Sudbury Women’s Centre

What Sudbury Women’s Centre does

Sudbury Women's Centre (SWC) is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization (Charitable Registration Number 821577004RR0001) founded in 1981 and headquartered at 174 Douglas Street, Sudbury, Ontario. SWC delivers free direct services, workshops, and social-enterprise programming to women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals experiencing violence or other difficult life circumstances across Greater Sudbury and Northern Ontario. Core programs include My Sister's Closet (a clothing, accessories, and hygiene support program operating as both a free service and a thrift social enterprise with items from $1), one-on-one Safety Plan development, bi-weekly SOS Nights, and the Breaking Down Barriers workplace equity training initiative delivered to employers in male-dominated industries. Workshop offerings include Healthy Relationships and Boundaries, Healing and Empowerment (a six-week trauma-informed course), Navigating Hardships, Networking With (employment and entrepreneurship), and the Engaging and Empowering Conversational Group (a 12-week program for immigrant women funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation Seed Grant).

Name

Sudbury Women’s Centre

Legal name

Sudbury Women's Centre

Website

https://sudburywc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sudbury Women's Centre is a Sudbury, Ontario non-profit charitable organization founded in 1981 that delivers free direct services, workshops, and social-enterprise programs — including clothing support, safety planning, and workplace equity training — to women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals experiencing violence or hardship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services for Women and Gender-Diverse Individuals

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Gender-based violence support
• Women's social services
• Safety planning
• Community outreach programs
• Social enterprise thrift

Headquarters

HQ city

Sudbury

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization raises funds through individual financial donations, monthly giving programs, event fundraisers (galas, raffles, community events), and corporate donations. All donations over $25 are tax-deductible.
2. Government Funding and Grants: Partial funding provided by Ontario government. Additional funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), Ontario Trillium Foundation Seed Grant, and federal government programs like the $3M WHOLE Seniors funding.
3. Social Enterprise - My Sister's Closet: My Sister's Closet operates as both a free service for clients and a social enterprise generating revenue through affordable clothing sales starting at $1. Thrifty Thursday fundraiser events also generate funds for purchasing hygiene items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sudbury Women's Centre is a charitable non-profit that provides free programs and supports for women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals experiencing violence or difficult life circumstances in Northeastern Ontario. Offerings include safety planning, SOS overnight support, Breaking Down Barriers community programming, workshops, and a social-enterprise thrift initiative (My Sister's Closet). Services are delivered at no cost to clients and funded through donations, grants, and enterprise revenue.

Product overview

Sudbury Women's Centre (SWC) is a non-profit charitable organization offering a portfolio of programs and services for women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals experiencing violence or challenging life circumstances. The core offerings include My Sister's Closet (clothing and hygiene support), Safety Plans, and SOS Nights as foundational programs. The organization delivers workshops including Healthy Relationships and Boundaries, Healing and Empowerment, Navigating Hardships, and Networking With for employment support, plus an Engaging and Empowering Conversational Group for immigrant women. The Breaking Down Barriers program is a notable workplace training initiative targeting male-dominated industries, available both in-person and via an online learning platform with five self-paced courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• My Sister's Closet: A community program and social enterprise that provides affordable clothing and accessories while offering essential items at no cost to women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals in need.
• Breaking Down Barriers
• WHOLE Seniors

