Surfrider Foundation Canada

What Surfrider Foundation Canada does

Surfrider Foundation Canada is a federally incorporated non-profit environmental organization headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, dedicated to protecting Canadian coasts, waters, beaches, and waves through a national volunteer chapter network. The organization operates six regional chapters (South Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Pacific Rim, Atlantic, Mid Island) and four university clubs (UVic, Dalhousie, VIU, University of Toronto), with a lean staff of 16 employees. Its core programmatic surface comprises the Blue Water Task Force water quality monitoring program (operating in Victoria and Vancouver since 2013, with 200 samples collected), remote and urban beach cleanups (over 80 tonnes of marine debris collected since 2011, plus 500+ tonnes removed through the 2021 Clean Coast, Clean Waters initiative), and the Water Friendly Business certification (160+ registered BC businesses).

The organization generates revenue through individual donations and recurring memberships (subscribed via the website) and corporate sponsorship of beach cleanup events; specific donation tiers and pricing are not publicly disclosed. Advocacy products include the Action Alerts digital platform, the Foam Free Waters polystyrene ban campaign, Bye Bye Mini Bottles, and Hold On To Your Butt — targeting single-use plastics, cigarette filters, and expanded polystyrene at municipal, provincial, and federal levels. Notable policy outputs include the City of Victoria Single-Use Items Reduction Bylaw (September 2024, preventing an estimated 60 million single-use items annually), the Province of BC's Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation (2023), and testimony before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on cargo container spill response (March 2022).

The technology stack is conventional: a Squarespace website, social media (Instagram), email newsletter, and volunteer-collected field data. Distribution relies on the chapter network (regional direct engagement) and the website (national membership and donation intake). The organization maintains strategic partnerships with First Nations communities, the Canadian Coast Guard, the B.C. Marine Debris Working Group, and Zero Waste BC, and is led by Executive Director Yossi Cadan, who brings 30+ years of advocacy experience from Greenpeace Canada, the Sunrise Project, and 350.org.

Name

Surfrider Foundation Canada

Legal name

Surfrider Foundation Canada

Website

https://canada.surfrider.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Surfrider Foundation Canada is a Victoria-based non-profit that protects Canadian coasts and waters through a national network of volunteer chapters running beach cleanups, water quality monitoring, single-use plastic advocacy, and the Water Friendly Business certification across six regions and four university clubs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation & Advocacy Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Environmental advocacy
• Coastal protection
• Beach cleanup programs
• Water quality monitoring
• Plastic reduction campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Victoria

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Individual donations and membership fees form the primary revenue stream. The organization solicits support through the website with join and donate CTAs prominently featured.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate beach cleanup sponsorship program where businesses sponsor cleanup events, providing engagement opportunities for corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Surfrider Foundation Canada is a national non-profit environmental organization that delivers volunteer-driven advocacy campaigns, water quality monitoring programs, beach cleanup operations, and policy advocacy focused on plastic reduction, clean water protection, ocean protection, and coastal preservation across Canada. Its programs include the Foam Free Waters polystyrene ban campaign, the Blue Water Task Force water quality monitoring program, beach cleanups (urban, local, and remote), the Water Friendly Business certification, Action Alerts advocacy platform, and Ocean Protection Initiative work on shipping and spill response.

