What COSTI does

COSTI Immigrant Services is a Canadian nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1952 (originally as the Italian Immigrant Aid Society) and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Following the 1981 amalgamation with COSTI (Centro Organizzativo Scuole Tecniche Italiane), the organization evolved from serving Italian immigrants into Canada's largest multicultural immigrant services agency. COSTI operates 17 service centers across Toronto, York Region, and Peel, serving 39,000-42,000+ clients annually in more than 60 languages, with a staff complement of 251-500 employees. Core service lines include employment services (career assessment, TRIEC Mentoring Partnership, Cybersecurity Plus Bridging Program, Employment Resource Centres, Employer Services), language training (ESL, LINC, Citizenship Preparation), refugee settlement (Ralph Chiodo Family Immigrant Reception Centre, Hostel Services, Client Support Services), social services (Housing Help Centre, family and mental health support), women's self-employment programs, youth at-risk services, art therapy for refugee children, and a Languages Bureau providing professional translation, interpretation, and typesetting in 100+ languages.

The technology stack supporting service delivery is modest and operationally focused rather than technologically differentiated. It comprises a Moodle-based learning management system (learn.costi.ca), a Microsoft Teams-integrated virtual workshop calendar with 42+ active sessions, Google Forms for registration, a client management system across 17 locations, and the ArriveON mobile app for international students. Documented outcomes include a 77% professional-field job placement rate within six months for TRIEC Mentoring participants, resettlement support for 25,000 Syrian refugees during Operation Syrian Refugees (2015-2016), and art therapy services for over 1,000 Syrian newcomer children since February 2016.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding structure. Government contracts at the municipal (City of Toronto), provincial (Employment Ontario, Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration), and federal (IRCC) levels fund core employment, settlement, and refugee reception services, which are delivered free of charge to eligible clients. Corporate sponsorships (CIBC, IC Savings Foundation, Canfirst Capital), individual donations, and special events (Annual Golf Tournament, Gala Dinners, 65th Anniversary Celebration) provide supplementary revenue. Earned revenue is generated through the Languages Bureau (fee-for-service B2B translation and interpretation), and modest program fees such as the $350 Cybersecurity Plus Bridging Program fee (with bursaries available). Administrative costs are approximately 6% of annual budget, and COSTI holds charitable registration 10698 7522 RR0001 and adheres to the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy's Ethical and Financial Accountability Code and AFP Donor Bill of Rights.

Name

COSTI

Legal name

COSTI Immigrant Services

Website

https://costi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

COSTI Immigrant Services is a Toronto-based Canadian nonprofit founded in 1952 that delivers employment, settlement, language, and refugee services to immigrants and refugees through 17 locations across the Greater Toronto Area, serving 39,000-42,000+ clients annually in 60+ languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigrant Settlement and Social Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Educational Services (611), Temporary Shelters (624221), Child and Youth Services (62411), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ), Migration, Refugees & Forced Displacement Assistance (BPADABAL), Refugee/Migrant Health & Resettlement Health Units (HLAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Immigrant settlement services
• Refugee resettlement
• Language training
• Employment services
• Translation interpretation

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: COSTI receives funding from municipal, provincial, and federal government sources for various programs and services including Employment Ontario, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and City of Toronto. This funding covers core operational costs but does not pay for all vital services offered.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship program offering businesses exposure to COSTI's diverse clientele through sponsorship of specific programs and events. Benefits include logo recognition, co-branding, website links, and promotional campaign recognition.
3. Individual Donations: Individual donations from supporters including one-time donations, monthly giving programs, and memorial gifts. COSTI maintains ethical fundraising practices aligned with Canadian Centre for Philanthropy standards.
4. Program Fees: Some programs charge fees, such as the Cybersecurity Plus Bridging Program at $350. However, bursaries are available for eligible candidates, and most core services remain free to clients.
5. Languages Bureau Services: Professional translation, interpretation, and typesetting services offered in over 100 languages to businesses, government departments, and individuals on a fee-for-service basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

COSTI Immigrant Services delivers comprehensive settlement, employment, language, housing, and social support services to newcomers and refugees across 17 service locations in the Greater Toronto Area. Core offerings include employment planning and placement, refugee reception and temporary accommodation, ESL/LINC language training, skills bridging programs, art therapy for traumatized children, women's self-employment training, and a fee-for-service Languages Bureau providing professional translation and interpretation in over 100 languages.

Product overview

COSTI Immigrant Services is a social services organization operating as a multi-service platform rather than a single product. The organization provides integrated programs across employment services (Career Assessment, Employment Resource Centres, Employer Services, TRIEC Mentoring Partnership, Cybersecurity Plus Bridging Program, Online Services via Moodle), language training (ESL, LINC, Citizenship Preparation), refugee services (Ralph Chiodo Family Immigrant Reception Centre, Hostel Services, Client Support Services), social services (Housing Help Centre, Family and Mental Health), women's services (Self-Employment Programs, Violence Against Women), youth services (Art Therapy for Refugee Children, Youth At-Risk Program), and Languages Bureau (translation, interpretation, typesetting in 100+ languages). These services are delivered across 17 locations in Toronto, York Region, and Peel, serving over 39,000 clients annually in more than 60 languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Languages Bureau: A full-service communications operation providing professional translation, interpretation, and typesetting services in over 100 languages to individuals, businesses, community-based agencies, government departments, educational institutions, and regulatory bodies.

