations (one-time and monthly): Charitable donations processed via CanadaHelps including one-time gifts and recurring "Cedar Circle" monthly donor program. Tiered "gift of" donation tiers ($50, $70, $150, $250, $500, $1,000) suggest planned giving ladder.
2. Charity events / cause marketing: Annual Bentwood Box Charity Auction hosted by Lattimer Gallery with 22 Indigenous artist-donated boxes, plus concert tie-ins (Big Thief, Neko Case) via PLUS1 donating $1/ticket.
3. Corporate & community partnerships: Cause-marketing merchandise (Orange Shirt Day T-shirts with MAKE Vancouver, raising $100K+ over four years), corporate sponsorships, employee giving, workplace matching, third-party events, and gifts in wills.
4. Government / institutional program funding: Programs (Alternative Education, Aboriginal Transition Team, Ravens Lodge, Aboriginal Youth Safehouse) are funded via referrals and contracts with Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS), Jordan's Principle federal funding, Vancouver School Board, First Nations Health Authority, and other public funders.
5. Program-related revenue (indirect): Cultural wellness retreats, day programs, and youth art sales (e.g., Youth Box auction piece) generate ancillary program-related revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

UNYA delivers 20+ free, culturally grounded, prevention-focused programs for self-identified Indigenous youth ages 11–30 across Metro Vancouver, organized into Drop-in Programs, Education & Training, Health & Wellness, Housing & Transition, and Community & Connection. Programs combine Indigenous cultural practices, Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and trauma-informed Western clinical supports; most are drop-in with no referral required, while education, residential, and housing programs use MCFD/VACFSS referrals. The portfolio is supported by a planned Native Youth Centre capital project intended to consolidate the offering into a single purpose-built facility.

Product overview

UNYA delivers a portfolio of 20+ culturally grounded programs organized into five program areas — Drop-in Programs, Education & Training, Health & Wellness, Housing & Transition, and Community & Connection — serving Indigenous youth ages 11–30 across Metro Vancouver. The Drop-in Programs (Aboriginal Youth Worker, Overly Creative Minds (OCM), Aboriginal Youth First Sports & Rec, 2-Spirit Collective, and the Native Youth Learning Centre (NYLC)) form the open-access front door, while Education & Training encompasses the Aries and Cedar Walk alternative education schools. Health & Wellness spans the Aboriginal Outreach Team, the residential Young Bears Lodge (YBL), the Cultural Wellness Counsellors, Assertive Outreach Clinical Counselling, Family Mediation Counsellors, Indigenous Youth Intake Counsellor, Assertiveness Training Clinical Counselling, and the primary-care Native Youth Health & Wellness Centre (NYHWC). Housing & Transition covers the Aboriginal Transition Team, the Aboriginal Youth Safehouse (ASH), and Ravens Lodge. Community & Connection delivers Jordan's Principle Service Coordinator, and two volunteer mentorship streams — the Mentorship Program (ages 12–15) and Kinnections (ages 16–18) — together with the planned Native Youth Centre capital project that will consolidate this offering into a single purpose-built facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Overly Creative Minds (OCM): Vibrant arts and culture program for Indigenous youth ages 11 to 24 offering visual art, music, spoken word, multimedia workshops and mentorship.
• Aboriginal Youth First (AYF) Sports & Rec
• 2-Spirit Collective
• Native Youth Learning Centre (NYLC)
• Young Bears Lodge (YBL)
• Aboriginal Youth Safehouse (ASH)
• Ravens Lodge
• Native Youth Health & Wellness Centre (NYHWC)
• Alternative Education Schools (Aries & Cedar Walk)
• Cedar Circle