Products and services

• Safety Plans Confidential, individualized safety planning assistance for women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals experiencing violence or unsafe circumstances.
• SOS Nights Overnight crisis response service providing women and gender-diverse individuals with access to support during evening and overnight hours.
• Breaking Down Barriers Community program that addresses barriers faced by women and gender-diverse individuals through outreach, education, and wraparound supports.
• Workshops and Group Programs Free facilitated workshops and group sessions covering topics relevant to women's safety, equity, and personal development.
• My Sister's Closet Social-enterprise thrift retail operation selling donated clothing and goods to generate unrestricted revenue that subsidizes the Centre's free programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ new client intakes in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WHOLE Seniors Partner OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Overseen by Sudbury Women's Centre, WHOLE Seniors initiative supports five Greater Sudbury non-profit organizations providing innovative programming for seniors. Partners include Independent Living Resource Centre, ParkSide Centre, Spark Employment Services, Thriving African Families, and United Way Centreaid Northeast Ontario. Recipients receive $3M federal funding.
• Spark Employment ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic collaboration formalized in 2025 aimed at building long-term leadership capacity. Both organizations operate independently under the leadership and guidance of CEO Chantal Makela. Drives innovation, enhances service delivery, and fosters stronger community connections. Partnership enables seamless referrals and integrated employment support services.
• FCR ParadigmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSudbury-based human resources firm that collaborated with SWC to develop the Breaking Down Barriers training program modules for male-dominated workplaces.
• The Regional Business CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner collaborating with SWC to deliver Networking With workshops on topics including starting a small business, budgeting, and employment.
• PAROminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner collaborating with SWC to deliver Networking With workshops providing employment and entrepreneurship resources.
• VisionarEase Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Client Centered Governance Board Education Social Enterprise. Brings governance training designed by a governance leader with board experience in the women's sector.
• Genevra House SheltercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency shelter referral partner for women in immediate danger. Contact: (705) 674-2210.
• Centre Victoria pour femmescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench-language women's services partner. Contact: 705-670-2517 or [email protected] for French language support in the region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• YWCA Canada: YWCA Canada is the national umbrella organization for YWCAs across Canada, providing women's shelter, housing, employment, and advocacy services. It is a broad incumbent in the same sector with overlapping mission and service lines, though operating at a much larger national scale vs. SWC's regional focus.
• Canadian Women's Foundation: Canadian Women's Foundation is a national public foundation funding and advocating for gender equality and violence prevention programs. It is a broad sector incumbent with overlapping advocacy and grantmaking roles, and serves as a potential funder and sector convener that interfaces with organizations like SWC.

Others

• Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH): OAITH is the provincial umbrella association for women's shelters and interval/transition houses in Ontario. It is a sector coordination and advocacy body that SWC and its shelter partners (Genevra House, Centre Victoria) interface with, making it a relevant ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Interval House Toronto: Interval House provides emergency shelter, counseling, and community programs for women and children experiencing violence in Toronto. As one of Canada's most established women's shelters, it is directly comparable to SWC in mission and service mix, though larger in scale and operating in an urban center.
• Native Women's Resource Centre of Toronto: The Native Women's Resource Centre provides culturally grounded support services, shelter referrals, and community programs for Indigenous women and gender-diverse people in Toronto. It is a direct peer in mission and population served, with overlapping service categories (violence support, basic needs, community programming) comparable to SWC.
• YWCA Sudbury: YWCA Sudbury provides housing, employment, and support services for women and families in the same Greater Sudbury market as Sudbury Women's Centre. Both organizations serve overlapping populations (women experiencing violence, low-income women, youth) and collaborate via referral partnerships, making them the closest direct geographic peer.
• Nellie's (Nellie's Women's Residence): Nellie's is a Toronto-based women's shelter and support organization offering emergency shelter, transitional housing, and community programs for women and children fleeing violence. It is a comparable direct peer in mission (women's support and violence response) with a similar service mix to SWC but operating in a larger urban market.
• Anova (formerly Women's Community House): Anova is a London, Ontario-based organization providing shelter, counseling, and community-based programs for women who have experienced abuse. It is a comparable direct peer with a similar mid-sized Ontario market footprint and comprehensive service model including violence response and employment support.
• Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region: Women's Crisis Services operates emergency shelters and outreach programs for women experiencing domestic violence in Waterloo Region. It is a direct peer with comparable programming (shelter, counseling, community education) and similar Ontario operational context to SWC.

Regional players

• Atira Women's Resource Society: Atira is a British Columbia-based women's resource society operating shelters, housing, and support programs for women and children impacted by violence. It is a regional peer with a highly comparable mission-driven service model, though geographically concentrated in BC rather than Ontario.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sudburywc
• Facebookfacebook.com/sudburywomenscentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sudburywc
• Instagraminstagram.com/sudburywomenscentre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Sudbury Women’s Centre