ANKORS

What ANKORS does

ANKORS (AIDS Network Kootenay Outreach and Support Society) is a registered non-profit society in British Columbia, Canada, founded in 1993 to address HIV/AIDS in rural communities. Headquartered in Nelson with additional offices in Cranbrook and Grand Forks, ANKORS operates across the East and West Kootenay and Boundary regions, delivering harm reduction, health support, and community services through Overdose Prevention Sites, free harm reduction supplies distribution, FTIR spectrometry-based anonymous drug checking (with fentanyl test strips), mobile outreach to roughly 17 remote communities, peer health navigation, support and outreach, OAT coordination with Interior Health's Rise Clinic, 2SLGBTQIA+-focused Trans Connect programming, the REDUN peer network, and the Kootenay Boundary Adult Supported Recovery Program (KBSRP) residential recovery offering in partnership with Interior Health Authority. All client services are provided free of charge, with no prescription or abstinence requirement, under a non-judgmental, trauma-informed model; programming also operates the ANKORS Foundation Fund and Christopher Moore Community Fund for HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis C and gender-diverse community members respectively.

The organization is funded primarily through donations (tax-deductible for gifts over $10, with 100% of designated funds directed to community members), grant support, and a sliding-scale membership ($2–$20/year that confers AGM voting rights). Core technology beyond FTIR drug-checking instrumentation is limited to standard community-facing digital infrastructure: the main website ankors.bc.ca, sub-brand sites ankorstransconnect.com and redun.ca, an active Instagram presence (@ankors_bc), and PayPal/e-transfer donation rails. Customer segments served include people affected by substance use, individuals living with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, people facing social barriers (mental illness, poverty, homelessness), current and former drug users (REDUN), and individuals seeking recovery (KBSRP). The operating model is community-led rather than commercial: services are free, the go-to-market is peer referral and mobile outreach, and there are no disclosed equity funders, no revenue figures, and no acquisition or M&A history.

Name

ANKORS

Legal name

ANKORS (AIDS Network Kootenay Outreach and Support Society)

Website

https://ankors.bc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ANKORS is a BC-registered non-profit society, founded in 1993, operating harm reduction, drug checking, mobile outreach, peer support, 2SLGBTQIA+ (Trans Connect), and residential recovery (KBSRP) services across the East and West Kootenay and Boundary regions, free of charge and funded by donations, grants, and membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Harm Reduction and Community Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE), Crisis Response & Threat Assessment (Suicide Prevention, Violence Prevention) (EDAJAIAH)

Keywords

• Harm reduction services
• Community health support
• Drug checking services
• Overdose prevention programs
• Peer health navigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Nelson

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: ANKORS is a registered non-profit society in British Columbia. Donations are the primary funding source, with 100% of donations to designated funds going directly to community members in need. Tax-deductible receipts issued for donations over $10.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership on a sliding scale from $2 to $20 per year. Members receive voting rights at the AGM and help shape organizational governance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ANKORS is a registered non-profit society that delivers free harm reduction and community health services across the East and West Kootenay and Boundary regions of British Columbia. The organization operates overdose prevention sites, distributes harm reduction supplies, runs mobile outreach to remote communities, and provides drug checking using FTIR spectrometry. Additional services include peer health navigation, support and outreach for people affected by blood-borne infections, OAT support, Trans Connect programming for gender-diverse communities, and a residential recovery program.

Product overview

ANKORS (AIDS Network Kootenay Outreach and Support Society) is a non-profit harm reduction and community health organization that operates a multi-service portfolio rather than a traditional product. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of harm reduction services including the Overdose Prevention Site, Harm Reduction Supplies distribution, Mobile Outreach, and Drug Checking (using FTIR spectrometry). Additional support services include Peer Health Navigation, Support & Outreach, OAT Support, and Social Spaces at each location. The Trans Connect program specifically serves transgender and gender diverse communities, while REDUN provides peer support and advocacy for drug users. The Kootenay Boundary Adult Supported Recovery Program (KBSRP) offers residential recovery support. ANKORS also manages two donation funds: the ANKORS Foundation Fund for people affected by HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, and the Christopher Moore Community Fund supporting gender-diverse individuals with transition-related expenses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trans Connect: A health and community program supporting transgender, Two Spirit, intersex, and gender diverse people in the East and West Kootenay regions.
• REDUN (Rural Empowered Drug Users Network)
• Kootenay Boundary Adult Supported Recovery Program (KBSRP)

