Ontario Public Health Association

What Ontario Public Health Association does

The Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) is a registered charity (Registration no. 119248771 RR0001) founded in 1949 and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. It operates as the primary umbrella organization for public and community health professionals across Ontario's 36 health units, providing a unifying platform for multidisciplinary practitioners. Its core products and services include: (1) a tiered membership program priced from $90 (student) to $2,000 (constituent society group) on an annual April–March billing cycle, (2) member-driven workgroups covering Alcohol, Built Environment, Environmental Health, Health Equity, Reproductive Health, and New Professionals, (3) the OPHA Annual Fall Forum as the flagship professional development conference, (4) free member webinars and discounted training workshops, (5) the hosted Nutrition Resource Centre (NRC) and its NRC Navigator digital tool, and (6) a portfolio of position papers, resolutions, and advocacy submissions addressing provincial public health policy.

OPHA monetizes through three primary revenue streams: recurring membership dues across individual and group tiers, professional services revenue from training programs and conferences (with preferred member pricing), and donations plus project-specific government grants. Its go-to-market is community-led: members self-serve enrollment through opha.on.ca, while constituent societies (AHC, ASPHIO, CIPHI-O, RNAO-CHNIG, OPHNL, OPHLA) and joint arrangements with the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) act as channel partners. Distribution and outreach rely on the organization's website, email newsletters, an active social media presence across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, the annual forum, and PR/earned media engagement on public health matters.

The organization holds no patents or proprietary technology assets and does not develop technology products; its competitive position is grounded in brand reputation built since 1949, a coalition network with major Ontario health bodies (CAMH, RNAO, CMHA, CCSA, Cancer Care Ontario, Public Health Ontario), and its structural role as the recognized provincial voice in government policy consultations on alcohol, chronic disease, toxics, and related public health priorities.

Name

Ontario Public Health Association

Legal name

Ontario Public Health Association

Website

https://opha.on.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) is a registered charity founded in 1949 that serves as the umbrella organization for public health professionals across Ontario, delivering membership programs, advocacy, workgroups, annual conferences, and the Nutrition Resource Centre.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Administration of Public Health Programs (92312), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use, Addiction & Harm Reduction Health Departments (HLAJAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAH), Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Lifestyle Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAL), Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Public health association
• Professional development training
• Health policy advocacy
• Community health networking
• Membership organization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oshawa

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual members, constituent societies, and organizational members form the core revenue stream. Categories include Regular Member ($165/year), Retired/Unemployed ($100/year), Student ($90/year), Individual Constituent Society ($120/year), Public Health Champion ($300/year), Constituent Society Group ($2000), and Organizational Membership.
2. Training and Conference Revenue: Revenue generated from professional development activities including OPHA Annual Forum conferences, webinars, workshops, and training courses such as Lean Sigma: Quality Improvement for Public Health. Members receive preferred rates while non-members pay higher fees.
3. Donations and Grants: OPHA accepts donations to support charitable work (Charity registration no. 119248771 RR0001). The organization receives funding from government ministries for specific projects and initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

OPHA is a non-profit membership-based association founded in 1949 that convenes public health professionals in Ontario. It delivers advocacy on provincial health policy through coalitions and position papers, professional development via an annual conference, webinars, and training courses, and member-driven workgroups addressing alcohol, built environment, environmental health, health equity, reproductive health, and nutrition. Membership tiers span individual, student, retired, constituent society, and organizational categories.

Product overview

OPHA is a non-profit public health association organized as a membership-based organization offering advocacy, professional development, and knowledge exchange services. Its core offerings include an annual conference (OPHA Annual Fall Forum), professional development webinars and workshops (free for members), and member-driven workgroups covering topics such as alcohol prevention, built environment, environmental health, health equity, reproductive health, and new professionals in public health. OPHA also hosts the Nutrition Resource Centre (NRC), which produces resources and tools including the NRC Navigator online portal for nutrition and healthy eating program development. The organization runs a members-only online lounge providing access to a membership directory and OPHA activity updates. OPHA's advocacy work is supported through position papers, issue series fact sheets, and provincial election toolkits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nutrition Resource Centre (NRC): A program under OPHA providing centralized access to evidence in healthy eating and nutrition promotion for health promotion professionals and community partners.

Products and services

• OPHA Membership Program Annual membership program providing public health professionals access to advocacy platforms, workgroups, webinars, professional development discounts, members-only online lounge, and knowledge exchange networks. Tiers include Regular ($165), Retired/Unemployed ($100), Student ($90), Constituent Society Individual ($120), Public Health Champion ($300), Constituent Society Group ($2,000), and Organizational memberships, billed annually on an April-March cycle.
• OPHA Annual Fall Forum OPHA's flagship annual conference bringing together public and community health professionals across Ontario for professional development, networking, and knowledge exchange on public health priorities. Members receive preferred rates; non-members pay higher fees.
• OPHA Webinars and Professional Development Sessions Online educational events and professional development workshops covering current public health topics, offered free to OPHA members and available to non-members at higher rates.
• Lean Sigma: Quality Improvement for Public Health A specific OPHA training course focused on Lean Sigma quality improvement methodology applied to public health practice, available at member and non-member rates.
• Leader's Series An OPHA professional development series targeting public health leaders across Ontario.
• Public Health and Planning 101 An OPHA training course covering the intersection of public health and planning practices, available to public health practitioners and partner professionals.
• NRC Navigator A free online resource tool developed by OPHA's Nutrition Resource Centre for health promotion professionals and community partners, offering vetted resources, program examples, and filtering capabilities for healthy eating and nutrition program and policy development.

