What Quickstart Autism does

QuickStart Autism is a registered Canadian charity (#81455 1669 RR0001) headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 2013 by Suzanne Jacobson, who continues to serve as Founder & President and donates all of her time to operate the organization. The charity's mission is early intervention for children showing signs of autism, delivering speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavior consultation, parent coaching, and developmental therapies, and producing educational resource content on approaches such as Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), including a Next Steps video workshop hosted on its YouTube channel.

The organization receives no government funding; its revenue model is entirely donation- and event-driven. Two anchor events generate the bulk of fundraising: the annual Camelot QuickStart Charity Golf Tournament (held in partnership with Camelot Golf & Country Club, which has named QuickStart its Charity of Choice for 13 consecutive years and has driven cumulative tournament proceeds past $1,066,575) and the Autumn Evening for Autism gala, which raised a record $148,380 in 2025. Supplemental revenue comes from individual major donors (notably John and Pina Sicard, with gifts of $500,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2025) and recurring corporate sponsors including Kinaxis, Air Canada Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Ottawa, Ottos BMW, and Subaru Ottawa.

QuickStart operates at very small scale — 1–10 employees and a regional Ottawa footprint — with no disclosed fee-for-service pricing. Distribution is primarily direct community contact via phone, website, and event-based engagement, supported by email newsletter and organic social media. The charity's core asset is not technology but a deeply rooted local donor and volunteer ecosystem anchored by the Camelot partnership and founder commitment.

Name

Quickstart Autism

Legal name

QuickStart Autism

Website

https://quickstartautism.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

QuickStart Autism is an Ottawa-based registered Canadian charity founded in 2013 that provides early intervention programs — including speech, occupational, and behavior therapy — for children with autism, funded entirely through donations and annual fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Early Intervention Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism & Neurodevelopmental Early Intervention Programs (EDACAFAF), Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG), Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ), Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI)

Keywords

• Autism early intervention
• Pediatric therapy services
• Autism charitable programs
• Children autism support
• Autism fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Kanata

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: QuickStart Autism is a registered Canadian charity that receives no government funding. All programs are funded through donors, fundraisers, and charitable donations. Major fundraising events include the annual Camelot QuickStart Charity Golf Tournament and the Autumn Evening for Autism gala.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

QuickStart Autism is a registered Canadian charity providing early intervention programs and resources for children showing signs of autism, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, parent coaching, behavior consultation, and developmental therapies. All programs are funded through donations, fundraisers, and charitable contributions — the organization receives no government funding. Services are targeted at families in the Ottawa, Ontario region seeking early identification and intervention support.

Product overview

QuickStart Autism is a nonprofit organization providing early intervention programs and resources for children with autism in Ottawa, Ontario. The organization operates a single integrated service model combining direct intervention support with educational resources. Core offerings include early intervention programs (speech therapy, occupational therapy, parent coaching, behavior consultation) and comprehensive resource information covering various autism therapies including Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), Early Start Denver Model, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. The organization also maintains a YouTube channel with educational Next Steps video workshops. Fundraising activities include the annual Camelot QuickStart Charity Golf Tournament and Autumn Evening for Autism Gala, with all programs funded through donor support as the organization receives no government funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• QuickStart Early Intervention Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped families access early diagnosis and intervention services for children with autism
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Camelot Golf & Country ClubflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Camelot Golf & Country Club has selected QuickStart Autism as their Charity of Choice for 13 consecutive years (since 2013). They host the annual Camelot QuickStart Charity Golf Tournament which has raised over $1 million in total. Camelot provides tremendous support each year from planning to tournament day, with management and staff actively involved.
• Unity for AutismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal autism support organization featured on QuickStart Autism's sponsors and partners page.
• Kiwanis Club of OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal service club partnership supporting QuickStart Autism's charitable mission in the Ottawa community.
• Ottos BMWminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting QuickStart Autism events and fundraising initiatives.
• Subaru OttawaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting QuickStart Autism events and fundraising initiatives.
• KinaxiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Autumn Evening for Autism 2024 and 2025 events, providing event support.
• Air Canada FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDonates raffle prizes (two airline tickets) for QuickStart Autism fundraising events.
• Nepean ElectricminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Autumn Evening for Autism 2023 event.
• Sunbelt RentalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Autumn Evening for Autism 2023 event.
• ABC Pediatric TherapiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Autumn Evening for Autism 2023 event.
• On the Ball Pediatric Physio & Occupational TherapyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Autumn Evening for Autism 2023 event.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• ABLE2: Ottawa-based charity supporting people with disabilities, including autism, through recreation, employment, and family services. Comparable as an Ottawa-area disability nonprofit serving families and children, with overlapping donor and volunteer networks.
• Pacific Autism Family Network: British Columbia-based charity operating a hub of autism services, research, and resources. Comparable as a Canadian regional autism charity with a similar multi-program service model, but serves the West Coast rather than Ottawa.

Broad incumbents

• Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital: Toronto-based children's rehabilitation hospital offering autism and developmental services alongside broader pediatric rehab. Comparable as a service provider delivering autism therapies and family support, but operates at much larger scale as a hospital.
• Autism Speaks Canada: Canadian arm of the major North American autism advocacy and research organization. Comparable as a Canadian autism-focused nonprofit raising funds for services, research, and advocacy, though it does not deliver direct therapy.
• Autism Canada: National Canadian autism advocacy and information organization. Comparable as a Canada-wide autism nonprofit addressing service gaps and family navigation, overlapping with QuickStart's resource and awareness mission.
• Surrey Place (Toronto): Toronto-based developmental services provider offering autism assessments, therapy, and lifespan supports. Comparable as an Ontario service provider delivering autism therapies and family support, though significantly larger and government-funded.

Direct peers

• Geneva Centre for Autism: Toronto-based registered charity providing autism services, training, and resources across the lifespan. Comparable to QuickStart as a Canadian autism-focused charity offering therapy, education, and family support services.
• Kerry's Place Autism Services: One of Ontario's largest autism service providers offering residential, day, and community programs across the province. Directly comparable as an Ontario-based autism services organization serving children and families, though much larger in scale and partially government-funded.
• Sinneave Family Foundation: Calgary-based Canadian charity focused on autism and neurodiversity, delivering skill-building programs and resources for autistic youth and adults. Comparable as a Canadian autism charity with a strong early-intervention and capacity-building mandate.

Emerging players

• McMaster Autism Research Team (MacART): Hamilton-based collaborative focused on autism research and translating evidence into community practice. Comparable as an Ontario hub connecting research, families, and service providers around early autism intervention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCh3XRjuItBGFqh_lLg-rPw
• Xx.com/quickstartautsm
• Facebookfacebook.com/quickstartautism
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quickstart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Quickstart Autism