Avalon Recovery Society

What Avalon Recovery Society does

Avalon Recovery Society is a registered Canadian charitable organization (BN 897921151 RR 0001) founded in 1990 by Helen Burnham and Virginia Giles, providing free addiction recovery services exclusively to women, trans-inclusive and 2SLGBTQ++ affirming, in British Columbia's Lower Mainland. The organization operates three physical drop-in centres — Vancouver (since 1990), North Shore/West Vancouver (since 1997), and White Rock (since 2012) — open 365 days a year and collectively delivering 8,240 annual operating hours, 33 weekly in-person support groups, and 36 weekly virtual Zoom meetings covering 12-step programs (AA, Al-Anon, CODA, NA, SLAA, COSA, ACA, EA, ABA, OA, SIA, Double Winners), free counselling (675-700 hours annually), free childminding (1,000 hours annually), clothing closets, lending libraries, and wellness workshops including the Four Pillars of Self-Care series and Art Therapy. Scale metrics indicate ~40,000 centre visits and ~7,000 calls for support per year.

The underlying technology layer is intentionally lean and community-led: Zoom for virtual peer meetings, Acuity Scheduling for online booking, a WordPress website and blog, and the Avalon Recovery Society Radio podcast distributed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Distribution is achieved through the three physical centres, virtual meetings, private Facebook groups managed by Centre Managers, and a referral ecosystem spanning healthcare partners (Hope Centre at Lions Gate Hospital, Stepping Stones Concurrent Disorders Service, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation), academic institutions (Adler University, Douglas College), municipal and provincial governments, and corporate and community foundations.

Avalon's revenue model is donation- and grant-driven with no fee-for-service pricing; all programs are free to beneficiaries. Funding sources include individual donations (including a monthly recurring donor program), corporate foundation grants (TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, TD Bank), community foundation grants (Vancouver Foundation, West Vancouver Foundation, North Shore Community Foundation, SurreyCares), provincial government (Government of British Columbia), and municipal government grants (City and District of North Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, City of Surrey, City of White Rock), with an optional $10/year membership conferring governance rights. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and led by an Executive Director supported by Centre Managers and Coordinators. Go-to-market is community-centered, relying on word-of-mouth within the recovery community, healthcare and academic referrals, podcast and social media content, and the established trust of the Avalon brand.

Name

Avalon Recovery Society

Legal name

Avalon Recovery Society

Website

https://avalonrecoverysociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Avalon Recovery Society is a registered Canadian charity operating three free, women-only, trans-inclusive drop-in centres in BC's Lower Mainland (Vancouver, North Shore, White Rock) providing addiction recovery peer support, counselling, childminding, and 12-step meetings since 1990.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Addiction recovery services
• Women's recovery support
• Peer support groups
• Nonprofit charitable services
• Community mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

West Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is a registered Canadian charity (charitable registration number: 897921151 RR 0001) funded primarily through donations from individuals and organizations. Monthly recurring donor program available.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporate foundations (TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, TD Bank), community foundations (Vancouver Foundation, West Vancouver Foundation, SurreyCares Community Foundation, North Shore Community Foundation), and government sources (Government of British Columbia, City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, City of Surrey, City of White Rock).
3. Membership Fees: Optional annual membership available for $10 per year, providing voting rights for Board elections, AGM participation, and event invitations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Avalon Recovery Society operates three women-only, trans-inclusive drop-in Women's Centres in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia (Vancouver, North Shore, White Rock) that provide completely free addiction recovery services. Core offerings include 12-step and related peer support groups, free professional counselling, free childminding during meetings, clothing closets, lending libraries, and drop-in support spaces. Supporting programs include virtual Zoom peer meetings, wellness workshops (Four Pillars of Self-Care), Art Therapy groups, the Art at Avalon creative expression project, and the Avalon Recovery Society Radio podcast.

