WINGS
WINGS of Providence Society is an Edmonton-based registered Canadian charity, founded in 1986, that provides fully furnished apartments, trauma-informed counselling, life skills training, Emergency Protective Order assistance, and children's programs (including Rocky Forest Daycare) free of charge to women and children fleeing domestic violence, funded primarily through donations and Alberta provincial grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersEdmonton, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WINGS does
WINGS of Providence Society is a registered Canadian charitable non-profit organization founded in 1986 and headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, that provides safe housing and comprehensive support services for women and children escaping domestic violence. Operating on traditional Treaty 6 territory and Metis Nation Region 4, the organization delivers its services through fully furnished two and three-bedroom apartments rather than dormitory-style shelter beds, an unusual model for the sector that better preserves family cohesion during the recovery period. The service portfolio comprises three interconnected pillars: Safe Housing (furnished apartment units), Wrap Around Programs (trauma-informed counselling, life skills training, Emergency Protective Order assistance), and Children's Programs including the in-house Rocky Forest Daycare. Clients receive services entirely free of charge.
The organization is not a technology business — there is no app, API, SDK, or proprietary software platform; its public digital presence is a Squarespace-hosted website with an active Instagram channel. Its competitive position is built on 40 years of community presence, a multi-party referral network with upstream shelters and Alberta social services, and a recognized brand in the Edmonton domestic violence response ecosystem. Cumulative reach is 6,053 women and children served since 1986, with 372 served in the 2025/2026 fiscal year against 192 turned away in 2024/25 due to capacity constraints.
The business model is donation-funded rather than commercial. Approximately 30% of the operating budget derives from Alberta provincial government grants, principally through Alberta Community and Social Services; the remaining 70% is raised through individual giving (including the Building Bright Futures recurring monthly club and Nest Egg legacy/planned giving), corporate sponsorships (Oilers Community Foundation, TELUS Foundation, RBC, RE/MAX, Alberta Blue Cross), third-party fundraising events, peer-to-peer online campaigns, Run for WINGS, in-kind donations, and a vehicle donation partnership with Donate a Car Canada. WINGS employs 11–50 staff, does not publish revenue figures, and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with no parent company. The GTM motion is community-led: referrals from partner shelters, social services, and self-referring survivors, supplemented by social media, email newsletters, and a calendar of community events culminating in the 40th anniversary campaign in 2026.
WINGS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WINGS
- Legal name
- WINGS of Providence Society
- Website
- https://wingsofprovidence.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WINGS of Providence Society is an Edmonton-based registered Canadian charity, founded in 1986, that provides fully furnished apartments, trauma-informed counselling, life skills training, Emergency Protective Order assistance, and children's programs (including Rocky Forest Daycare) free of charge to women and children fleeing domestic violence, funded primarily through donations and Alberta provincial grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WINGS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Domestic Violence Shelter Services
- NAICS
- Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Other Community Housing Services (624229)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Emergency Shelter, Camp Coordination & Camp Management (CCCM) (BPADADAB)
Keywords
Where WINGS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edmonton
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WINGS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Grants and Funding: Government funding from Alberta Community and Social Services and other provincial sources constitutes approximately 30% of the operating budget.
- Individual Donations: Monthly donors (Building Bright Futures club), one-time donations, and legacy gifts through wills, annuities, securities, stock, and life insurance (Nest Egg Club).
- Third-Party Fundraising Events: Community-organized fundraising events including peer-to-peer online fundraisers, runs, birthday/wedding/anniversary celebrations, school fundraisers, and hosted events.
- Corporate Giving and Sponsorships: Corporate donations and sponsorships from organizations including Oilers Community Foundation, TELUS Foundation, RBC, RE/MAX, Alberta Blue Cross, and other corporate partners.
- In-Kind Donations: Donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries, bedding, clothing, and vehicles through partnerships like Donate a Car Canada.
- Car Donations: Partnership with Donate a Car Canada to accept vehicle donations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
WINGS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WINGS operates a residential shelter in Edmonton, Alberta, providing safe furnished housing at no cost to women and children fleeing domestic violence. The organization delivers wraparound services including trauma counselling, life-skills training, childcare, and a transition program, all delivered on-site by staff and trained volunteers.
