CanU Canada (CanU) The University of Can.

What CanU Canada (CanU) The University of Can. does

CanU Canada is a Winnipeg-based charitable not-for-profit organization founded in 2010 that delivers out-of-school mentorship and educational enrichment programming for youth in Grades 5-12. Each week, students recruited from 60+ Winnipeg schools across multiple school divisions (Pembina Trails, Winnipeg School Division, Louis Riel, Seven Oaks, and others) are bused to Manitoba post-secondary institutions — primarily the University of Manitoba — where they rotate through hands-on experiences in nursing simulation labs, food/nutrition labs, robotics, and other faculty-led activities. Programs are organized by grade band (Explore for Grade 5-6, Discover for Grade 7-8, Aspire for Grade 9-10, Rise+ for Grade 11-12), with supplementary offerings including the iF Imagine Leaders Summer Program, a Tutoring Network (launched 2020 with Frontier College), and the Lead Awards scholarship program held in trust by The Winnipeg Foundation. Programming is designed and led by 1,000+ post-secondary student volunteers, with only four full-time staff managing operations across 70+ annual programs serving 800+ youth participants.

The business model is donation-driven and entirely free to participants. Revenue streams include individual donations (including structured monthly giving tiers at $17, $36, and $49 CAD), corporate and foundation grants (RBC Foundation, Winnipeg Foundation, Canadian Tire Jumpstart, Government of Canada, Co-op/FCL, KP Talbot Community Fund), and event-based fundraising (Imagine Stories Gala with sponsorship tiers up to $15,000 CAD, Ted's Run for Literacy, CanU Trail Challenges). The organization holds CRA charity registration number 847438504RR0001 and is headquartered at Room 130 Education Building, University of Manitoba, 71 Curry Place, Winnipeg. There is no technology platform product; delivery is fundamentally human-mediated and volunteer-powered, with no APIs, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. Geographic scope is single-jurisdiction (Winnipeg, Manitoba) with no stated plans for expansion beyond the city.

Name

CanU Canada (CanU) The University of Can.

Legal name

CanU Canada

Website

https://canucanada.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CanU Canada is a Winnipeg-based charitable non-profit, founded in 2010, that delivers free out-of-school mentorship and educational enrichment programs for Grades 5-12 youth on University of Manitoba campuses, powered by 1,000+ post-secondary student volunteers and funded through donations, grants, and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentorship and Educational Enrichment Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB)

Keywords

• Youth mentorship programs
• Educational enrichment services
• Nonprofit youth development
• Out-of-school programs
• Scholarship and leadership awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg , Manitoba

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals supporting youth programming. Monthly giving tiers at $17, $36, and $49 per month.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporate partners and community foundations including RBC Foundation, Winnipeg Foundation, Jumpstart, and others.
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue from events including the annual Imagine Stories Gala, Ted's Run for Literacy, and CanU Trail Challenges.
4. Securities and Tribute Gifts: Donations of appreciated securities and tribute/memorial gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CanU Canada delivers a partner-based out-of-school mentorship and educational enrichment program for Winnipeg youth in Grades 5-12. Programs are run weekly on University of Manitoba campuses, with youth bused in from 60+ partner schools and rotated through hands-on experiences in cooking labs, nursing simulation labs, robotics, and other faculty-led sessions designed and led by post-secondary student volunteers. All programs are provided at zero cost to participants and families, funded through donations, grants, and event fundraising.

