Horizons For Youth

What Horizons For Youth does

Horizons For Youth is a registered charitable non-profit organization (Charitable Registration Number: 13031 4206 RR0001) operating a youth shelter and integrated support programs at 422 Gilbert Ave, Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1994, the organization serves at-risk and homeless youth aged 16-24 in the Greater Toronto Area, providing emergency shelter with a capacity of 45 residents and supporting more than 300 youth annually. Its service model combines residential care with trauma-informed programming delivered through six core product lines: the Life Skills Program (weekday curriculum covering employment, housing, food, and personal development), Individualized Case Management, the Mental Health & Wellness Program (counselling, group therapy, psychiatric services), the Family & Natural Supports Program, the Community Support & Aftercare Program for former residents living independently, and a COVID-19 Response Program. Case management spans documentation support, employment preparation, housing readiness, and family reconciliation, while aftercare services extend to home visits, food packages, and landlord mediation.

The organization's revenue model relies entirely on voluntary contributions since services are provided free of charge. Cash revenue derives from individual one-time and monthly recurring donations, community-organized peer-to-peer fundraising, the annual Race For Hope gala, and corporate sponsorships. Non-cash revenue includes in-kind donations of clothing, toiletries, bedding, and gift certificates, plus food bank contributions from Second Harvest and North York Harvest Food Bank that enable the provision of 49,000+ meals annually. Multi-year grant funding from Bell Let's Talk (including a disclosed $18,500 in 2019) supports mental health programming, and the Family & Natural Supports Program is a demonstration project of Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Demonstration Lab. Beneficiary acquisition is direct-to-consumer via referrals from the City of Toronto shelter system, the Canadian Red Cross, refugee resettlement agencies, and self-presenting youth in crisis. Donor acquisition is event-driven and community-led, leveraging social media, email newsletters, a blog, video content, and corporate partnerships. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its operating infrastructure is people-led with 11-50 staff including specialized roles such as Mental Health & Wellness Counsellor, Case Managers, Housing Worker, and FNS Worker, under the leadership of Executive Director Filomena Williams.

Name

Horizons For Youth

Legal name

Horizons for Youth

Website

https://horizonsforyouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Horizons For Youth is a Toronto-based registered charity operating a 45-bed emergency shelter and integrated support programs for at-risk and homeless youth aged 16-24, delivering trauma-informed case management, life skills education, mental health services, and aftercare to more than 300 youth annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Homelessness Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services (EDAJAEAG), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• Youth shelter services
• Homelessness support programs
• Mental health counselling
• Life skills education
• Case management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations (One-Time and Monthly): The organization relies primarily on charitable donations from individuals. Monthly donors (Horizons for Youth Heroes) provide consistent, recurring income enabling operational planning. One-time donors contribute via the website (CanadaHelps), cheque, or in-kind gifts.
2. Community and Corporate Fundraising Events: Revenue is generated through organized fundraising events including the annual Race For Hope gala, community fundraisers, corporate employee giving campaigns, and peer-to-peer fundraising. Companies have organized virtual auctions, matched employee donations, and hosted fundraising campaigns.
3. In-Kind Donations of Goods: The organization accepts and redistributes in-kind donations including clothing, toiletries, bedding, food, and gift certificates. These donations reduce direct purchasing costs and provide for resident needs.
4. Food Donations from Community Partners: Food donations from organizations such as Second Harvest and North York Harvest Food Bank, as well as prepared meals from community members and local restaurants, offset food procurement costs and enable daily meal provision for residents.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Horizons For Youth operates a youth shelter and supportive housing facility in Toronto serving at-risk and homeless youth aged 16-24, providing emergency shelter along with holistic, trauma-informed programs including life skills education, individualized case management, mental health and wellness counselling, family reconciliation, and aftercare services. The organization keeps youth for as long as they need rather than limiting stays to emergency-only durations.