Product overview

Surfrider Foundation Canada operates as a non-profit environmental organization offering a portfolio of advocacy programs, monitoring initiatives, and community engagement campaigns rather than a unified software product. The core offering consists of environmental protection programs focused on plastic reduction, clean water, coastal preservation, and ocean protection. Key programs include the Foam Free Waters polystyrene ban campaign, the Blue Water Task Force water quality monitoring program, Beach Cleanups for marine debris removal, the Water Friendly Business certification program, the ReSurf community engagement program, and Action Alerts advocacy platform. The organization also runs the Ocean Protection Initiative addressing cargo container spills and policy advocacy for single-use plastic bans at municipal, provincial, and federal levels. These programs are delivered through a national network of volunteer chapters and clubs across Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Quality Monitoring (Blue Water Task Force) Volunteer-run water quality monitoring program collecting water samples to identify pollution sources and inform advocacy with local governments; active in Victoria and Vancouver since 2013.
• Beach Cleanups Urban, local, and remote shoreline cleanup operations to remove plastic litter and marine debris from sensitive coastal ecosystems; data collected informs plastic reduction campaigns. Over 80 tonnes of debris collected since 2011.
• Corporate Beach Cleanups Corporate sponsorship program enabling businesses to support and participate in beach cleanup events as part of corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• Water Friendly Business Business recognition/certification program in British Columbia that certifies restaurants and businesses for plastic reduction practices; over 160 registered businesses.
• Action Alerts Digital advocacy platform enabling supporters to take action on environmental policy issues at various government levels through campaign-specific calls to action.
• Foam Free Waters Environmental advocacy campaign working to achieve a provincial and national ban on expanded polystyrene (EPS) in aquatic infrastructure, targeting one of the most common plastic pollutants collected from shorelines.
• Ocean Protection Initiative Multi-pronged environmental protection program addressing offshore oil drilling, renewable energy, shipping impacts, aquaculture concerns, and gaps in Canada's spill response regime for cargo container spills.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 million single-use items prevented from landfill annually through City of Victoria bylaw
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2022Surfrider Foundation Canada testified to FOPO on improving response to marine cargo container spills, providing recommendations for government policy including increased spill response capacity, marine debris monitoring plans, and transparency of container contents.
• B.C. Marine Debris Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaborative network of marine debris removal experts that Surfrider chapters work with during container spill response and coastal cleanup operations. The partnership coordinates volunteer mobilization and government liaison efforts during major marine debris events.
• First Nations PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal First Nations communities collaborate with Surfrider chapters on debris removal efforts, particularly during container spill response operations. Engagement and consultation with Indigenous communities is central to cleanup coordination.
• Canadian Coast GuardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency that Surfrider volunteers liaise with during container spill events to coordinate shoreline cleanup efforts and debris removal operations.
• Government of British ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial government partner for plastic reduction initiatives including the Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation (2023) and CleanBC Plastic Action Plan. Surfrider advocated for and contributed to these policy developments.
• City of VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner that passed the Single-Use Items Reduction Bylaw in September 2024, requiring restaurants to provide reusable dishware for dine-in service. This partnership resulted in preventing 60 million single-use items from going to landfill annually.
• Zero Waste BCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental organization that collaborated on providing feedback templates for the Metro Vancouver Solid Waste Management Plan, making it easier for citizens to submit zero waste recommendations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Ecojustice: Canada's largest environmental law charity; a peer on regulatory advocacy (e.g., the federal plastics-as-toxic listing) and BC-focused marine protection, but uses litigation rather than volunteer mobilization.
• West Coast Environmental Law: BC-based environmental law organization focused on coastal and marine legal advocacy; overlapping with Surfrider Canada on BC marine protection policy and government engagement in the same province.

Direct peers

• Ocean Conservancy: US-based marine conservation NGO running the International Coastal Cleanup and major plastic pollution policy campaigns; directly comparable mission, volunteer-driven beach cleanup model, and federal-level policy advocacy.
• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS): Canada's only nationwide charity dedicated solely to protecting public land and water; comparable national-scale environmental NGO with chapter structure, donor-funded model, and federal policy advocacy focus.
• Surfrider Foundation (US): The US parent organization of Surfrider Foundation Canada and direct brand/mission peer; operates chapters across the US with the same coastal protection, plastic reduction, and water quality programs, sharing brand IP and advocacy frameworks.

Emerging players

• 5 Gyres: Plastic pollution research and advocacy organization; comparable niche focus on upstream plastic solutions, scientific data generation, and corporate partnerships for plastic reduction.
• Plastic Oceans International: Non-profit focused specifically on plastic pollution education, advocacy, and film-based campaigns; narrower mandate than Surfrider Canada but overlaps on plastic reduction advocacy and corporate engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: International marine conservation NGO with direct-action campaigns on ocean protection; broader global mandate than Surfrider Canada, but overlaps on marine debris, shipping impacts, and coastal defense.
• David Suzuki Foundation: One of Canada's largest environmental NGOs; competes for the same donor base on overlapping ocean and climate issues and operates with a broader climate/biodiversity mandate than Surfrider's coastal focus.
• Greenpeace Canada: Major Canadian environmental advocacy organization; previous employer of Surfrider Canada's current ED; competes for donors and policy influence on ocean protection and plastic pollution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/surfrider_canada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surfrider-foundation-canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Surfrider Foundation Canada