iDE Canada

What iDE Canada does

iDE Canada is a Canadian-registered charitable nonprofit organization (legal name: IDE International Development Enterprises Association Inc., CRA #11889 3130 RR0001) headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that funds and supports market-based international development programs across 10 countries in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Founded in 1983 by Gerry Dyck, Paul Polak, and Art DeFehr following a refugee camp mission in Somalia, the organization applies a Human-Centered Design methodology to build sustainable markets for affordable products and services targeting poor rural households, rather than delivering traditional aid.

The organization's programmatic portfolio spans five core verticals: smallholder agriculture (Farm Business Advisors, treadle pumps, drip irrigation, solar pumps serving 110,000+ farmers in Zambia alone), sanitation/WASH (Sama Sama brand in Ghana supporting 100+ toilet entrepreneurs, with over 1 million toilets sold cumulatively), vision care (USee Vision System through partnership with Global Vision 2020, delivered at approximately $7 per pair), women's economic empowerment (Her Time to Grow — an $8.5M project with Global Affairs Canada that has supported 34,000+ women), and climate resilience (solar water pumps, micro-irrigation, greenhouse tunnels). The Paul Polak Innovation Fund (established 2021) provides internal R&D grant capital via Fail Fast (up to $20,000) and Spark (up to $130,000) tiers. Globally, iDE reports 40 million people helped to date and 2.5 million treadle pumps sold.

iDE Canada's revenue model is entirely donor-funded, with no commercial product sales. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time and recurring via the Activators Circle), gala sponsorship (Winnipeg and Winkler events with tiers ranging from $1,250 to $20,000), government grants (Global Affairs Canada, Manitoba Council for International Cooperation), planned/legacy giving (100 Farmers Society), and project-based institutional grants. The organization communicates a 10:1 return-on-donation metric and a $40-per-$1 income-generation ratio for Her Time to Grow. Programs are delivered through a global field network of 1,200 employees, 96% of whom live and work in the program countries. The Canadian entity serves as the fundraising and donor-engagement hub connecting Canadian supporters to the global iDE operating model.

Name

iDE Canada

Legal name

IDE International Development Enterprises Association Inc.

Website

https://idecanada.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

iDE Canada is a Winnipeg-based registered charity that funds market-based international development programs in agriculture, sanitation, vision care, and women's empowerment across 10 countries, supported by individual donors, government grants, and gala fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Nonprofit Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Global Public Health Aid Administration (Government Donors) (HLAJALAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC)

Keywords

• Rural development programs
• Smallholder farmer services
• Market-based poverty alleviation
• International development NGO
• Women entrepreneurship training

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and organizational donations are the primary revenue source. The organization emphasizes a 10:1 return on investment, meaning every $1 donated generates at least $10 in increased incomes for beneficiaries.
2. Government Grants: Financial support from Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and Government of Manitoba through Manitoba Council for International Cooperation.
3. Project-Based Funding: Major project funding such as Her Time to Grow ($8.5M project in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada) and Paul Polak Innovation Fund grants for innovation projects.
4. Monthly Giving (Activators Circle): Recurring monthly donations from dedicated supporters who power entrepreneurs each month.
5. Legacy Giving: Planned giving through wills, life insurance, and bequests. Donors joining the 100 Farmers Society, a community of legacy givers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

iDE Canada is a nonprofit charitable organization that designs and delivers market-based development programs to help poor rural households in developing countries earn a living through small-scale agriculture, clean water, sanitation, and entrepreneurship. Through its Agriculture, Vision, Sanitation, Climate Change, Her Time to Grow, and Innovate programs, it connects smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs with technology, training, and access to markets. The organization is funded by donations, sponsorships, and grants, and operates as part of a global network active in 10 countries.