Products and services

• Aboriginal Youth Worker (Drop-in Outreach) Drop-in outreach program connecting with Indigenous youth ages 12–24 not yet engaged with UNYA; offers one-on-one support, weekly cooking programs, cultural activities with Elders, drum groups, advocacy, crisis support, school outreach, and referrals; grounded in Medicine Wheel and Circle of Courage teachings.
• Overly Creative Minds (OCM) Drop-in arts and culture program for Indigenous youth ages 11–24 offering workshops in visual art, music, spoken word, and multimedia; access to drums, cameras, and screen-printing equipment; jam sessions; and Elder-led cultural teachings with mentorship and public exhibitions.
• Aboriginal Youth First (AYF) Sports & Rec Free, inclusive drop-in recreation program for Indigenous youth ages 11–24 offering fitness, yoga, Ju-Jutsu, kickboxing, basketball, the First Nations Snowboard Team (ages 15–24), leadership and nutrition workshops, cultural movement, and outings (equipment, snacks, clothing, and bus tickets provided at no cost).
• 2-Spirit Collective Drop-in program for self-identifying Indigenous youth ages 15–30 who identify as Two-Spirit and/or LGBTQ2S+, providing culturally rooted 'Dress Up Your Gender' events, partnerships with QMUNITY, WestCoast LEAF, and TransCare BC, peer support, advocacy, and ceremonies reconnecting youth with culture.
• Native Youth Learning Centre (NYLC) Drop-in learning and employment hub for Indigenous youth ages 15–30 offering WHMIS and Serving It Right certifications, tax and financial literacy workshops, Learner's License prep, resume and cover-letter help, job-search support, post-secondary application guidance, and a food pantry stocked by the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
• Aries Alternative Education School Alternative education program for Indigenous youth ages 13–16 (up to 20 students per year) using self-paced core courses toward a BC Dogwood Diploma, Individual Education Plans, Indigenous teachings and cultural practices, one-on-one tutoring, daily hot lunches, and trauma-informed, harm-reduction supports; intake via MCFD or VACFSS referrals.
• Cedar Walk Alternative Education School Alternative education program for Indigenous youth ages 16–19 (up to 20 students per year, split morning/afternoon cohorts) delivering self-paced graduation courses, BC Adult Dogwood Diploma pathway, course credit for work/volunteer experience, cultural programming, recreational activities, and Individual Education Plans; intake via MCFD or VACFSS referrals.
• Aboriginal Outreach Team Street-outreach and one-to-one connection program for Indigenous youth ages 12–18 providing bus tickets, water, snacks, toiletries, cold/wet-weather supplies, harm-reduction information, free naloxone kits, trauma-informed advocacy with health providers and probation officers, and warm referrals to UNYA and community services.
• Young Bears Lodge (YBL) Culturally based 5-bed residential healing lodge for Indigenous youth ages 13–18 seeking to reshape their relationship with substances, delivered over up to 20 weeks in four ceremonial cycles plus a transitional day program in June and December; includes wraparound follow-up with nurses, Elders, schools, and counsellors.
• Native Youth Health & Wellness Centre (NYHWC) Primary-care clinic at 1640 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, serving self-identified Indigenous youth ages 11–30 with doctors, nurse practitioners, specialists, Elders, and traditional healers; blends Western and Indigenous medicine and the medicine wheel, and offers cultural workshops and educational programming.
• Cultural Wellness Counsellors One-to-one counselling for self-identified Indigenous youth ages 13–24 integrating cultural knowledge, identity, and values with modern counselling practices; offers in-office and community-based sessions, cultural workshops, ceremonies, and Elders' teachings.
• Assertive Outreach Clinical Counselling Trauma-informed clinical counselling for Indigenous youth up to age 19 delivered in-office and in community, including psychiatric assessment referrals, community-based support connections, advocacy and transition planning for youth leaving foster care, and circle-of-care support.
• Family Mediation Counsellors Trauma-informed, culturally grounded, strengths-based mediation for Indigenous youth ages 12–18 and their families, supporting identification of emotional and cultural impacts, recognition of collective strengths, goal setting, and inclusive intergenerational dialogue.
• Indigenous Youth Intake Counsellor Primary contact for UNYA's counselling inquiries, managing referrals, waitlists, and drop-in services for self-identifying Indigenous youth ages 13–24; provides one-on-one counselling focused on emotional regulation, self-awareness, positive coping, and access to traditional medicines and cultural learning.
• Assertiveness Training Clinical Counselling at UNYA Clinical counselling for youth up to 19 years of age delivered in office or community settings using a relational, outreach, trauma-informed approach, including psychiatric assessment referrals, community-support linkage, transition planning out of youth services or foster care, and circle-of-care support.
• Aboriginal Transition Team One-to-one transition support for Indigenous youth ages 16–19 transitioning out of MCFD care, providing MCFD/SAJE process assistance, housing and employment search, post-secondary application support, cultural reconnection and Elder access, crisis intervention, life-skills training, and health and wellness support.
• Aboriginal Youth Safehouse (ASH) Short-term, voluntary, 6-bed housing program for youth ages 16–18 of all Nations, genders, and backgrounds, offering five private rooms and one shared room, daily meals, clothing, personal-care items, supports for housing/education/employment, visits from Elders, Counsellors and Nurse Practitioners, and cultural programming (teachings, ceremony, smudging, arts).
• Ravens Lodge 24-hour, live-in transitional group home (3 beds) for Indigenous female-identifying youth ages 12–18 in VACFSS care, with clinical and youth care counselling, cultural supports (ceremony, traditional medicine, beading, drumming, skirt-making, Elders), life-skills training, recreation, and individualized care planning.
• Jordan's Principle Service Coordinator Federal Jordan's Principle service coordination for the Vancouver Lower Mainland, helping status-eligible First Nations children and youth under 19 access health, social, and education supports; assists with Jordan's Principle applications, links families to provincial/federal resources, and advocates with service providers.
• UNYA Mentorship (ages 12–15) Volunteer mentorship program connecting Indigenous youth ages 12–15 with adult mentors for one-on-one, goal-oriented activities; mentors commit to a minimum 1-year relationship with 2–4 hours per week, complete Criminal Records Checks, and receive training and ongoing program support.
• Kinnections Mentorship (ages 16–18) Volunteer mentorship program (Kinnections) connecting Indigenous youth ages 16–18 with adult mentors for one-on-one, goal-oriented activities, monthly group activities, and tickets to sporting/arts/cultural events; mentors commit to a minimum 1-year relationship with 2–4 hours per week.
• Cedar Circle Monthly Giving UNYA's monthly donor community offering recurring giving in any amount to ensure steady, reliable funding for Indigenous youth programs; processed through CanadaHelps alongside one-time donations in tiered gift categories ($50 Gift of Accessibility up to $1,000 Gift of Growth & Leadership).

