What LiveDifferent does

LiveDifferent is a Canadian registered charity (BN 861232890RR0001) founded in 2000 and headquartered in Brandon, Manitoba, with additional contact offices in Calgary, Alberta. The organization delivers youth empowerment programming through three core pillars: Circles (school-based mental wellness and peer mentorship programming delivered via youth road teams to Canadian middle and high schools), Builds (international humanitarian service trips to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Thailand, and Haiti where volunteers construct homes and infrastructure), and Academy (a 13-week gap-semester program spanning Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic). The organization also operates long-term Compassion Projects including Freedom Village (a rescue home for girls in Haiti) and École L'Union (a K-9 school in Cap-Haïtien that has served over 242,000 meals).

The business model is donation-driven and event-driven, with revenue generated from individual and corporate donations (tax-receiptable under Canadian charity status), Build trip participant fees with associated fundraising minimums, annual With Love Gala fundraising events in Calgary and Winnipeg, tiered corporate partnership sponsorships (legacy, mentor, coach, and builder tiers), an online merchandise storefront at store.livedifferent.com, and recurring giving vehicles including the Canadian Youth Fund, LoveLegacy Fund, Youth Impact Fund, and Emergency Relief Fund. The 2026 Calgary Gala alone raised $300,032 against Diamond sponsorships from Boeing, Deloitte, CIBC, and Oliver Wyman. LiveDifferent is Imagine Canada Accredited and holds flagship partnerships with WestJet (whose President & COO sits on the Board) and the Servco Canada / Samantha Mason Foundation (legacy-level giving of $250,000+).

LiveDifferent's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: the Circles program is booked directly into schools via website inquiries and discovery calls, while the Builds program recruits volunteer cohorts through road-team presentations and the my.livedifferent.com registration portal. The organization operates field offices in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Haiti, staffed by dedicated country-level operations managers, and reports cumulative impact of 1.9 million+ youth reached, 4,400+ schools and communities visited, 665-625+ homes built, and 9,300+ volunteers mentored since founding. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; there are no funding rounds, no investors, and no parent company — LiveDifferent is an independent nonprofit governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Devin Hollis (VP Marketing at OWD), with CEO Charles Roberts in role since 2012.

Name

LiveDifferent

Legal name

LiveDifferent

Website

https://livedifferent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LiveDifferent is a Canadian registered charity that delivers youth mental wellness programming in schools, international humanitarian Build trips, and long-term community development projects in Haiti, funded primarily through donations, corporate sponsorships, and annual galas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Empowerment Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Youth empowerment programs
• Humanitarian build trips
• School mental wellness
• Charitable donations
• International volunteer travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Brandon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: LiveDifferent generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Monthly and one-time donors support the organization's youth empowerment programs in Canada and international humanitarian projects. Donations are tax-receiptable under Canadian charity registration.
2. Gala Events and Fundraisers: Annual gala events in Calgary and Winnipeg raise significant funds through ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations. The 2026 Calgary Gala raised $300,032. Proceeds support the Canadian Youth Fund and Haiti programs.
3. Program Fees and Merchandise: Build trip participants pay fees that cover program costs and contribute to construction expenses. Online merchandise store sells branded items with proceeds supporting youth empowerment programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LiveDifferent is a registered Canadian charity that delivers youth empowerment programming domestically through school-based mental wellness assemblies and peer mentorship curricula, and internationally through volunteer-led humanitarian construction trips and long-term community development projects. Its core offerings include the Circles school program, Builds international service trips, Academy gap-semester program, and Compassion Projects such as Freedom Village rescue home and École L'Union school in Haiti.

