Community Advocacy & Legal Centre

What Community Advocacy & Legal Centre does

Community Advocacy & Legal Centre (CALC) is a non-profit community legal clinic founded in 1980 and funded by Legal Aid Ontario, serving low-income residents of Hastings, Prince Edward, and Lennox & Addington counties, plus Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, in southeastern Ontario. The organization delivers free legal services — including advice, representation, public legal education, and systemic advocacy — across practice areas spanning housing and tenant rights, income assistance (Ontario Works and ODSP), consumer and debt matters, employment law, and human rights. CALC distinguishes itself within the LAO clinic network through dedicated services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.

The clinic operates one main office in Belleville and nine satellite offices spread across its rural catchment, with recent expansions including a new Trenton site (June 2024) and a Napanee site (2025). The organization is a registered Canadian charity (Charitable Registration Number 12464 4121 RR0001). There is no evidence of proprietary technology, software platforms, or digital product offerings in the source material; service delivery is conducted by credentialed legal staff, community legal workers, and specialized Deaf-services personnel.

CALC's business model is grant-funded rather than revenue-generating: clients receive services at no charge, and operating revenue consists of LAO clinic funding together with incidental charitable receipts. As a designated LAO community clinic, CALC occupies a regulated service territory that defines both its addressable market and its primary funding counterparty.

Name

Community Advocacy & Legal Centre

Legal name

Community Advocacy & Legal Centre

Website

https://communitylegalcentre.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Advocacy & Legal Centre is a non-profit, Legal Aid Ontario–funded community legal clinic founded in 1980, serving low-income residents across Hastings, Prince Edward, Lennox & Addington counties and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory with free advice, representation, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Other Legal Services (54119), Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGAFAB

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAEAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYEDAJAKAK

Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Education Services

Keywords

• Community legal clinic
• Legal aid services
• Tenant rights advocacy
• Low-income legal help
• Housing legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belleville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Aid Ontario Funding: CALC is a non-profit legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario. All services are provided free of charge to eligible low-income residents. The clinic operates as part of Ontario's community legal clinic system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Community Advocacy & Legal Centre (CALC) provides free legal information, advice, and representation to low-income residents of Hastings, Prince Edward, and Lennox & Addington counties and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in southeastern Ontario. Core services cover housing/tenant rights (including Landlord & Tenant Board representation), income assistance (ODSP, Ontario Works, CPP Disability, EI), consumer/debt issues, employment law, human rights, and seniors' legal matters. The clinic also delivers community legal education workshops, advocacy for systemic legal reform, and specialized accessible services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing clients.

Product overview

Community Advocacy & Legal Centre (CALC) is a non-profit legal clinic offering free legal services to people living on a low income in southeastern Ontario. CALC operates as a unified service delivery organization rather than a platform-based product company. The core offering consists of direct legal services including legal advice, representation at tribunals, and legal information, supplemented by legal education programs (workshops, tip sheets, videos), advocacy for improving legal rights, and specialized services for Deaf or Hard of Hearing community members. Key service components include the Tenant Hotline for housing-related assistance, educational housing videos, downloadable tip sheet resources, the bi-annual Bafflegab newsletter, and online intake forms for legal assistance requests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Services

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario)coreTechnology or IntegrationCLEO developed the Steps to Justice content embedded in CALC's website, providing guided pathways and self-help legal information tools. Both organizations use modern information and communication technologies to support activities.
• Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB)coreOthersProvincial tribunal where CALC represents tenants in housing disputes. CALC helps clients file applications, prepare for hearings, and navigate the LTB process.
• Hastings County Housing ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides affordable housing in Hastings County. Works with CALC on housing-related issues affecting low-income residents in the service area.
• Prince Edward-Lennox & Addington Social ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides subsidized housing and social services in Prince Edward and Lennox & Addington Counties. Collaborates with CALC on housing issues for low-income residents.
• Next Step Housing ConnectionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing organization serving Hastings and Prince Edward Counties with intensive case management and housing support services. Partners with CALC on housing stability for vulnerable clients.
• Belleville Quinte West Community Health CentremajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts CALC's satellite office at their Trenton location (Room 110), providing accessible community-based legal services.
• Gateway Community Health CentremajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts CALC's satellite office at their Tweed location, expanding CALC's geographic reach in the service area.
• Ontario Works (Various Locations)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOntario Works offices in Amherstview and Napanee host CALC satellite offices, reaching clients already engaged with income assistance programs.
• Bancroft Family Health TeamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts CALC's Bancroft satellite office, providing legal services to rural residents in the eastern part of the service area.
• Tri-Area Medical Building (Madoc)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedical centre hosting CALC's Madoc satellite office for rural community access.
• Marmora Medical CentreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedical centre hosting CALC's Marmora satellite office for rural community access.
• Tyendinaga Mohawk TerritorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCALC provides services to Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory residents as part of their service area. Previously operated a legal advice clinic every other month in Deseronto (currently temporarily closed).

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• South Ottawa Community Legal Services: Ontario community legal clinic serving low-income residents in south Ottawa, operating under the same Legal Aid Ontario funding structure with similar service offerings.
• Kitchener-Waterloo Legal Services: Another Ontario community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario, serving low-income residents with a similar mix of housing, income assistance, and human rights services in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
• Hamilton Community Legal Clinic: Ontario community legal clinic operating under the same Legal Aid Ontario funding model, providing free legal services to low-income residents in the Hamilton area across comparable practice areas.
• Income Security Advocacy Centre: Ontario legal aid clinic focused on income security issues, operating under Legal Aid Ontario funding with overlapping practice areas in income assistance, ODSP, and social benefits advocacy.
• CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario): Ontario non-profit producing public legal education materials including the Steps to Justice platform already integrated into CALC's website. Direct content partner with overlapping mission.
• Aboriginal Legal Services: Ontario legal aid clinic serving Indigenous clients with culturally appropriate legal services. Comparable Legal Aid Ontario funding model and overlapping practice areas including Indigenous rights and human rights.
• West Toronto Community Legal Services: Toronto-based community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario, offering free legal services to low-income residents with a comparable service mix including housing, income, and human rights work.
• Justice for Children and Youth: Ontario specialty legal aid clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario, providing free legal services to children and youth in similar areas including education, housing, and income assistance.
• Neighbourhood Legal Services (London & Middlesex): London, Ontario community legal clinic serving low-income residents under Legal Aid Ontario funding with a comparable mix of housing, income, and human rights legal services.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid Ontario: Provincial funder and broader operator of Ontario's legal aid system, including duty counsel and certificate programs. CALC operates as one clinic within LAO's broader network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/calctweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CommunityLegalCentre
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityLegalCentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/calc_belleville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-advocacy-legal-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Community Advocacy & Legal Centre