Products and services

• Employment Services Comprehensive employment services including career assessment, job placement, employment resource centres, employer services, and skills training for newcomers and job seekers. Funded by Employment Ontario and Government of Canada.
• TRIEC Mentoring Partnership Mentorship program connecting immigrant professionals with mentors in their field to help reconnect with careers in Canada. Delivered across five COSTI locations in partnership with TRIEC. Reports 77% of participants find jobs in their professional field within six months.
• Cybersecurity Plus Bridging Program Bridging program for internationally trained IT professionals to earn a Sheridan CAPS Certificate and prepare for CompTIA Security+ Certification. Includes 4-8 weeks of Work-Integrated Learning project. Program fee $350, with bursaries available for eligible candidates.
• Online Services (Moodle Learning Platform) Self-paced online learning platform (learn.costi.ca/moodle) offering Resource Room Workshops, Employment Strategies for Professionals Courses, Trades and Apprenticeships Workshops, and Virtual Library for job seekers and internationally trained professionals.
• Mindset Makeover Holistic preparatory program empowering professional newcomer women by linking mental health and financial success, helping overcome mental, physical and emotional barriers to employment in Canada. Free to eligible newcomer women.
• Language Training ESL and language instruction programs including LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada), Citizenship Preparation, and English for Visitors and Work Permit Holders. Delivered through Corvetti Education Centre.
• Ralph Chiodo Family Immigrant Reception Centre 24-hour reception centre providing temporary accommodation and initial settlement services to government-assisted refugees and refugee claimants. Operates 365 days per year.
• Hostel Services Temporary accommodations and settlement support for refugee claimants, provided through partnerships with Radisson Hotel and Radisson Toronto Suites.
• Client Support Services Twelve-month case management service providing settlement support to government-assisted refugees including orientation, life skills, and referral services. Housed at the Corvetti Education Centre.
• Housing Help Centre Housing support services helping homeless and low-income individuals and families secure safe, affordable housing through crisis intervention, housing search support, life skills coaching, tenant rights education, and rent bank access.
• Languages Bureau Full-service communications operation providing professional translation, interpretation, and typesetting services in over 100 languages to individuals, businesses, community-based agencies, government departments, educational institutions, and regulatory bodies on a fee-for-service basis.
• Art Therapy for Refugee Children Art therapy program helping traumatized refugee children work through pain and fear by combining art with psychotherapy to facilitate emotional healing and recovery from war trauma.
• Youth At-Risk Program Program providing at-risk immigrant and minority youth ages 16-25 with recreational, educational, and employment opportunities through a centralized gateway facility.
• Women's Self-Employment Programs (Yes I Can)

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of TRIEC Mentoring Partnership participants find a job in their professional field within six months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sheridan CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Partnership for Cybersecurity Plus Bridging Program. Sheridan College provides CAPS Certificate and the program prepares internationally trained IT professionals for CompTIA Security+ certification. Includes 4-8 weeks of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) project. Next cohort starting March 9, 2026. Bursaries available for eligible candidates.
• DiamondBack Golf ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Venue partner for COSTI's 18th Annual Golf Tournament on June 17, 2019, at 13300 Leslie Street, Richmond Hill.
• TRIEC (Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOSTI is a delivery partner for TRIEC Mentoring Partnership, a program that matches immigrant professionals with mentors in their field. 77% of participants find professional employment within six months. COSTI delivers the program across five locations (Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto, Vaughan, Weston).
• NPower CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for IT career training programs for newcomer youth aged 18-29. NPower Canada provides free IT training programs (15 weeks) and COSTI serves as a referral and information session partner.
• World Education Services (WES)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCOSTI is a WES Online Application partner, accepting applications for academic credential translation and evaluation through WES.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Catholic Crosscultural Services (CCS): Toronto-area nonprofit offering settlement, employment, language, and refugee services. Comparable funding model and service portfolio to COSTI, including resettlement and host programs.
• YMCA of Greater Toronto: Major GTA nonprofit operating immigrant services, language training (LINC), employment programs, and newcomer settlement support. Overlaps significantly with COSTI's service mix and funder base.
• Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS): Toronto-based immigrant-serving agency providing language training, settlement, employment, and youth programs. Direct peer in funding sources, client segments, and service categories.
• JVS Toronto: Toronto-based nonprofit delivering employment services, language training, and immigrant integration programs. Directly comparable to COSTI's employment and settlement services, competing for the same Employment Ontario and IRCC contracts.
• CultureLink Settlement Services: Toronto-based nonprofit providing settlement, language, employment, and community connections for newcomers. Direct competitor to COSTI in the GTA immigrant-services market.

Broad incumbents

• World Education Services (WES): WES is a broader, established provider of credential evaluation and translation services. Already a COSTI partner, it overlaps with the Languages Bureau's enterprise translation offering and serves a similar internationally trained professional client base.

Regional players

• MOSAIC BC: Vancouver-based nonprofit delivering settlement, language, employment, and refugee services. Operates a comparable multi-service model to COSTI but in a different Canadian province, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.
• Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC): British Columbia's largest immigrant-serving agency, offering language, settlement, employment, and refugee services. Similar integrated service model to COSTI but serves a different provincial market.
• Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS): Calgary-based nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, language training, employment, and settlement services. Comparable mission and program design to COSTI but operates in Alberta.

Others

• Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC): TRIEC is a sector council that convenes employers and immigrant-serving agencies, including COSTI as a delivery partner. Not a direct service competitor, but the convening body that shapes GTA immigrant employment policy and program design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/costi_org?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClGFdP_bTmWfT2EON1lqv1Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/COSTIImmigrantServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/costi
• Instagraminstagram.com/costi_org

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 COSTI