What Imagine Canada does

Imagine Canada is a national nonprofit charitable organization (Canada Revenue Agency registration #119218790 RR0001) founded in 2006 and headquartered in Toronto that represents and supports Canada's 170,000 charities and nonprofit organizations. Its mission centers on addressing the undervaluing, under-resourcing, and under-preparation of the sector through federal advocacy, sector research, capacity-building resources, and direct member services, positioning itself as the sector's national convener with a network of 600+ member organizations and a Strategic Action Plan (Building Our Collective Power, 2026-2030).

The organization operates four core service lines. Standards Accreditation is a national best-practice framework covering board governance, financial accountability, fundraising, staff management, and volunteer involvement; organizations that meet the standards receive the registered Imagine Canada Trustmark. Grant Connect is a subscription-based fundraising research platform containing thousands of grant opportunities with up to 35+ years of grant history, a contact explorer, pipeline management, and monthly funder alerts, with pricing tiers from $36-$360+ per month scaled by organization revenue and team size. HR Intervals is a free bilingual HR toolkit featuring the HR Checkup self-assessment tool, with resources on hiring, equity, policy development, and digital adoption. The PRISM Network certifies companies contributing at least 1% of pre-tax profits to community causes; certified companies collectively direct over $1 billion annually to Canadian communities. Supporting offerings include the Early Alert federal policy newsletter, the Let's Imagine podcast, the 360° blog, scaled membership, and member events such as the AGM, Leadership Roundtable, regional roundtables, and Sector Signals webinars.

Revenue is a hybrid of earned and contributed streams. Earned revenue includes scaled membership fees (free for nonprofits under $150K annual revenue), Grant Connect subscriptions (monthly, annual, and 3-year tiers), Standards Accreditation fees, and PRISM certification fees. Contributed revenue comes from government funding (Employment and Social Development Canada) and major corporate and foundation supporters in tiered contribution bands: BMO at $250K+; Canada Life, McConnell Foundation, Microsoft, RBC, Mastercard Impact Fund, Definity Foundation, and Lawson Foundation at $100K+ each; Mastercard Foundation and Blackbaud at $50K+. Go-to-market is hybrid: community-led membership acquisition, product-led growth for Grant Connect via self-serve subscription, and event-driven engagement. Distribution and operating geographies are domestic Canada only.

Name

Imagine Canada

Legal name

Imagine Canada

Website

https://imaginecanada.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Toronto-based national nonprofit (founded 2006) representing Canada's 170,000 charities through Standards Accreditation, Grant Connect fundraising subscriptions, HR Intervals toolkit, and PRISM corporate certification, funded by memberships, foundation grants, and major corporate supporters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Sector Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

Keywords

• Nonprofit sector services
• Charity accreditation
• Fundraising research platform
• Corporate giving certification
• Nonprofit capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Membership fees scaled by organization type and size, starting at $0/year for nonprofits under $150K annual revenue. Provides access to networking, policy advocacy, webinars, and professional development.
2. Grant Connect Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to fundraising research database with tiered pricing (Essential/Premium) based on organization revenue and team size. Plans range from $36-360/month.
3. Standards Accreditation Fees: Fees for nonprofit organizations pursuing Standards Accreditation, a voluntary certification program demonstrating organizational excellence.
4. PRISM Certification Fees: Certification fees for companies meeting the 1% pre-tax profit giving threshold for community investment.
5. Government and Foundation Grants: Imagine Canada receives funding from government agencies (Employment and Social Development Canada) and foundations (BMO, Mastercard Impact Fund, McConnell Foundation) to support sector research, advocacy, and capacity building.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Imagine Canada is a national charitable organization that supports and strengthens Canada's charities and nonprofits through a portfolio of programs including Standards Accreditation (a national governance and operational excellence framework), Grant Connect (a subscription-based fundraising research database), HR Intervals (a free bilingual HR toolkit), the PRISM Network (corporate community investment certification), and a membership network with policy advocacy and sector research.

Product overview

Imagine Canada operates as a nonprofit support organization offering a portfolio of distinct programs and services for the charitable and nonprofit sector. The core offerings include the Standards Accreditation program (a national best-practice framework for nonprofit governance and operational excellence), Grant Connect (a subscription-based fundraising research platform with extensive grant funder data), HR Intervals (a free bilingual HR toolkit), and the PRISM Network with Imagine Canada Certification/Trustmark (corporate community investment certification). Supporting offerings include the Early Alert policy newsletter, 360° Blog, Let's Imagine Podcast, and Membership network. The organization also produces sector research and operates advocacy and public policy initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PRISM Network: A network advancing the practice of social investment in Canada, certifying companies that contribute at least 1% of pre-tax profits to community causes.
• Grant Connect
• HR Intervals
• Imagine Canada Standards