Product overview

LiveDifferent offers a multi-program youth empowerment platform centered on three core pillars: Circles (mental wellness programming through school assemblies and peer mentorship), Builds (international humanitarian service trips), and Academy (gap-year study abroad). The organization also operates Compassion Projects including Freedom Village in Haiti and École L'Union school, plus fundraising events and an online store. The portfolio is unified by the mission to inspire youth toward compassion and kindness through experiential learning, both domestically through school presentations and internationally via volunteer construction projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circles Program A youth mental wellness and engagement program featuring school assemblies, peer mentorship curriculum, keynote presentations, and educator resources. Delivered by youth road team presenters to Canadian middle and high schools to build resilience, empathy, and compassion in students.
• Builds Program An international humanitarian service trip program where youth volunteers work alongside local communities to construct homes and infrastructure in developing countries including Dominican Republic, Mexico, Thailand, and Haiti.
• Academy Program A 13-week immersive gap-semester program for youth to explore Mexico, Haiti, and Dominican Republic while volunteering and experiencing self-discovery through service learning.
• Compassion Projects Long-term community development initiatives including Freedom Village in Haiti (a rescue home providing safe housing, care, and education for girls escaping exploitation) and École L'Union (a school providing education and meals to K-9 students in Cap-Haïtien).
• With Love Gala Annual fundraising galas held in Calgary and Winnipeg bringing together donors, corporate partners, and volunteers to support Canadian and international youth programming.
• Online Store Online merchandise store selling branded apparel and goods, with proceeds supporting LiveDifferent's youth empowerment programs.
• Donation Portal Online donation platform enabling supporters to contribute to LiveDifferent's programs with tax receipt issuance for eligible donations to the registered Canadian charity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87.5% of volunteers intend to be involved in social justice (volunteering/philanthropy)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• WestJetflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestJet is a key partner and presenting sponsor of LiveDifferent events. WestJet has a long-standing humanitarian partnership with LiveDifferent, having sent teams of employees on Build trips to construct homes. Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines & WestJet Group COO, serves on LiveDifferent's Board of Directors.
• Soundbox ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentors-level partner ($100,000-$249,000) supporting LiveDifferent programs. Featured partner in Circles program marketing materials.
• Hooper LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoaches-level partner ($25,000-$49,000) and sponsor of LiveDifferent events. Rob Hooper from Hooper Law serves on LiveDifferent's Board of Directors.
• Prominent HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoaches-level partner ($25,000-$49,000) supporting LiveDifferent's international building programs.
• Kinsmen Club of WinnipegcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilders-level partner ($5,000-$24,000) supporting Freedom Village and youth programming. Longtime supporter of LiveDifferent initiatives.
• The Kinsmen Club of WinnipegcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as partner supporting Circles mental wellness programming in Canadian schools.
• BoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiamond sponsor of the 2026 Calgary Gala. Major corporate supporter of LiveDifferent events.
• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiamond sponsor of the 2026 Calgary Gala. Professional services firm supporting LiveDifferent.
• CIBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiamond sponsor of the 2026 Calgary Gala. Financial institution supporting LiveDifferent.
• Oliver WymancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiamond sponsor of the 2026 Calgary Gala. Management consulting firm supporting LiveDifferent.
• Paul Brandt TruckingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting sponsor of the Winnipeg Gala. Kerry Brandt, co-owner of Brandt Trucking, serves as Past Chairman of LiveDifferent's Board of Directors.
• First Nations University of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Reconciliation Education course delivered to LiveDifferent staff and active volunteers as part of Indigenous engagement commitment.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Habitat for Humanity Canada: Operates volunteer-driven home-building programs both domestically and internationally, with a similar Builds-style model in developing countries. Comparable on the affordable housing and volunteer-construction axis, though much larger and focused exclusively on housing.
• WE Charity (formerly ME to WE): Formerly Canada's largest youth-empowerment charity with parallel programming in school engagement, international volunteer builds, and social-enterprise fundraising. Highly comparable in mission, target audience, and Canadian school-based delivery model, despite the organization's recent wind-down.
• Youth Challenge International: Canadian nonprofit mobilizing youth volunteers for international community-development projects in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Direct overlap with Builds program model and youth volunteer pipeline.
• Free The Children / WE Movement: Historic Canadian peer organization running school-based youth leadership programming and international development projects. Closely aligned with Circles-style school presentations and overseas volunteer trips.
• Right To Play: Canadian-headquartered international NGO using sport and play for child development in underserved regions. Comparable youth-development mission and school/community-based delivery footprint, though with a distinct sport-based methodology.
• Cuso International: Canadian international development organization placing volunteers overseas for capacity-building assignments. Overlaps with LiveDifferent's international volunteer deployment model.
• Crossroads International: Canadian international development organization engaging volunteers in overseas community projects. Comparable volunteer-driven service-trip model with development outcomes in Latin America and Africa.
• War Child Canada: Canadian charity supporting children affected by war, with programming in countries where LiveDifferent also operates (Haiti, DR). Comparable international child-welfare and education focus.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada: Large national youth-mentorship charity with school-based programming across Canada. Comparable on the youth-mental-wellness and peer-mentorship delivery axis, though without the international builds component.
• Plan International Canada: Major international child-welfare NGO operating in many of the same countries as LiveDifferent (including Haiti and DR). Comparable child-protection and education programming, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/livediff
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@livedifferent
• Facebookfacebook.com/livediff
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/live-different
• Instagraminstagram.com/livediff
• TikToktiktok.com/@live_diff

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles29 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 LiveDifferent