Dawson Student Union

What Dawson Student Union does

The Dawson Student Union (DSU) is a non-profit student union representing full-time and part-time students at Dawson College in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded as the official student representative body (with the current Constitution ratified by referendum on April 22, 2026, effective June 1, 2026), the DSU operates from a 17-employee organization headquartered at 3040 Sherbrooke West, Office 2F.2, on the Dawson College campus. The union is funded primarily through mandatory student fees collected from Dawson College students.

The DSU's service portfolio spans food security programs (Dawson Dinin' — free meals every Wednesday at Conrod's; Dawson Snackin' — free coffee, tea, and snacks every Friday in the Upper Atrium), a book exchange (The Swap — 454 books processed, $1,952 CAD saved for 165 students in Fall 2024), a gender advocacy centre (The Hive, with sub-programs including Student Parent Program, Menstrual Product Access, Gender Gear for Everyone, and Safer Sex Packages), advocacy services for student rights, a Health & Dental Plan administered through partner Studentcare, student group funding and reimbursement, special project funding, and the DSU Awards recognition program (six categories presented each Fall and Winter semester, launched Fall 2021). All programs are free to students at the point of use.

The DSU's business model is a non-profit, fee-funded model: mandatory student fees constitute the primary revenue stream and all services are delivered free to members. Distribution is primarily on-campus through physical locations (main office, Conrod's, Upper Atrium, The Hive) supplemented by digital channels (website, Instagram @my_dsu, Facebook mydsu, email). The organization operates with no disclosed external ownership, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no traditional funding rounds; it is governed internally by Executive Officers, Student Council, and ratified Standing Regulations (Clubs and Spaces, both May 2023). The DSU acknowledges its activities take place on the unceded traditional territory of the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) people.

Name

Dawson Student Union

Legal name

Dawson Student Union

Website

https://dawsonstudentunion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dawson Student Union is a non-profit student union at Dawson College in Montreal that delivers free food, book exchange, gender advocacy, health/dental coverage, and student representation services funded by mandatory student fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Union Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sexual & Reproductive Health Services (EDALAFAG)

Keywords

• Student union services
• Student advocacy
• Food security programs
• Gender advocacy centre
• Book exchange

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Fees: The DSU operates as a student union funded through mandatory student fees collected from Dawson College full-time and part-time students. Revenue supports union operations, advocacy services, student programs, and community initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The DSU delivers a portfolio of free, in-person and online services to Dawson College students, including weekly food programs (Dawson Dinin' and Dawson Snackin'), a discounted textbook exchange (The Swap), a gender and sexual-health advocacy centre (The Hive) with sub-programs such as Menstrual Product Access, Gender Gear for Everyone, Safer Sex Packages, and the Student Parent Program, student-rights advocacy, a Health & Dental Plan administered through Studentcare, student group and special project funding, and a twice-yearly student recognition program (DSU Awards).

Product overview

Dawson Student Union operates as a student government organization offering a portfolio of student support services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include: The Hive (Gender Advocacy Centre) providing sexual health resources, gender-affirming products, and student parent support; The Swap (book exchange service) for discounted textbooks; Dawson Dinin' and Dawson Snackin' addressing food insecurity; DSU Awards recognizing student achievements; Advocacy Services for student rights; and Health & Dental Plan enrollment. These services are delivered through the DSU's website platform, with programs like The Hive offering multiple sub-programs (Student Parent Program, Menstrual Product Access, Gender Gear, Safer Sex Packages) and the Health & Dental Plan administered through an external partner (Studentcare).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dawson Snackin': Food-justice initiative offering free coffee, tea and snacks every Friday at the Upper Atrium or in front of DSU Main Office.
• Dawson Dinin'
• The Swap
• The Hive