Products and services

• Overdose Prevention Site A safe, supportive space for people to use substances in a monitored environment with clean harm reduction supplies, sterile room, and trained staff for supervision of intravenous and nasal consumption. Inhalation supervision is available outside the building.
• Harm Reduction Supplies Free harm reduction supplies including needles of various sizes (IV, IM, and SubQ), pipes, foil kits, safer snorting kits, naloxone kits, disinfectant wipes, sharps containers, and lock boxes for safe disposal.
• Mobile Outreach Mobile service delivering harm reduction supplies on a regular monthly schedule across the West and East Kootenays, including Nelson, Castlegar, Trail, Salmo, Grand Forks, Kaslo, Nakusp, Creston, and surrounding communities.
• Drug Checking Fast, free, anonymous drug checking service using FTIR spectrometry and fentanyl test strips. Available in Nelson (Monday and Thursday, with Tuesday/Wednesday travel to Castlegar, Trail, and Grand Forks) and Cranbrook (five days a week).
• Peer Health Navigation Peer-based support from people with personal experience with substance use, addiction, HIV, homelessness, poverty, and trauma, offering flexible real-time support, post-overdose care, accompaniment to appointments, and referrals.
• Support & Outreach Confidential one-on-one support for people at risk for, or living with, blood-borne infections, including accompaniment to appointments, referrals to services, and individualized support.
• OAT Support Opioid agonist therapy social worker coordination between ANKORS and the Rise Clinic, available Wednesday and Thursday during office hours.
• Trans Connect Health and community program supporting transgender, Two Spirit, intersex, and gender diverse people in the Kootenay regions, offering community education, support groups, peer support for healthcare navigation, ID changes, and administration of the Christopher Moore Community Fund.
• REDUN (Rural Empowered Drug Users Network) Program for current and former drug users, their friends, family, and supporters, running peer support groups, social events, conference presentations, harm reduction training, and advocacy.
• Kootenay Boundary Adult Supported Recovery Program (KBSRP) Residential program in Nelson for individuals 19+ seeking to change their relationship with substances, offering up to six months of accommodation in a substance-free environment with daily therapeutic groups, weekly one-on-one counselling, life skills sessions, and optional recreational activities.
• Social Spaces Non-judgmental, safe spaces at each ANKORS location for community members to connect and access services, with Wi-Fi, snacks, hot beverages, and water available.
• ANKORS Foundation Fund Donation fund where 100% of contributions go directly to people in Kootenay/Boundary regions living with HIV/AIDS and/or Hepatitis C, covering travel to specialist appointments, medication costs, and nutritional support.
• Christopher Moore Community Fund Named fund supporting transgender, non-binary, Two Spirit, intersex, and gender diverse community members with gender-affirming garments, post-surgical care supplies, specialist appointments, and transition-related costs.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• Interior Health AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANKORS partners with Interior Health for the Kootenay Boundary Adult Supported Recovery Program (KBSRP). Intake referrals for KBSRP are directed through [email protected] or Nelson Mental Health & Substance Use at 250-505-7248. This partnership enables residential recovery services for individuals 19+ seeking to change their relationship with substances.
• Rise Clinic (Interior Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANKORS hosts an opioid agonist therapy (OAT) social worker to coordinate care between ANKORS and the Rise Clinic. The OAT social worker is available Wednesday and Thursday during office hours to help clients navigate OAT services.
• Indigenous Nations (Sinixt, Ktunaxa, Kinbasket, Secwepemc, and Syilx)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANKORS operates on the unceded traditional territories of the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, Kinbasket, Secwepemc, and Syilx nations. The organization acknowledges that the harms its work seeks to address are inseparable from the ongoing impacts of colonization, demonstrating commitment to Indigenous community relationships and awareness.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PHS Community Services Society: A Vancouver-based non-profit operating housing, harm reduction, and supervised consumption services including the Insite supervised injection site. Comparable to ANKORS for its integrated harm reduction-to-housing model and overdose prevention programming.
• Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation: A Vancouver-based non-profit providing HIV/AIDS care, supportive housing, and harm reduction services. Comparable to ANKORS for its HIV-focused mission, integration of care and housing, and harm reduction philosophy.
• Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU): A peer-run non-profit in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside representing people who use drugs. Comparable to ANKORS' REDUN program for its peer-led advocacy, harm reduction supply distribution, and drug-user-led service design.
• AIDS Vancouver: A British Columbia non-profit providing HIV/AIDS support, education, and community-based services. Directly comparable to ANKORS given ANKORS' founding HIV/AIDS mandate and ongoing support for people living with HIV and Hepatitis C.
• AVI Health & Community Services: A British Columbia-based non-profit providing harm reduction, supervised consumption, drug checking, and community health services across Vancouver Island. Directly comparable to ANKORS in its harm reduction mandate, free-of-charge client model, peer-led staffing, and rural/urban mixed service delivery.
• Lookout Housing and Health Society: A Lower Mainland BC non-profit providing housing, harm reduction, and health services to vulnerable populations. Comparable to ANKORS for its integrated housing-and-harm-reduction model and BC regional focus.
• Positive Living Society of British Columbia: A BC non-profit peer-driven organization supporting people living with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. Directly comparable to ANKORS' foundational HIV/AIDS mission, peer support model, and free-of-charge service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian AIDS Society: A national umbrella organization coordinating HIV/AIDS response across Canada. Comparable to ANKORS for its HIV/AIDS non-profit mandate, though operating as a broader national advocacy and coordination body rather than a direct service provider.

Regional players

• Blood Ties Four Directions Centre: A Yukon-based non-profit providing harm reduction, drug checking, and outreach services. Comparable to ANKORS for its rural/remote harm reduction mandate, FTIR drug checking program, and peer-led service model, though operating in a different territory.
• Mainline Needle Exchange: An Atlantic Canada harm reduction organization providing needle exchange, drug checking, and outreach services. Comparable to ANKORS for its harm reduction supply distribution and rural outreach focus, though serving an eastern Canadian geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/17841407931109278
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ankors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 ANKORS