Product overview

Horizons for Youth is a non-profit youth shelter organization providing comprehensive services to at-risk and homeless youth aged 16-24 in Toronto. The core offering is shelter and supportive housing supplemented by multiple integrated programs: the Life Skills Program for daily educational and recreational activities; Individualized Case Management for personalized goal-setting; Community Support & Aftercare for housing transitions; Family & Natural Supports Program for relationship counselling; and Mental Health & Wellness Program for therapeutic services. The organization serves youth regardless of gender and operates as a 24/7 residential facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Shelter and Supportive Housing

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 youth supported per year with shelter and comprehensive services
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Family & Natural Supports Program / Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Demonstration LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2018The Family & Natural Supports (FNS) Program at HFY is a demonstration project of Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Demonstration Lab, led by A Way Home Canada and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, funded by the Government of Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy. The program helps homeless youth strengthen relationships with natural supports and transition to stable housing, with 29% of 109 youth transitioning to stable housing and 71% reporting improved relationships.
• Bootcamps for ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2017Bootcamps for Change, a social enterprise founded by Katie Heggtveit, began offering free weekly boot camp classes at Horizons for Youth in August 2017. The partnership expanded fitness programming for at-risk youth, with Bootcamps for Change now operating in Toronto, Waterloo, and Halifax. HFY also benefited from the organization's '#Sweatier for the Better' scholarship, which funded a former HFY resident to become a certified personal trainer who now leads boot camp classes at the shelter.
• Second HarvestcoreOthersSecond Harvest is a food rescue organization that provides regular food contributions to Horizons for Youth, helping the shelter provide three healthy meals and two snacks every day to residents.
• North York Harvest Food BankcoreOthersNorth York Harvest Food Bank provides regular food contributions to Horizons for Youth, supplementing the shelter's food supply and enabling daily meal provision for residents.
• Red Cross (Canadian Red Cross)minorOthersThe Canadian Red Cross referred refugee and asylum-seeking youth to Horizons for Youth, connecting newcomers experiencing homelessness to the shelter's services.
• Covenant HouseminorOthersCovenant House's Project Coordinator of Family & Natural Supports Program (Justin Sage-Passant) provided expertise and program framework that informed the FNS Program at HFY.
• Royal Conservatory of MusicminorOthersThe Royal Conservatory of Music visited Horizons for Youth as part of the Life Skills Program, providing cultural enrichment and skill development experiences for youth residents.
• Wish & GiveminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWish & Give is an online platform that allows supporters to collect donations for Horizons for Youth in lieu of birthday or holiday gifts, enabling peer-to-peer fundraising.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Covenant House Toronto: Largest youth shelter provider in Toronto serving ages 16-24 with shelter, health, education, and employment programs. Directly comparable as a holistic service model targeting the same at-risk youth population in the same geography.
• Fred Victor: Toronto-based nonprofit providing shelter, transitional housing, and health services to people experiencing homelessness, with specific youth and newcomer programs. Comparable donor-funded service model in the same city.
• 360°kids: York Region-based youth shelter and support agency serving homeless and at-risk youth with shelter, housing, employment, and mental health services. Comparable mission, population, and service mix in a neighboring geography.
• Homes First Foundation: Toronto's largest provider of supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness, including youth programs. Comparable transient-shelter and case management offerings with similar donor-funded revenue model.
• Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth: Toronto-based organization providing shelter, housing, and trauma-informed support to youth ages 16-24. Operates multiple shelter and transitional housing sites with a comparable life skills and employment focus.
• Street Haven at the Crossroads: Toronto women's shelter and supportive housing provider. Serves overlapping at-risk and homeless populations with shelter, life skills, and case management; comparable donation-based nonprofit model.

Broad incumbents

• LOFT Community Services: Toronto-area nonprofit providing supportive housing, mental health, and case management across multiple populations including at-risk youth. Wider clinical focus but overlap in shelter and transition services.
• YMCA Greater Toronto - Youth Services: Large established nonprofit offering youth housing, employment, and newcomer settlement programs across the GTA. Broader portfolio but overlapping youth homelessness and life skills services.

Regional players

• Yellow Brick House: York Region shelter serving women and youth fleeing violence with shelter and outreach. Comparable shelter-and-support model serving a subset of the same at-risk youth population in the broader GTA.

Others

• A Way Home Canada / Canadian Observatory on Homelessness: National umbrella organization supporting youth homelessness solutions and operating the Making the Shift lab. Directly comparable as a strategic partner and ecosystem enabler for HFY's evidence-based programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/horizons4youth
• Facebookfacebook.com/horizons4youth
• Instagraminstagram.com/horizons4youth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 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 Horizons For Youth