Product overview

CanU is a Winnipeg-based charitable organization offering a single unified out-of-school mentorship and educational enrichment program for youth in Grades 5-12. The core CanU Programs (Explore, Discover, Aspire, and Rise+) are delivered weekly on University of Manitoba campuses through hands-on learning experiences. Supplementary offerings include the iF Imagine Leaders Summer Program, Tutoring Network, Lead Awards Scholarship Program, Trail Challenges (Mantario, Centennial, Birds Hill), Ted's Run for Literacy, and the annual Imagine Stories Gala. All programs focus on developing participants' nutrition, health, academic, social, and leadership skills through partnerships with post-secondary institutions, schools, and community organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CanU Core Programs (Explore, Discover, Aspire, Rise+) Weekly out-of-school mentorship and educational enrichment program for Winnipeg youth in Grades 5-12, delivered on University of Manitoba campuses. Tracks include Explore (Grade 5-6), Discover (Grade 7-8), Aspire (Grade 9-10), and Rise+ (Grade 11-12), featuring hands-on experiences in cooking labs, nursing simulation labs, robotics, and other interactive faculty-led sessions designed and led by post-secondary student volunteers. Free to participants and their families.
• CanU iF Imagine Leaders Summer Program Summer leadership program offering unique positive-engagement experiences to exceptional students who participate in the CanU Program during the school year.
• Tutoring Network Program connecting CanU participants with trained volunteer tutors for individualized academic assistance and mentorship, available in-person or virtually across all subjects for Grades 5-12. Delivered in partnership with Frontier College.
• Lead Awards Scholarship Program Scholarship program recognizing outstanding CanU community members who demonstrate leadership in schools and communities. Awards are held in trust by The Winnipeg Foundation and contribute to tuition costs at colleges or universities in Canada. Over 1,400 Lead Awards have been awarded to date.
• CanU Trail Challenges Hiking challenges including the Mantario Trail Challenge (65 km), Centennial Trail Challenge (36 km), and Birds Hill Trail Challenge, with proceeds supporting CanU Lead Awards and scholarships. Has raised over $1.2 million since 2016.
• Ted's Run for Literacy Annual running event established in 2010 in memory of Ted Swain, supporting CanU programs. Has raised approximately $40,000 to date to support children around Winnipeg through purchases of athletic shoes and participant kits.
• Imagine Stories Gala Annual fundraising gala celebrating Manitoba youth and CanU's impact. Features storytelling, community celebration, and sponsorship opportunities at tiers Flight School ($15,000), Fleet ($10,000), Distance ($5,000), Launch ($2,500), and Design ($1,500).

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% on-time high school graduation rate (20% higher than Manitoba average)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Frontier CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020National charitable literacy organization established in 1899 that provides training and support for CanU's Tutoring Network program. Provides tutor training and educational resources.
• University of ManitobacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Primary post-secondary partner hosting CanU programs on campus. Partnership with over 30 university departments and faculties providing learning experiences in nursing labs, food labs, and other facilities.
• Winnipeg FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHolds Lead Awards and Scholarships in trust for CanU participants. Long-term funding partner supporting youth education initiatives.
• Pembina Trails School DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool division partner with 20+ schools participating in CanU programming.
• Winnipeg School DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool division partner with 20+ schools participating in CanU programming.
• Louis Riel School DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool division partner with multiple schools participating in CanU programming.
• Seven Oaks School DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool division partner with multiple schools participating in CanU programming.
• Electronic Recycling AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting responsible electronics disposal for CanU programs.
• SPARKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinnipeg innovation community partner supporting CanU.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada: Canada's leading youth mentoring charity, pairing adult and student volunteers with at-risk youth — overlapping directly with CanU's volunteer-mentorship and educational-outcome mission.
• Frontier College: National charitable literacy organization that already partners with CanU on the Tutoring Network; operates volunteer-tutor-led learning programs for youth and adults across Canada — directly comparable in literacy/mentorship focus.
• Pathways to Education Canada: National charitable program supporting youth from low-income communities to graduate high school and transition to post-secondary — directly comparable in mission, youth-development lens, and Canadian nonprofit structure to CanU.

Emerging players

• TakingITGlobal: Canadian charitable organization engaging youth in social impact, leadership, and education programs — partial overlap with CanU's youth-leadership and educational enrichment focus.
• Kids Code Jeunesse: Canadian charity delivering educational and STEM programming for youth through volunteer-led workshops in schools — comparable in volunteer-powered, in-school/out-of-school enrichment model.

Others

• United Way Winnipeg: Regional fundraising and grant-distributing nonprofit supporting youth, education, and poverty programs in Winnipeg — not a direct operator but a comparable funder/ecosystem participant to CanU's foundation and corporate backers.
• Manitoba 211 / Youth Programs: Winnipeg/Manitoba referral network for youth services and nonprofit programs — an ecosystem enabler comparable to CanU as a community-based youth service provider rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada: Large national youth-services nonprofit operating after-school and out-of-school programming for school-age youth — overlapping in target demographic (Grades 5–12), mentorship model, and community-based delivery.
• YMCA Canada (and YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg): Federated youth-development nonprofit offering after-school programs, leadership development, and school-partnership programming — comparable in operating model and youth-development focus, with a Winnipeg affiliate in the same geography.

Regional players

• Roca (Roca, Inc.): U.S.-based nonprofit providing intensive youth-mentoring and educational programming for at-risk young people — comparable in mission and high-touch mentorship model, but operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canu-canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CanU Canada (CanU) The University of Can.