Capilano Students' Union

What Capilano Students' Union does

The Capilano Students' Union (CSU) is an independent non-profit society incorporated under the BC Societies Act, founded in 1971 to represent students enrolled at Capilano University across its three campuses in North Vancouver, Squamish, and Sechelt, British Columbia. The organization serves a captive membership of approximately 8,400 students, with mandatory student society fees producing a ~CAD $4.5M annual operating budget ($4,185,252 in expected 2023-24 student fee revenue plus $191,251 in investment income). The CSU is governed by an elected student board of directors, with day-to-day operations led by an Executive Director and a small professional staff of 11–50 across functions including advocacy, communications, policy and campaigns, programs, student spaces, and technical services. The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023 and is one of the oldest student societies in British Columbia.

CSU's service portfolio is built around a stack of student-facing programs: a Health & Dental Plan administered through Studentcare, a U-Pass BC subsidized transit pass (saving students $600+/semester versus market rates), a Device Doctor free electronics repair service with a Reboot Refurbishment program, a Student Rights Office for academic appeals, food security programming (Community Cupboard, Pop-Up Produce, food hampers), three resource centres (Women's, Queer, Black), renter's insurance via Apollo Cover, and an ecosystem of 50+ clubs and 7 identity-based collectives. The business model is a fee-funded subscription: students are charged $47.27/semester plus $3.26/credit (capped at 10 credits) for general membership, with eight additional unit-priced per-credit fees earmarked for equity, clubs, recreation, external advocacy, device repair, the future student union building, and business associations. Distribution is direct through three physical campus lounges and online booking/forms infrastructure, and the organization is a founding member of the Alliance of BC Students for provincial advocacy.

A 2026 governance crisis — including the removal of the president and VP finance following an ethics investigation into bylaw violations and the subsequent addition of an Ethics Officer to the bylaws — is the most significant recent leadership event. The organization is also pursuing a new student union building project funded by a dedicated per-credit building fee, representing the largest capital expansion in its recent history.

Name

Capilano Students' Union

Legal name

Capilano Students' Union

Website

https://csu.bc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Capilano Students' Union is an independent non-profit student society serving approximately 8,400 Capilano University students across three BC campuses, delivering health/dental, transit, electronics repair, food security, advocacy, and clubs/collectives services funded primarily by mandatory student fees on a ~CAD $4.5M annual budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Union Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAIAFAI

Student Health Insurance Plans (University-Sponsored)

Financial & Insurance/Insurance — Life & Health/Group Health Insurance (Employer-Sponsored)

SECONDARYEDALAHAF

Cultural, Identity & Inclusion Programs

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Activities, Clubs & Campus Life

SECONDARYEDALANAE

International Student Academic & Personal Support (case management, referrals)

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/International Student Services & Immigration Support

Keywords

• Student services
• Student advocacy
• Student health insurance
• Transit pass program
• Student representation

Headquarters

HQ city

North Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Student Society Fees: Primary revenue source from mandatory student fees: $47.27 flat fee per semester plus $3.26 per credit (up to 10 credits), plus separate fees for U-Pass BC, Health & Dental, Equity & Sustainability, Clubs & Events, Recreation, External Advocacy, Personal Electronics Repair Service, Student Union Building, and Business & Professional Associations. Total expected collection of approximately $4,185,252 in 2023-24 fiscal year.
2. Investment Income: Revenue from CSU's investment portfolio, primarily directed to the student union building fund. Expected earnings of approximately $191,251 in 2023-24 fiscal year.
3. Non-Fee Revenue: Additional revenue from user fees, rental fees, grant revenues, and sponsorships. Target of over $100,000 in non-fee revenue annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Capilano Students' Union (CSU) is an independent, non-profit student society at Capilano University that provides a portfolio of services to its 8,400+ members across three campuses (North Vancouver, Squamish, and Sechelt). Its core offerings include a Health & Dental Plan administered through Studentcare, a U-Pass BC discounted transit pass, the Device Doctor electronics repair service, food security programs (Community Cupboard, Pop-Up Produce, food hampers), and the Student Rights Office for academic advocacy and appeals.

