Sagesse

What Sagesse does

Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society is a Calgary-based registered Canadian charitable non-profit that delivers domestic abuse and coercive control prevention, intervention, and systemic change programming across Alberta and Saskatchewan, with virtual reach across Canada. Founded in 2012, the organization operates a multi-program portfolio anchored on four evidence-based peer support programs (Step Forward for one-on-one support, Finding Our Voices for self-esteem groups, Growth Circle for domestic abuse education, and the 20-week BElieve in YOU for sex work and domestic abuse intersections), delivered free of charge by trained volunteer facilitators in-person and virtually. Complementary offerings include the REAL Talk community education workshop series, the High-Conflict Screening Tool (a confidential, sliding-scale online assessment reviewed by expert social workers and used by individuals and family law professionals), and specialized training workshops (Rainbow Ready for 2SLGBTQQIA+ inclusion, Domestic Abuse and the Culture of Affluence, and Sex Work and Domestic Abuse). The technology stack is modest and web-based, comprising an online screening survey, an anonymous Resource Hub, online program registration, and standard third-party integrations (CareDove for scheduling, Eventbrite for events, CanadaHelps for donations, SkipTheDepot for bottle-recycling donations, and Zeffy for ticketing); there is no evidence of AI/ML capability. Revenue is generated primarily through donations and fundraising, supplemented by the ByDesign wholly-owned social enterprise (consulting, facilitation, evaluation, and curriculum development for nonprofits, businesses, and government), fee-for-service workshops, screening tool fees on a sliding scale from a $100 CAD base, and book sales, with all earned income reinvested into Sagesse's programs. The organization is led by CEO Andrea Silverstone and is deeply embedded in Alberta's primary-prevention policy infrastructure through the IMPACT Initiative and the Alberta Primary Prevention Framework, and has extended its influence federally through testimony on coercive control criminalization.

Name

Sagesse

Legal name

Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society

Website

https://sagesse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sagesse is a Calgary-based Canadian non-profit delivering free peer support programs, REAL Talk community education, and a High-Conflict Screening tool to individuals, workplaces, and family law professionals across Alberta and Saskatchewan, with national virtual reach and a wholly-owned ByDesign consulting social enterprise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Prevention and Social Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Domestic abuse prevention
• Peer support programs
• Coercive control screening
• Community education workshops
• Social enterprise consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, monthly giving programs, corporate matching, memorial and tribute gifts, and bottle recycling donations through SkipTheDepot. Charitable Registration Number: 105200403RR0001.
2. High-Conflict Screening Fees: Screening tool sold on sliding scale based on household income. Revenue supports Sagesse's programs. Charge appears on credit card as ByDesign.
3. ByDesign Social Enterprise: Custom consulting services, facilitation, evaluation support, and curriculum development offered to nonprofits, businesses, and government entities. All revenue invested in Sagesse's programs.
4. Fee-for-Service Workshops: Rainbow Ready (2SLGBTQQIA+ training), Domestic Abuse and the Culture of Affluence workshops, and Sex Work education programs operate on fee-for-service model.
5. Book Sales: Sale of 'Innovation at the Back of the Bus' book by Andrea Silverstone and Carrie McManus. Print edition $45, digital edition by donation. All proceeds support Sagesse.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sagesse is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization that provides free peer support programs, community education workshops, and a confidential High-Conflict Screening tool to people impacted by domestic abuse and coercive control across Alberta and Saskatchewan. The organization also operates a social enterprise (ByDesign) offering consulting, facilitation, and curriculum development to other nonprofits, businesses, and government entities, with all revenue reinvested into program delivery.

Product overview

Sagesse operates as a multi-program nonprofit organization offering a unified suite of domestic abuse prevention and intervention services across Alberta and Saskatchewan. The core portfolio includes peer support programs (Step Forward, Finding Our Voices, Growth Circle, BElieve in YOU) delivered through one-on-one and group formats, and REAL Talk community education workshops. A distinctive offering is the High-Conflict Screening Tool for family law contexts. Additional programs include specialized training workshops (Rainbow Ready, Domestic Abuse and the Culture of Affluence, Sex Work and Domestic Abuse), the IMPACT collective impact initiative, and ByDesign social enterprise for consulting services. The organization also publishes 'Innovation at the Back of the Bus' and operates an anonymous Resource Hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REAL Talk: A guide to help Canadians understand and talk openly about domestic abuse, focusing on recognizing, empathizing, asking, and listening.
• Step Forward
• Finding Our Voices
• Growth Circle
• BElieve in YOU
• High-Conflict Screening
• Rainbow Ready
• ByDesign
• IMPACT Initiative

