Threads of Life

What Threads of Life does

Threads of Life is a Canadian registered charity founded in 2003 and headquartered in London, Ontario. It is described as the first organization in the world to provide dedicated peer support to families affected by a workplace death, injury, or occupational disease. Its core service is one-to-one peer matching between newly bereaved or affected families and trained volunteers who have lived through similar experiences, supplemented by remembrance programs such as the annual Day of Mourning candle lighting and online workshops delivered through the FamiliesConnect program introduced in 2021.

Programs are delivered through a regional structure with three Family Forums covering Atlantic, Central, and Western Canada, supported by Regional Development Coordinators in the field. A French Services Coordinator role has been added to serve Francophone families. Prevention and awareness work is carried out through a Speakers Bureau and the Steps for Life fundraising walk program, which raised over $1 million in 2023 and is planned to expand to more than 30 events in 2026. All direct services to families are provided at no cost.

The organization operates with 19 paid staff and more than 440 trained Volunteer Family Guides. It is accredited by Imagine Canada (since 2009, re-accredited in 2013) and partners with ministries of labour, health and safety associations, and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). Technology use is limited to standard non-profit operational tools, notably Blackbaud for donor management, and web-based delivery for FamiliesConnect; the input data does not disclose any AI, machine-learning, or proprietary technology components. The business model is donation-funded: revenue derives from Steps for Life events, individual giving, corporate sponsorship, and grants, with no fees charged to families receiving services.

Name

Threads of Life

Legal name

Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support

Website

https://threadsoflife.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Threads of Life is a Canadian charity founded in 2003, headquartered in London, Ontario, that provides free peer support to families affected by workplace death, injury, or occupational illness through trained volunteers, regional Family Forums, and the FamiliesConnect online workshop program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer Support Services for Workplace Tragedy Families

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

Keywords

• Peer support services
• Workplace tragedy support
• Grief and bereavement counseling
• Occupational health advocacy
• Workplace safety prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. All funds provide peer support services for families living with the outcome of a workplace tragedy.
2. Steps for Life Events: Annual fundraising walk events across Canada. In 2023, Steps for Life raised more than $1 million. In 2025, the event continues to be a major fundraising vehicle.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships for workplace safety awareness and prevention programs. Companies work with Threads of Life to support their workforce safety initiatives.
4. Monthly Giving and Planned Giving: Monthly giving programs and leave a gift in your will options for ongoing donor support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Threads of Life is a Canadian charity that provides free peer support, online workshops, regional in-person forums, remembrance programming, and workplace-safety awareness services to families affected by a workplace death, serious injury, or occupational disease. Its dual mandate pairs family support with prevention outreach delivered through the Speakers Bureau, the annual Steps for Life fundraising walk, and corporate partnerships aimed at improving workplace safety culture across Canada.

Product overview

Threads of Life is a Canadian charity operating as a single unified support service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of peer support programs for families affected by workplace tragedy, including one-to-one peer support matching with trained volunteer guides, online workshops (FamiliesConnect), regional Family Forums (Atlantic, Central, Western), a Speakers Bureau, the Steps for Life annual fundraising walk, Honouring Our Losses remembrance program, and Day of Mourning awareness events. All programs are free and focused on emotional support, healing, and workplace safety prevention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-to-One Peer Support Free matching service that pairs individuals affected by a workplace tragedy with a trained Volunteer Family Guide who has lived through a similar experience, providing one-to-one listening and emotional support.
• Online Workshops (FamiliesConnect) Virtual workshops that provide practical guidance about coping and grief while connecting participants with a supportive online community of peers.
• Regional Family Forums (Atlantic, Central, Western) In-person regional gatherings in Atlantic, Central, and Western Canada where families affected by workplace tragedy meet to expand their support networks and discover new coping strategies.
• Speakers Bureau Bookable presentations by trained volunteers who share personal stories of workplace tragedy to inspire cultural change and workplace safety awareness at organizations and events.
• Steps for Life Fundraising Walk Annual national fundraising walk held across Canada to raise awareness and funds for workplace tragedy prevention and family support services.
• Honouring Our Losses Remembrance program that provides a dedicated space for families to honour and commemorate loved ones affected by workplace tragedy.
• Day of Mourning Observance Annual observance on April 28 to remember workers who have been injured, killed, or made ill by workplace tragedies, delivered in conjunction with the national Canadian Day of Mourning.
• Canadian Young Worker Lifequilt Founding awareness program that honours young workers who have been injured or killed on the job, maintained as part of the charity's historical remembrance work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 439 people gained hope and healing by attending Family Forums or online workshops last year
• +3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Blackbaud ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationBlackbaud Services provides the online donor management and event registration platform. Threads of Life uses Blackbaud for processing donations and Steps for Life event registrations. The partnership ensures PCI compliance for secure payment processing.
• Ministries of Labour, Health and Safety Agencies, Compensation BoardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationwide support and referrals from government ministries and agencies including ministries of labour, health and safety agencies, and workers' compensation boards across Canada.
• Corporate PartnerssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partners who share the vision for workplace safety. Companies partner for workplace safety awareness, prevention programs, and supporting employees affected by workplace tragedies. Includes support for Steps for Life events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada: Canadian victim-services charity built around support for those affected by impaired driving tragedies. Comparable as a charity that grew from families affected by a specific category of tragedy into peer support, awareness, and prevention programming.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): Nationwide Canadian mental health charity providing peer support, education, and advocacy. Comparable as a federally distributed Canadian charity with similar volunteer model and broad community-based service delivery.
• Kids Help Phone: Largest Canadian e-mental health service for youth, funded by donations and corporate partnerships. Comparable as a national Canadian charity offering free, remote, professionally-staffed support services with similar funding and channel mix.
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS): Federal Canadian agency advancing workplace health and safety through information, training, and resources. Comparable on the prevention/awareness side of Threads of Life's mission, though not a peer-support provider.

Regional players

• Victim Services of Toronto: Provides immediate crisis support, referrals, and short-term counselling to victims of crime and tragedy in the Greater Toronto Area. Comparable as a regional peer/counselling support service for families after traumatic events.

Direct peers

• Hospice Palliative Care Ontario: Provincial hospice and palliative care body that includes bereavement and grief support programs for families. Comparable in offering bereavement peer support through trained volunteers, though hospice-anchored rather than workplace-anchored.
• Bereaved Families of Ontario: Ontario-based peer support charity for anyone bereaved, offering support groups and one-to-one matching. Comparable as a Canadian grief/peer-support nonprofit with similar volunteer-driven delivery and free service model.
• The Compassionate Friends: Canadian peer support organization for bereaved parents who have lost a child. Closely comparable model of trained volunteer-led peer support, regional chapters, and free services delivered by a registered charity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ThreadsoflifeCanada
• Facebookfacebook.com/threadsoflife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/threads-of-life-association-for-workplace-tragedy-family-support
• Instagraminstagram.com/threadsoflifeca

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Threads of Life