What CECI does

CECI (Centre d'étude et de coopération internationale) is a Canadian non-profit international development organization founded in 1958 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. It operates across 35 countries with 12 country offices spanning West Africa, East Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, employing approximately 300 staff and engaging roughly 15,000 volunteers globally. The organization's mission centers on women's economic empowerment, gender rights, climate adaptation, and inclusive governance, with three programmatic pillars: sustainable and inclusive economies, women's and girls' rights, and inclusive governance and humanitarian action.

CECI delivers its mission primarily through the Volunteer Cooperation Program (PCV), which places Canadian volunteers for 12-month international assignments, supplemented by virtual volunteering tracks, university partnerships, and employer solidarity leave. Secondary products include the Women Entrepreneurs in Solidarity mentorship program (pairing Canadian entrepreneurs with counterparts in Africa and Latin America) and the Documentation Center, an online resource hub of research publications and policy documents. Programs reach beneficiaries through a network of 8,000 local partner organizations (civil society, private companies, governments, cooperatives) executing on-the-ground initiatives in areas such as climate-resilient agriculture, composting, women's rights advocacy, and humanitarian response.

CECI is funded by a mix of government grants (Global Affairs Canada, Quebec ministries, USAID, DFAT, multilateral banks, UN agencies), individual donations, planned giving/bequests, corporate philanthropy, and third-party fundraising events (e.g., the CECI Sport Challenge). As a registered Canadian charity, it does not have a commercial revenue model; monetization is replaced by donation funnels, grant cycles, and volunteer mobilization. The organization reports impact metrics including 230,000 women mobilized in projects in 2023, 6.4 million people positively impacted, and 28 million people indirectly affected across 350 completed projects.

Name

CECI

Legal name

Centre d'étude et de coopération internationale (CECI)

Website

https://ceci.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CECI is a Canadian non-profit international development organization founded in 1958, operating across 35 countries through 12 offices and roughly 15,000 volunteers. It delivers women's empowerment, climate adaptation, and inclusive governance programs via government grants, donations, and partner networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: Individual and corporate donations support CECI's projects and activities. The organization issues tax receipts for donations of $20 or more and maintains strict ethical guidelines for donor information management.
2. Government Funding: CECI's Volunteer Cooperation Program is funded by the Government of Canada. The organization also receives funding from various government partners including Global Affairs Canada, Quebec ministries, and international bodies.
3. Planned Giving and Bequests: CECI accepts planned giving including bequests (specific, residual, universal, contingent), life insurance gifts, and securities donations.
4. Third-Party Fundraising: CECI Sport Challenge and personal fundraising campaigns allow supporters to raise funds through sporting events and benefit activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CECI is a Canadian international development organization that delivers sustainable and inclusive development programs across 35 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Its core offerings include the Volunteer Cooperation Program (PCV), which mobilizes Canadian volunteers to share skills with partner organizations, and the Women Entrepreneurs in Solidarity reciprocal mentorship program pairing Canadian entrepreneurs with counterparts in Africa and Latin America. The organization advances women's economic empowerment, climate adaptation, and inclusive governance through 12 country offices and a network of 8,000 local partner organizations.

Product overview

CECI operates as a unified organizational platform offering international development programs and resources focused on women's empowerment and sustainable development. Its core offerings include the Volunteer Cooperation Program (PCV), which mobilizes international volunteers to support partner organizations; the Women Entrepreneurs in Solidarity mentorship program connecting Canadian entrepreneurs with those in Africa and Latin America; a Documentation Center providing research and policy resources; and advocacy tools like the Action Toolkit. The organization does not offer a technology product in the traditional sense, but rather delivers development programs, volunteering opportunities, and educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Volunteer Cooperation Program (VCP): Canadian international cooperation program engaging Canadians in the fight against poverty through volunteer mobilization
• Women Entrepreneurs in Solidarity Program

Products and services

• Volunteer Cooperation Program (PCV) An international volunteering program that mobilizes Canadian skilled professionals for 12-month field assignments in countries including Benin, Bolivia, Côte d'Ivoire, Guatemala, Philippines, Rwanda, and Senegal, along with shorter virtual, university, and employer solidarity options. Participants transfer technical skills to local partner organizations focused on women's economic empowerment, climate resilience, and inclusive governance.
• Women Entrepreneurs in Solidarity

Quantifiable outcome

• 230,000 women mobilized in projects in 2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major.

• World Food Programme (Programme alimentaire mondial des Nations Unies)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN agency collaborating on food security and humanitarian assistance programs.
• FAO (Organisation pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Food and Agriculture Organization partnering on agricultural development and food systems programs.
• Haiti government ministries (MTPTC, MARNDR, Finances/FAES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaitian government ministries collaborating on infrastructure, agriculture, and economic development projects.
• REPSFECO (Réseau Paix et Sécurité des Femmes de l'Espace CEDEAO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's peace and security network in West Africa collaborating on gender equality and women's rights programs in Benin and other CEDEAO countries.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Crossroads International (CCI) / Crossroads International: Canadian NGO operating a reciprocal volunteer cooperation and women-empowerment model across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, also funded by Global Affairs Canada. Highly comparable in mandate, program structure, geographic footprint, and target beneficiaries to CECI.
• Cuso International: Ottawa-based Canadian volunteer cooperation organization sending volunteers to partner organizations in Africa, Asia, and the Americas on multi-month assignments funded primarily by Global Affairs Canada. Mirrors CECI's core Volunteer Cooperation Program model, size, and funding base almost exactly.
• Entraide et Fraternité: Belgian (Wallonia-Brussels Federation) international solidarity NGO supporting partner organizations in Africa, Latin America, and Asia on economic, gender, and rights-based programming. Comparable to CECI as a Francophonie-rooted, partnership-based development NGO of similar scale and donor mix.
• Aga Khan Foundation Canada: Canadian branch of an international development foundation focused on gender equality, economic inclusion, and community resilience in fragile contexts. Comparable in multi-region delivery, Canadian institutional funding base, and gender-focused programming.

Broad incumbents

• World Vision Canada: Canadian arm of a large faith-based humanitarian and development organization with programs in fragile contexts and a strong women-and-children rights portfolio. Comparable in gender-focused field programming and donor mobilization, but operates at substantially greater scale and scope.
• Oxfam Canada: Canadian affiliate of Oxfam International, a larger federation-wide development NGO focused on poverty, gender justice, and humanitarian response. Overlaps with CECI on women's empowerment, climate resilience, and rights-based programming but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• Plan International Canada: Canadian office of a global child- and girls'-rights development organization with multi-country programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Overlaps with CECI on women's and girls' empowerment, rights programming, and donor-funded project delivery, though it is broader in scope and significantly larger.
• UN Women (Canada): United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment, working across all of CECI's target geographies and funded by both government and private donors. Functions as both an overlapping agenda-setter and a major potential partner/grantor rather than a field-delivery competitor.

Emerging players

• Farm Radio International: Canadian non-profit using radio and digital tools to support small-scale farmers and climate adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa. Overlaps with CECI on climate-resilient agriculture and rural women's empowerment in West and East Africa, though specialized in communications rather than multi-sector programming.

Others

• Cooperation Canada (CCIC): Canadian umbrella and coordination body for international development NGOs, of which CECI is a member. Comparable in representing and convening the Canadian NGO sector, but does not deliver field programs; relevant as an ecosystem connector rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceci
• Facebookfacebook.com/CECI.international
• Xx.com/CECI_Canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 CECI