Canadian Roots Exchange

What Canadian Roots Exchange does

Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR), operating under the former name Canadian Roots Exchange, is a registered Canadian charity (CRA Registration 832296602RR0001) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Toronto that supports Indigenous youth aged 15-29 through programs, grants, and policy education across Canada. The organization is governed by Indigenous leadership and delivers programming explicitly grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being. The employee count is between 11 and 50.

IYR operates a platform-plus-programs model across three interconnected service areas: (1) the Creation Community Grants Program, a multi-level funding mechanism providing grants combined with mentorship, training, and capacity-building to Indigenous youth-led groups and collectives; (2) Policy Programming, comprising the tuition-free Indigenous Youth Policy School (IYPS) for ages 18-29, the Northern Policy School, and the annual Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week; and (3) the Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research, which publishes policy content (The Rundown, IYR Explains) and hosts the Indigenous Identity Verification Process. The underlying technology consists of a web-based platform (indigenousyouthroots.ca) backed by a dedicated GrantInterface grantee portal for applications and grant management, with CanadaHelps.org powering donation processing and Design de Plume Inc. providing web design and maintenance.

The business model is donation-driven: IYR is a federally registered charity that offers all programs and grants free of charge with no academic or professional requirements, and accepts individual and recurring contributions through CanadaHelps.org. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on grassroots networks, peer referrals, a public Event Calendar (workshops such as Grant Writing 101, Project Budgeting 101, and Neuro-Complementary Project Management), policy publications, and community newsletters to reach Indigenous youth across Canada. Disclosed institutional funding includes support from Bell Let's Talk in 2016 and 2019.

Name

Canadian Roots Exchange

Legal name

Indigenous Youth Roots

Website

https://canadianroots.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Canadian Roots Exchange

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Indigenous/Tribal Education Authorities & Boards (EDADABAM)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Indigenous community grants
• Policy education
• Nonprofit leadership training
• Community capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: IYR operates as a registered charity (Registration number 832296602RR0001) and accepts donations through CanadaHelps.org platform. Monthly giving programs allow supporters to contribute regularly.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Canadian Roots Exchange (operating as Indigenous Youth Roots) is a registered Canadian charity that delivers free leadership development, policy education, and community grant programs for Indigenous youth (ages 15-29) across Canada. Its core offerings include the Creation Community Grants Program (multi-level funding paired with mentorship and capacity-building), the Indigenous Youth Policy School, Northern Policy School, Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week, and the Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research. Programming is grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

Product overview

Canadian Roots Exchange operates as Indigenous Youth Roots, a registered Canadian charity that functions as a platform-plus-programs organization offering three interconnected service areas: (1) Creation Community Grants Program providing funding and mentorship to Indigenous youth-led projects; (2) Policy and Research programming including the Indigenous Youth Policy School, Northern Policy School, and Advocacy Week; and (3) The Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research for policy education and identity verification. The organization delivers programming grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being, connecting youth to leadership opportunities, learning experiences, and community grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creation Community Grants Program A multi-level funding program that supports strengths-based, community-focused, and youth-led projects in communities across Canada. Grassroots Indigenous youth groups/collectives (ages 15-29) are eligible to apply for funding to support community programs and projects, while receiving innovative mentorship, training, and capacity-building opportunities.
• Indigenous Youth Policy School (IYPS) A tuition-free program providing Indigenous youth aged 18-29 space to engage with peers through interactive sessions on local and national levels on policy topics. No academic or professional requirements; participants can be at any level of policy learning and understanding.
• Northern Policy School Policy education programming specifically focused on engaging northern Indigenous youth and providing policy education tailored to northern Indigenous communities.
• Indigenous Youth Advocacy Week Annual advocacy programming providing Indigenous youth opportunities to develop advocacy skills and engage in policy discussions.
• Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research A policy research center providing policy resources, policy deep dives (The Rundown and IYR Explains content series), and hosting the Indigenous Identity Verification Process.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GrantInterfacecoreTechnology or IntegrationGrantInterface provides the dedicated grantee portal for IYR's Creation Community Grants Program. Grantees access this platform to apply for and manage their grant funding, making it a critical technology infrastructure partner for the organization's flagship grant program.
• CanadaHelpscoreTechnology or IntegrationCanadaHelps.org powers IYR's online donation processing, enabling monthly giving programs and one-time donations. As a Canadian charitable giving platform, it provides essential donation infrastructure and tax receipting services for the registered charity.
• Design de Plume Inc.minorOthersDesign de Plume Inc. designed and maintains the IYR website. This is a vendor relationship for web design and development services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indspire: Indspire is a leading Canadian Indigenous charity that provides bursaries, scholarships, and educational programs for Indigenous youth. Highly comparable to IYR's combination of grants plus educational programming for the same demographic.
• AFOA Canada: AFOA Canada provides Indigenous-focused professional development, training, and capacity-building for Indigenous leaders and administrators. Comparable in combining capacity-building, mentorship, and Indigenous-governed programming for emerging leaders.
• National Association of Friendship Centres: NAFC is a national Indigenous network delivering community-based programs to urban Indigenous youth and families across Canada. Comparable in serving Indigenous youth through community-led programming and capacity-building.
• First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC): FNIGC is a national Indigenous research organization operating the Centre for Indigenous Policy and Research-equivalent functions. Comparable in conducting Indigenous-led research and policy work for First Nations communities.

Broad incumbents

• TakingITGlobal: TakingITGlobal is a Canadian youth engagement nonprofit offering policy education and civic participation programs. Comparable in delivering youth-focused policy education and capacity-building, though not Indigenous-specific.
• Assembly of First Nations: AFN is the national advocacy organization representing First Nations in Canada. Comparable as a national Indigenous policy and advocacy body, though much larger and operating as a political representative rather than a youth-serving charity.
• Reconciliation Canada: Reconciliation Canada is a national Indigenous-led organization advancing reconciliation through education, dialogue, and programming. Comparable in its Indigenous-led education and engagement mission, though broader in scope than youth-only programming.

Regional players

• Native Women's Association of Canada: NWAC is a national Indigenous organization representing Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people in Canada. Comparable as an Indigenous-led advocacy and capacity-building organization, though with a gender-specific mandate rather than a youth-only focus.

Emerging players

• Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business: CCAB is a Canadian nonprofit supporting Indigenous entrepreneurship and business development. Comparable as an Indigenous-focused nonprofit serving community development, but oriented to economic rather than youth development outcomes.
• Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada: Pauktuutit is a national Inuit women's advocacy organization delivering policy, health, and capacity-building programs. Comparable as an Indigenous-led policy and advocacy organization with a research and program delivery mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CdnRoots
• Facebookfacebook.com/cdnroots

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Canadian Roots Exchange