Product overview

Avalon Recovery Society operates as a registered charitable nonprofit offering a unified suite of free recovery support services for women. The core offering consists of three Avalon Women's Centres (North Shore, Vancouver, White Rock) providing drop-in peer support, 12-step meetings, free counselling, childminding, clothing closets, and resource libraries. Supporting services include virtual Zoom-based peer support meetings, the Avalon Recovery Society Podcast (available on Apple/Spotify), wellness workshops (Four Pillars of Self-Care series), and Art at Avalon (creative expression programming). All services are trans-inclusive and provided at no cost to self-identifying women seeking recovery from addiction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Avalon Women's Centres Safe, welcoming drop-in centres providing peer support, meeting spaces, free childminding, drop-in hours, resource libraries, clothing closets, and wellness programming for women in recovery from addiction and trauma. Services are trans-inclusive and 2SLGBTQ++ affirming.
• Support Groups Weekly peer support meetings including Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Al-Anon, CODA, ABA, ACOA, COSA, Double Winners, Emotions Anonymous (EA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Overeaters Anonymous (OA), SLAA, and Survivors of Incest Anonymous (SIA) - offered both in-person at Centres and via Zoom.
• Free Counselling
• Childminding Services
• Clothing Closet
• Resource Library
• Avalon Recovery Society Radio Podcast
• Virtual Peer Support Meetings
• Wellness Workshops
• Art at Avalon
• Art Therapy Groups

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ visits annually from women and children
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Adler UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing practicum students to Avalon Recovery Society. Students in Counselling Psychology complete social justice practicums, gaining experience while contributing to Avalon's programs and workshops.
• Douglas CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnership providing student volunteers and future counselling professionals to support Avalon's recovery programs.
• Hope Centre at Lions Gate HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership providing integrated support services and referrals for women in recovery. Collaborative relationship for community mental health and addiction services.
• Hollyburn Family ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services partnership providing family support resources and referrals for women and families affected by addiction.
• Sources Community Resource CentresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity resource partnership providing additional support services and resources for women in recovery.
• Stepping Stones Concurrent Disorders ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for women dealing with concurrent disorders including addiction and mental health challenges.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Jean Tweed Centre: Toronto-based women's substance use and mental health treatment organization offering counselling, peer support, and trauma-informed programs. Closely comparable in mission, target population (women with addiction), and integrated service model, though larger and residential-capable.
• Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver: Greater Vancouver chapter of a national Canadian nonprofit serving women and girls involved in or at risk of involvement with the justice system, many of whom have substance use issues. Comparable in women-only positioning, free services, and regional Lower Mainland footprint.
• PACE Society: Vancouver-based nonprofit providing women-only sex-worker support and harm reduction services with drop-in programming. Highly comparable as a peer-led, women-centered, free-service model serving women with addiction and trauma in the same Lower Mainland catchment.

Others

• Union Gospel Mission: Vancouver-based faith-inspired nonprofit providing meals, shelter, and addiction recovery programming in the same Lower Mainland region. Comparable as an adjacent recovery and social-services provider that may compete for the same donor dollars and government grants.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Community Resources Society (PCRS): BC-wide nonprofit providing counselling, youth and family services, and substance use programs. Comparable as a regional community-services provider offering addiction programming with similar referral funnels, though broader than women-only recovery.
• YWCA Metro Vancouver: Large regional women's services umbrella organization offering housing, childcare, and wellness programs across Metro Vancouver. Comparable as a women-focused service provider in the same geography, though not specifically recovery-focused.

Emerging players

• Sheway: Vancouver-based women-centered program for pregnant women and mothers with substance use challenges, providing drop-in support, food, and harm reduction. Highly comparable in women-only addiction focus and free-service model, though narrower (maternal) segment.

Regional players

• Alpha House Society: Calgary-based nonprofit providing addiction recovery, shelter, and harm reduction services. Comparable in free drop-in recovery model and peer-led ethos, though co-ed and geographically separate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/avalonrecoverysociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/avalonrecoverysociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avalon-recovery-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Avalon Recovery Society