Products and services

• Peer Support Programs Free evidence-based peer support programs for individuals impacted by domestic abuse, including one-on-one and group support delivered in-person and virtually across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
• Step Forward One-on-one peer support program for individuals impacted by domestic abuse, matching participants with peer supporters through in-person, phone, or email connections.
• Finding Our Voices Six-week peer-based group program for individuals impacted by domestic abuse that explores self-esteem and healthy communication through shared experiences.
• Growth Circle Fourteen-week peer-based group program that dives into the experience of domestic abuse, including understanding trauma, shame, support systems, and personal power.
• BElieve in YOU Twenty-week peer-based program for individuals at the intersections of domestic abuse and sex work, providing skills and support for an abuse-free lifestyle.
• REAL Talk Workshops Community education workshops teaching recognition, empathy, asking, and listening skills to help Canadians become better supporters for people experiencing domestic abuse. Delivered in-person across Alberta and Saskatchewan and virtually across Canada.
• High-Conflict Screening Tool Confidential online screening assessment of domestic abuse and coercive control for individuals in high-conflict situations such as family law matters. Reviewed by expert social workers with a completion letter that supports legal advocacy.
• Rainbow Ready Training Capacity-building training program for 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals experiencing domestic abuse, delivered as a 3-6 hour specialized workshop with optional organizational audit consultation.
• Domestic Abuse and the Culture of Affluence Workshop Workshop exploring how wealth culture influences help-seeking behavior and abuse identification, designed for formal and informal supporters of affluent survivors.
• Sex Work and Domestic Abuse Workshop Workshop exploring the intersections of domestic abuse, coercive control, and sex work, building capacity to understand shame and stigma barriers to seeking help.
• ByDesign Consulting Services Social enterprise offering custom consulting services, facilitation, evaluation support, and curriculum development to other nonprofits, businesses, and government entities. All revenue is invested in Sagesse's programs.
• Innovation at the Back of the Bus (Book) Book by Andrea Silverstone and Carrie McManus on innovation in the civil society sector. Available in print ($45 including shipping) and digital (donation-based) editions, with all proceeds supporting Sagesse.

Quantifiable outcome

• Studies show peer support significantly reduces harmful impacts of domestic abuse and decreases stress levels in participants
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IMPACT Initiative (Alberta)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial collective initiative whose purpose is to define a common understanding of the issue of domestic and sexual violence and eradicate it. Creates a movement capitalizing on the strength of existing networks and using resources, ideas, and influence of collective membership to instigate systemic change.
• Alberta Primary Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence FrameworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSagesse participates in the Alberta Primary Prevention Framework focusing on stopping abuse before it begins by addressing root causes and interrupting patterns that lead to sexual and domestic abuse.
• SkipTheDepotminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership allowing supporters to donate bottles through SkipTheDepot app. Free pickup service with tax receipt generation for donors supporting Sagesse.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: U.S.-based 24/7 domestic-violence resource and education provider serving a continental market comparable in scale and education-driven prevention model. Useful as a regional benchmark for resource-hub and screening-tool service patterns.

Direct peers

• YWCA Calgary: Multi-service women's organization based in Calgary offering domestic-violence response, housing, and community programs. Comparable in geography, target population, and the cross-section of direct service + advocacy + training.
• Awo Taan Native Women's Shelter: Calgary-based emergency shelter and outreach organization serving Indigenous women and families experiencing domestic violence. Direct operational peer in Sagesse's home city; notably, Sagesse's CEO Andrea Silverstone began her career at Awo Taan.
• BC Society of Transition Houses: Provincial umbrella for transition houses and safe homes serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence in British Columbia. Operates as a policy, training, and capacity-building body analogous to Sagesse's provincial Alberta/Saskatchewan remit.
• YWCA Saskatoon: Saskatchewan-based women's services organization delivering crisis, housing, and education programs — directly comparable to Sagesse's Saskatchewan regional operations and domestic-violence service portfolio.
• Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter Association: Calgary-based emergency shelter serving women and children fleeing domestic violence, with prevention education and counselling. Directly comparable peer in geographic market and intervention focus, complementing Sagesse's prevention orientation.
• Alberta Council of Women's Shelters: Provincial umbrella coordinating women's shelters and domestic-violence services across Alberta, Sagesse's primary operating region. Both organizations share a prevention-plus-intervention mandate, deliver training and resource programs, and partner with the Alberta Government on family-violence policy.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA Canada: National federation of YWCAs operating women's services and violence-prevention programs nationwide. Comparable mission and constituency to Sagesse at a national scale, and a potential scaling partner or competitor in coercive-control training.
• Canadian Women's Foundation: National public foundation funding violence-prevention and women's-economic-security programs across Canada. Overlaps with Sagesse's funding and training work at a national scale and is a potential funder and curiculum-licensing partner.
• Ending Violence Association of Canada: National umbrella for shelters and sexual-assault/domestic-violence programs across Canada. Coordinates training, policy, and member services on coercive control — directly overlapping with Sagesse's REAL Talk training and policy advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SagesseCalgary
• Facebookfacebook.com/SagesseCalgary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sagessecalgary
• Instagraminstagram.com/sagesseorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Sagesse