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vancouver Aboriginal Child & Family Services Society (VACFSS): Indigenous-led child and family services agency serving urban Indigenous children, youth, and families in Metro Vancouver. Direct funder and referral partner for several UNYA programs (Ravens Lodge, Aboriginal Transition Team, Aries/Cedar Walk) and operates the same urban Indigenous youth mandate.
• Lu'ma Native Housing Society: Indigenous-led housing provider in Metro Vancouver offering affordable housing, youth housing, and culturally grounded supports for urban Indigenous peoples. Comparable on the housing-and-transition axis of UNYA's portfolio.
• Aboriginal Mother Centre Society (AMCS): Vancouver-based Indigenous non-profit providing housing, cultural programming, and family support for Indigenous women, children, and youth. Comparable as an Indigenous-led, Vancouver-based youth and family services organization.
• Pacific Association of First Nations Women (PAFNW): Indigenous women-led organization serving urban Indigenous women, youth, and families in Metro Vancouver with cultural, housing, and community programs. Overlapping urban Indigenous youth-services mandate in the same geography.
• Surrounded by Cedar Child and Family Services: Indigenous child and family services agency serving Indigenous children and youth in Vancouver with cultural planning, alternative care, and family support. Direct peer in the Indigenous child welfare / youth services space.

Broad incumbents

• First Nations Health Authority (FNHA): BC's Indigenous health authority funding and coordinating primary care, mental health, and wellness services for First Nations communities. Directly partners with UNYA on NYHWC and Young Bears Lodge, and operates the broader Indigenous health ecosystem in which UNYA's clinical programs sit.
• Metro Vancouver YWCA: Large regional non-profit delivering housing, health, and youth services across Metro Vancouver including Indigenous-serving programs. Comparable on the housing, transition, and youth-services operating model, though UNYA specializes narrowly in Indigenous youth.

Regional players

• Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre: Indigenous friendship centre delivering health, education, housing, and cultural programs to urban and away-from-home Indigenous peoples on Vancouver Island. Comparable urban Indigenous multi-service centre model, different region.
• Vancouver Friendship Centre: Local Indigenous friendship centre serving urban Indigenous peoples in Vancouver with cultural, social, and community programs. Direct comparable as a Vancouver-based Indigenous multi-service delivery organization.

Emerging players

• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vancouver: Non-profit delivering drop-in youth recreation, education, and mentorship programs across Metro Vancouver with growing Indigenous-serving programming. Comparable on the drop-in youth recreation and mentorship service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UNYAyouth
• Facebookfacebook.com/urbannativeyouthassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-native-youth-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/unyayouth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban Native Youth Association