Products and services

• Imagine Canada Standards (Accreditation)
• Grant Connect
• HR Intervals
• PRISM Network (Imagine Canada Certification)
• Imagine Canada Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Nonprofit sector employs 2.9 million people (8.4% of Canada's GDP, $244 billion economic activity)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• Fair Funding for Nonprofits CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Coalition of 50+ organizations advocating for equitable and effective federal funding for nonprofits. Led advocacy day on Parliament Hill in May 2026 with 19 nonprofit leaders meeting with 18 MPs, Senators, and senior civil servants.
• PearTree CanadaflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the 2026 Nonprofit Advocacy Day. Provides sophisticated charitable giving platform enabling sophisticated stock-based donations.
• YourCause from BlackbaudcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of PRISM Network Learning Series events including the Edmonton reception and panel discussion on corporate giving.
• Employment and Social Development CanadacoreOthersFederal government department providing funding support to Imagine Canada. Key stakeholder in nonprofit sector funding discussions.
• Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience (CCNDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner working towards a digitally-enabled nonprofit sector. Published joint research including Cybersecurity On-Ramp for Settlement Sector.
• Federal Nonprofit Data CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 40+ organizations working to improve federally collected data about the nonprofit sector.
• Canadian Federation of Voluntary Sector NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of regional sector networks that meets regularly to discuss shared interests and coordinate advocacy.
• Equitable Recovery CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition formed in 2020 in response to COVID-19's impact on nonprofits and their communities, focused on equitable recovery.
• People-Centred Economy Group (CCEDNet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrings together community economic development, cooperative, social economy, and nonprofit representatives to advance inclusive economies.
• Solidarity in the Social Economy Working Group (SETSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking group confronting apathy towards inclusion, diversity, equity and access in social finance and community economic development.
• Volunteer CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in launching the Canadian Knowledge Hub for Giving and Volunteering, along with Ajah, AFP Canada, and Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada.
• Blueprint ADEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Futureproofing the Community Service Workforce project exploring digital skills gaps in nonprofits.
• The DaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in digital skills research project exploring current state of nonprofit workforce and demand for digital skills.
• Digital Governance CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in digital skills research project for nonprofits.
• BlackbaudcoreGTM or Marketing Partner$50,000+ supporter and sponsor of PRISM Network Learning Series through YourCause platform.
• Miller Thomson LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner$10,000+ supporter and legal sponsor of Fair Funding for Nonprofits reception.
• Dr. Barrie Strafford Centre for Learning, Innovation, and Quality (CLIQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported development of People First report resources.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Community Foundations of Canada: Canadian national network of 191 community foundations across Canada and a member of Imagine Canada. Comparable as a sector-infrastructure organization and coalition partner, though more narrowly focused on community philanthropy than Imagine Canada's full mandate.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals: Global professional association for fundraisers that partners with Imagine Canada on the Canadian Knowledge Hub for Giving and Volunteering. Comparable as a sector membership and capacity-building organization whose fundraising-professional audience overlaps with Grant Connect buyers.

Direct peers

• Volunteer Canada: Canadian national organization dedicated to volunteerism and civic participation, partnering with Imagine Canada on the Canadian Knowledge Hub for Giving and Volunteering. Comparable as a Canadian nonprofit-infrastructure peer with overlapping membership and research programs.
• Independent Sector: U.S. national membership organization that convenes nonprofits, foundations, and corporations to strengthen the charitable sector through research, advocacy, and cross-sector leadership. Closely mirrors Imagine Canada's coalition-building and sector advocacy mandate.
• National Council of Nonprofits: U.S. national network of nonprofit organizations that advocates for the sector, provides state-level capacity building, and convenes state and national associations. Directly comparable to Imagine Canada in its national infrastructure role for the charitable sector.
• Charity Navigator: Leading U.S. charity rating and evaluation platform that assesses nonprofit accountability and transparency. Comparable to Imagine Canada's Standards Accreditation and Trustmark in its role as a third-party validator of nonprofit credibility and donor confidence.
• Candid: U.S.-based nonprofit that operates Foundation Directory and GuideStar, providing comprehensive grant research and nonprofit transparency data. Directly comparable to Imagine Canada's Grant Connect as a subscription-based fundraising research platform.

Broad incumbents

• Charities Aid Foundation: International charity focused on giving, philanthropy, and social innovation across multiple geographies. Comparable to Imagine Canada's broader mission of strengthening philanthropy and charitable giving, though with a much wider global footprint.
• Blackbaud: Large U.S.-listed provider of software, services, and data exclusively for the nonprofit sector. Comparable to Imagine Canada through its YourCause sponsorship of PRISM and broadly relevant as the dominant commercial tech infrastructure provider serving the same customer base.

Emerging players

• TechSoup: Global nonprofit that provides technology products, services, and capacity-building resources to other nonprofits. Comparable to Imagine Canada's HR Intervals and digital capacity-building offerings as an adjacent digital-infrastructure provider for the sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ImagineCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imagine-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/imaginecanada/?hl=en
• Xx.com/ImagineCanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Imagine Canada