Product overview
WINGS (Wings of Providence Society) is a non-profit organization offering a unified suite of services for women and children escaping domestic violence. The core portfolio consists of three interconnected service pillars: Safe Housing (furnished apartment units), Wrap Around Programs (trauma-informed counselling and life skills), and Children's Programs with Rocky Forest Daycare. Supporting these primary services are various donation and fundraising mechanisms including monthly giving (Building Bright Futures Club), in-kind donations, car donations via partner program, corporate giving, legacy giving (Nest Egg Club), and peer-to-peer online fundraising tools. The organization does not operate as a technology platform but rather as a direct service provider.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,053 women and children served since 1986
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WINGS
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
WINGS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WINGS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Donate a Car CanadaminorPartnership to accept vehicle donations from supporters. WINGS partners with Donate a Car Canada to provide a convenient way for donors to contribute vehicles, with proceeds going to support shelter operations.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WINGS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Interval House Toronto: Interval House is a long-standing Toronto-based emergency shelter and counseling service for women and children fleeing abuse. Operationally comparable to WINGS in offering emergency shelter plus wrap-around support, but serves the Ontario market rather than Alberta.
- Chimo Refuge: Chimo Refuge is a British Columbia-based transition house serving women and children fleeing violence. Comparable service model (safe housing plus support programs), but operating in a different province than WINGS.
Emerging players
- Hope Mission (Edmonton): Hope Mission is an Edmonton-based faith-inspired non-profit providing shelter and recovery services for vulnerable populations. Shares the local Edmonton shelter market and donor base with WINGS but serves a broader population than DV survivors specifically.
- Mustard Seed (Edmonton): Mustard Seed operates emergency shelters and supportive housing in Edmonton, serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty. Overlaps with WINGS on the Edmonton shelter ecosystem and shared donor pool, but has a broader homelessness mandate rather than DV-specific focus.
Broad incumbents
- YWCA Canada: YWCA Canada is the national federation with local YWCAs operating women's shelters, housing, and support services across multiple provinces. A broader incumbent in the same sector, with overlapping service categories but operating many sites and programs beyond a single DV shelter focus.
Direct peers
- YWCA Edmonton: YWCA Edmonton provides shelter, housing, and support services for women and families experiencing crisis and violence in Edmonton. Overlapping client base, similar wrap-around program model, and shared funding ecosystem make this a directly comparable operating peer.
- Native Women's Shelter (Toronto): An Indigenous-led emergency shelter for women and children fleeing violence in Toronto, with comparable wrap-around support model. Direct service peer in mandate and operating approach, though serving a culturally distinct client population in a different city.
- WIN House (Edmonton): WIN House is an Edmonton-based emergency shelter serving women and children fleeing domestic violence, operating with a similar model of safe housing plus supportive programming in the same city as WINGS. It is the most directly comparable shelter peer in the immediate market.
Others
- Alberta Council of Women's Shelters: ACWS is the umbrella network for women's shelters across Alberta, coordinating policy, training, and provincial funding. It is not a direct operator peer but an ecosystem participant that channels provincial funding and sets practice standards relevant to WINGS operations.
- Women's Shelters Canada: Women's Shelters Canada is the national umbrella organization for DV shelters across Canada, providing policy advocacy and coordination. It is an ecosystem-level peer that shapes federal funding frameworks and sector standards relevant to WINGS.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WINGS social profiles
Digital presenceWINGS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WINGS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
WINGS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WINGS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WINGS
What does WINGS do?
WINGS operates a residential shelter in Edmonton, Alberta, providing safe furnished housing at no cost to women and children fleeing domestic violence. The organization delivers wraparound services including trauma counselling, life-skills training, childcare, and a transition program, all delivered on-site by staff and trained volunteers.
Is WINGS a public or private company?
WINGS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WINGS founded?
WINGS was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WINGS based?
WINGS is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada, in the North America region.
How does WINGS make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Government Grants and Funding is the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, third-Party Fundraising Events, corporate Giving and Sponsorships, in-Kind Donations and car Donations.
Who are WINGS's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Interval House Toronto and Chimo Refuge. Emerging players are Hope Mission (Edmonton) and Mustard Seed (Edmonton). YWCA Canada is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are YWCA Edmonton, Native Women's Shelter (Toronto) and WIN House (Edmonton). Others are Alberta Council of Women's Shelters and Women's Shelters Canada.
Does WINGS have an API?
No public API is recorded for WINGS.
What industry is WINGS in?
WINGS's product category is Domestic Violence Shelter Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADADAB, Emergency Shelter, Camp Coordination & Camp Management (CCCM). Its NAICS code is 624221 and its SIC code is 7000.