Products and services

• Dawson Dinin' Free weekly food service run every Wednesday at Conrod's on the Dawson College campus, designed to address student food insecurity, promote sustainable practices, and support a healthy lifestyle.
• Dawson Snackin' Weekly free coffee, tea, and snacks service offered every Friday at the Upper Atrium table or in front of the DSU Main Office (2F.2), as part of the DSU's food-justice initiative.
• The Swap Book exchange service that allows Dawson College students to buy and sell textbooks at 50% off the Dawson Bookstore price, reducing textbook costs and extending the life of used books.
• The Hive - Gender Advocacy Centre Free on-campus gender advocacy centre providing advocacy for a safer school environment, access to sexual-health resources, referrals, and mental, physical, and sexual well-being materials for Dawson College students.
• Student Parent Program Financial support program for Dawson College students who are parents or legal guardians of children under 18, providing monthly CAD$75 Walmart gift cards and family-friendly spaces through The Hive.
• Menstrual Product Access Program under The Hive providing disposable and reusable menstrual products to Dawson College students, up to CAD$50 per student, including menstrual cups, tampons, pads, liners, and period panties.
• Gender Gear for Everyone Service under The Hive for transgender, non-binary, or gender non-conforming Dawson College students, providing up to CAD$100 of gender-reaffirming gear such as chest binders, gaffs, STP devices, breast enhancers, packers, and makeup.
• Safer Sex Packages Program under The Hive letting Dawson College students build packages of safer-sex products - condoms, internal condoms, finger cots, dental dams, latex gloves, and lube - up to CAD$40 in value.
• DSU Awards Student recognition program presented each Fall and Winter semester across six categories - Student Life, Come-up, Academic Excellence, Peace, Resilience, and Breakout Award - for full-time and part-time Dawson College students.
• Advocacy Services Student-rights assistance service that promotes and preserves the rights of full-time and part-time Dawson College students, helping them in strenuous situations identify their needs and take necessary courses of action.
• DSU Health & Dental Plan Health and dental insurance plan for Dawson College students, administered in partnership with Studentcare (studentcare.ca).
• Student Groups & Club Reimbursement Reimbursement funding and administrative support for recognized Dawson College student groups and clubs to encourage student involvement and campus-life activities.
• Special Project Funding Funding program for special student-led projects at Dawson College that support innovative initiatives and enhance the student experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 165 students saved $1,952 total on textbooks through The Swap book exchange in Fall 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• StudentcarecoreOthersDSU partners with Studentcare to administer the DSU Health & Dental Plan for Dawson College students. Students access coverage information through studentcare.ca/rte/en/IHaveAPlan_DSUDawsonStudentUnion_Home. The partnership provides a dedicated phone line (+1 438 796 2640) and contact form for insurance inquiries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• George Brown College Students' Association: Students' association at George Brown College in Toronto offering health plan, club funding and student services funded via student fees. Comparable as a Canadian college-level student association with a similar service portfolio.
• Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU): Recognized student society at McGill University offering analogous services (health/dental plan via Studentcare, clubs funding, advocacy, food security initiatives) under a student-fee funding model in the same Quebec ecosystem.
• Student Federation of the University of Ottawa: Federation governing undergraduate student services at the University of Ottawa with a similar student-fee funding model, clubs funding, health/dental plan, and equity programming — a comparable Canadian university-level student union.
• Concordia Student Union: Student union at Concordia University in Montreal serving a much larger undergraduate population with comparable advocacy, health plan, club funding, and equity programming structures funded through student fees.
• John Abbott College Students' Association: Student association at John Abbott College, a fellow English-language Montreal-area CEGEP. Comparable in scale, governance type and Quebec CEGEP student-fee funding structure.
• Vanier College Students' Association: Student association at Vanier College, another English-language CEGEP in the greater Montreal area. Highly comparable in mandate, governance structure, student-fee funding model and Quebec regulatory environment, making it the closest functional peer to DSU.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Federation of Students: National federation representing student unions across Canadian colleges and universities, including CEGEPs. Operates at a system-wide level coordinating advocacy and student services, providing a natural coalition partner for DSU's programming.

Others

• Studentcare: Insurance administrator and ecosystem partner that already runs the DSU Health & Dental Plan and similar plans for many Canadian student unions. Relevant as both a commercial counterpart and as infrastructure that sustains DSU's health coverage offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mydsu
• Instagraminstagram.com/my_dsu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mydsu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Dawson Student Union