Product overview

iDE Canada is a non-profit organization that creates income and livelihood opportunities for poor rural households in developing countries. Rather than a unified software product, iDE Canada offers a portfolio of international development programs including agricultural support (Farm Business Advisors, irrigation access, market connections), sanitation marketing (Sama Sama toilets), vision care (USee Vision System via Global Vision 2020 partnership), and women's economic empowerment (Her Time to Grow). All programs apply a Human Centered Design methodology. The Paul Polak Innovation Fund provides grant funding for testing new innovations. Programs span 10 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Honduras, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Vietnam, and Zambia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sama Sama: Sanitation brand established by iDE in northern Ghana for toilet businesses.
• Activators Circle
• 100 Farmers Society

Products and services

• Agriculture program Market-based program that helps smallholder farmers in developing countries access technologies (e.g., drip irrigation), training, and markets to increase income and food security. Intended for rural poor farming households in 10 country programs.
• Vision program Program supporting access to vision care, including distribution of reading glasses through local sales agents, delivered in partnership with iCAN Optics. Intended for low-income adults needing reading glasses in developing-country markets.
• Sanitation program Program that uses market mechanisms to deliver low-cost ceramic water filters and sanitation products to households lacking access to clean water and improved sanitation. Intended for poor rural households in iDE country programs.
• Climate Change program Program supporting climate resilience for smallholder farmers through climate-smart agricultural practices and adaptation support. Intended for rural farming households in regions affected by climate change.
• Her Time to Grow program Program focused on women's economic empowerment, providing entrepreneurship training, access to start-up capital, and market connections for women in developing countries. Intended for women entrepreneurs in iDE country programs.
• Innovate program Program that supports design, testing, and scaling of new market-based approaches to poverty alleviation, including product and business model innovations. Intended for internal program teams and partner organizations in iDE country programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 million people helped to date
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bean VoyagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bean Voyage, an organization specializing in supporting female coffee farmers in Latin America, for Coffee Quality Bootcamp in Honduras.
• Global Vision 2020coreStrategic or Co-development PartneriDE has partnered with Global Vision 2020, an award-winning organization that developed a simple vision tester and glasses assembly system. Together they aim to train entrepreneurs to test eyesight and assemble affordable glasses.
• Support Her Enterprise (SHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHE is a Cambodian organization that specializes in providing business training to female entrepreneurs. iDE welcomed SHE into the fold in 2024.
• Canada Forum for Impact Investment and Development (CAFIID)minorOthersiDE Canada is a member of this forum.
• Canadian Association of International Development Professionals (CAIDP)minorOthersiDE Canada is a member of CAIDP.
• Canadian Food Security Policy GroupminorOthersiDE Canada is a member of the Canadian Food Security Policy Group.
• Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC)minorOthersiDE Canada is a member of MCIC.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Oxfam Canada: Canadian affiliate of Oxfam International, working on poverty, gender, and inequality in similar regions. Overlaps on women's economic empowerment and government-funded project work.
• World Vision Canada: One of the largest Canadian international development charities with a broad portfolio of child sponsorship, WASH, and livelihoods programs across similar geographies to iDE.
• Save the Children Canada: Large international NGO with Canadian operations covering health, education, hunger, and economic empowerment in similar geographies; competes with iDE in the same donor pool.
• UNICEF Canada: Canadian fundraising arm of UNICEF, the UN children's fund; large-scale international development organization competing for institutional donors, government funding, and high-net-worth givers across overlapping cause areas.

Direct peers

• CARE Canada: Canadian affiliate of CARE International, focusing on poverty alleviation, women's economic empowerment, and WASH across developing countries — a direct peer in mission, model, and government-donor funding mix.
• Right to Play: Canadian-registered international development charity headquartered in Toronto that works across Africa and Asia using sport and play-based programs, comparable to iDE Canada's market-based, locally-delivered development model.
• CUSO International: Canadian international development charity focused on inclusive economic development and women's empowerment in Africa, Asia, and Latin America — comparable size, model, and target donor demographics to iDE Canada.
• Mennonite Central Committee Canada: Canadian-registered international development organization with shared historical roots in the Mennonite community and Manitoba; operates similar agriculture, livelihoods, and emergency programs in developing countries.
• Plan International Canada: Major Canadian international development NGO operating across multiple countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas with a focus on children's rights, gender equality, and economic empowerment — overlapping heavily with iDE's footprint and donor base.

Regional players

• Aga Khan Foundation Canada: Canadian-domiciled international development foundation funding rural development, sanitation, and women's economic empowerment programs in similar geographies; a smaller, Canada-anchored peer with comparable mission focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iDECanada
• Facebookfacebook.com/iDECanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ide-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/idecanadaorg

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 iDE Canada