Product overview

Capilano Students' Union operates as a non-profit student society offering a comprehensive portfolio of student services and advocacy programs. The core offerings include a health and dental plan administered through Studentcare, U-Pass BC transit passes, the Device Doctor electronics repair service, and a Student Rights Office for academic advocacy. Food security resources encompass the Community Cupboard food bank, Pop-Up Produce program, and food hampers. The organization maintains three dedicated Resource Centres (Women's Centre, Queer Resource Centre, Black Resource Centre) and supports over 50 student clubs. The Capilano Business & Professional Society (CBPS) provides professional development for business students through six affiliated associations. Additional services include renter's insurance partnerships, locker rentals, space booking, community closet, free money hub for financial aid, and annual elections. The CSU advocates for students on issues including tuition, housing, and education policy through campaigns and coalition work with the Alliance of BC Students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health & Dental Plan

Quantifiable outcome

• Students save $600+ per semester on transit through U-Pass BC program (compared to $201.55/month market rate)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alliance of BC Students (ABCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSU is a founding member of ABCS, a provincial lobbying group comprised of student associations across British Columbia. In 2020, CSU and ABCS celebrated the announcement of non-repayable needs-based grants. The partnership enables coordinated advocacy at the provincial government level.
• StudentcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSU offers a comprehensive health and dental plan through Studentcare, providing coverage for dental services, prescription drugs, travel health insurance, mental health services, and other extended benefits. Studentcare administers claims and provides network access for practitioners.
• North Shore Neighborhood HouseminorOthersCommunity-based hub partner offering food literacy programs, opportunities for free/low-cost meals, and daycare services. Listed as a resource partner on CSU's food security page.
• Spoon UniversityminorOthersStudent-forward and student-led resource for recipes, food hacks, and articles with tips tailored to student lifestyles. Listed as a partner on CSU's food security resources page.
• Vancouver Food RunnersminorOthersVancouver Food Runners takes good quality unused food from restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food sources and redistributes it back to the community. Listed as a partner on CSU's food security resources page.
• Quest Food ExchangecoreOthersQuest partners with local wholesalers, supermarkets, and farmers to make food available at reduced cost. CSU can issue referrals for students to join. Registration available online or in person at CSU Member Services.
• Capilano UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSU is distinct from the university but operates in partnership. University provides facilities and co-sponsors various programs including Pop-Up Produce with Student Services. CSU represents students on university committees and governance bodies.
• Return-ItminorOthersElectronics recycling depot partner for the Reboot Refurbishment Program. Students encouraged to drop off devices at nearby Return-It locations for electronics that cannot be accepted by CSU.
• Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) British ColumbiaminorOthersCertified recycler partner for the Reboot Refurbishment Program. Devices that cannot be reused are safely handled by EPRA-certified recyclers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver: Student society at University of British Columbia Vancouver, providing similar comprehensive services (health/dental plan, U-Pass, advocacy, clubs, food security) for ~70,000 students. Most directly comparable peer given similar BC location, mandatory fee model, and service portfolio.
• Simon Fraser University Student Society: SFU Student Society represents SFU students with comparable service offerings including health/dental plan, U-Pass transit, advocacy through Alliance of BC Students, and clubs governance. Direct BC peer serving 30,000+ students with similar BC provincial advocacy partnerships.
• University of Victoria Students' Society (UVSS): BC student society providing parallel services including health/dental, U-Pass, food security, and student advocacy. Co-founding member of Alliance of BC Students with CSU, directly comparable governance and service model.
• Douglas College Students' Union: Student union at nearby Douglas College in Metro Vancouver, providing nearly identical service suite (health/dental, U-Pass BC, food security, advocacy). Highly comparable scale (~8,000-10,000 students) and BC-specific context including TransLink U-Pass program.
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University Students' Association: KPU student association serving multiple BC campuses with comparable mandatory fee structure, health benefits, U-Pass, and advocacy services. Direct peer given similar BC regional context and Alliance of BC Students membership.
• British Columbia Institute of Technology Student Association: BCIT's student association provides similar service portfolio (health/dental, U-Pass BC, clubs, advocacy) for trades and technology students. Comparable in BC regional context with similar service offerings and governance structure.
• Emily Carr Students' Union: Student union at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver. Smaller-scale BC peer with similar service model (mandatory fees, health plan, U-Pass, advocacy) and Alliance of BC Students membership — closely matches CSU's arts-focused student segments.

Others

• Alliance of BC Students (ABCS): Provincial student association coalition of which CSU is a founding member. Not a direct peer but key strategic ally enabling coordinated provincial advocacy, lobbying, and policy development for BC post-secondary students.
• Studentcare: Canadian health and dental insurance administrator that manages CSU's Health & Dental Plan. Ecosystem partner providing network access, claims administration, and practitioner coverage that enables CSU's health benefits offering.
• Quest Food Exchange: Non-profit food access organization partnered with CSU to provide reduced-cost food access for students in need. Adjacent food security partner enabling CSU's Community Cupboard and food security programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CapStudentUnion
• Facebookfacebook.com/CapStudentUnion
• Instagraminstagram.com/CapStudentUnion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capstudentunion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Capilano Students' Union