Quantifiable outcome

• OPHA advocacy contributed to Ontario's participation in the federal e-cigarette tax
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ontario Toxics Reduction Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2014Multi-sector coalition including health, environment and labour sectors working to reduce public exposure to toxic substances. OPHA's Pegeen Walsh listed as signatory on letter to Premier Wynne. Members include Canadian Cancer Society, Toronto Public Health, Environmental Defence, Canadian Environmental Law Association.
• Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance (OCDPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOPHA is the founding partner of OCDPA, a coalition working to make Ontario the healthiest province through chronic disease prevention strategies. OCDPA brings together health organizations to advocate for strategic investments, effective policies, and environmental supports for health behaviors.
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint advocacy on provincial alcohol strategy; collaboration on alcohol policy consultations; co-sponsored forums on alcohol and chronic disease; joint submissions on regulatory matters including VQA wine sales and regulatory modernization.
• Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner calling for provincial alcohol strategy; joint advocacy on public health policy; RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun co-signed advocacy letters.
• Canadian Mental Health Association - Ontario (CMHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner advocating for comprehensive provincial alcohol strategy and mental health considerations in public health policy.
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in National Alcohol Strategy; collaborative work on alcohol labeling, pricing, and harm reduction initiatives; co-chaired the National Alcohol Strategy Advisory Committee.
• Cancer Care OntariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner on alcohol and cancer risk advocacy; collaborated on reports highlighting alcohol as a cancer risk factor; joint calls for provincial alcohol strategy.
• Public Health Ontario (PHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in provincial alcohol policy consultations; collaborated on the Locally Driven Collaborative Project on alcohol harms; joint work on standard alcohol labeling.
• MADD CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in call for provincial alcohol strategy; advocacy on drinking and driving countermeasures.
• Ontario Medical Association (OMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner on provincial alcohol policy consultation; represented in meetings with Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care on alcohol policy framework.
• Addictions & Mental Health OntariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in provincial alcohol policy discussions; participated in government consultations on alcohol harm reduction.
• Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint membership option offered to members; collaborated on alcohol policy positions including 'Too High a Cost: A Public Health Approach to Alcohol Policy in Canada' (2011).
• McMaster UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner with Board representation; Fran Scott, Associate Professor in Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact serves on OPHA Board.
• Nutrition Resource Centre (NRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOPHA hosts the Nutrition Resource Centre, which develops resources for health promotion professionals on healthy eating and nutrition. Created NRC Navigator tool and Food and Health Today podcast.
• Economical SelectminorOthersInsurance partner offering OPHA members 20-30% savings on home and auto insurance as a membership benefit.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Public Health Ontario (PHO): PHO is a government-affiliated agency that provides scientific and technical support to Ontario's public health system. It is a coalition partner of OPHA and serves overlapping audiences (Ontario health units) but operates as a broader institutional player rather than a member association.
• Canadian Medical Association (CMA): CMA is the national counterpart to the Ontario Medical Association and serves as a peer for OPHA's national-level partnership ambitions, providing a model of large-scale professional association governance and advocacy.
• Ontario Medical Association (OMA): OMA is a large provincial professional association that, like OPHA, engages in health policy advocacy and coalition work with government. It serves as a structural peer for member services, advocacy, and government-relations operations.
• American Public Health Association (APHA): APHA is the largest U.S. public health association, offering membership, advocacy, conferences, and publications — directly analogous to OPHA's operating model but at national scale. Useful as a benchmark for what OPHA could become with expanded scope.
• Canadian Mental Health Association - Ontario (CMHA Ontario): CMHA Ontario is a provincial advocacy and service organization that partners with OPHA on alcohol policy and broader public health campaigns, providing a comparable model of association-led advocacy and member services in Ontario.

Emerging players

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): CAMH is a major Canadian institution collaborating with OPHA on alcohol policy, harm reduction, and chronic disease advocacy. While primarily a clinical/research institution, it is a direct coalition partner and thought-leader peer in Ontario public health.
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA): CCSA is a national organization whose mandate overlaps with OPHA's Alcohol Workgroup. The two co-chair the National Alcohol Strategy Advisory Committee, making CCSA a thematic peer in substance use policy advocacy.
• MADD Canada: MADD Canada is a national advocacy organization that partners with OPHA on alcohol policy, impaired driving, and broader harm reduction issues. It is a peer in advocacy-driven non-profit operations with overlapping subject matter.

Direct peers

• Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA): CPHA is the national-level counterpart to OPHA and OPHA's joint-membership partner, providing professional development, advocacy, and policy influence for public health professionals across Canada. It is the most directly comparable organization in terms of mission and member offerings.
• Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO): RNAO is a provincial membership-based professional association that engages in policy advocacy, professional development, and coalition work — closely paralleling OPHA's model, though focused on nursing. RNAO and OPHA co-sign advocacy letters and partner on public health policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OPHA_Ontario
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyG0SDBOxoev0pKX5WfBuHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/opha1949
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2604544

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ontario Public Health Association