United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo

What United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo does

United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo (UWFMWB) is a registered Canadian charity founded in 1978 that operates as the primary community fundraising and grant-distribution body for the Wood Buffalo region of northern Alberta. The organization runs an annual Community Campaign that solicits individual and workplace donations from individuals, corporations (predominantly in the oil sands and energy sector), and small businesses via its 365 Business Circle program, with charitable registration number 119260495RR0001. It allocates roughly 80% of funds raised directly to 11 partner social profit agencies addressing poverty, mental health, addiction, youth well-being, and community services, with an 11% campaign cost ratio against the 15% United Way guideline.

UWFMWB's core product surface comprises signature programs and events — Day of Caring (hands-on volunteer initiative), Tools for School (back-to-school supply distribution partnered with Staples Fort McMurray), Workplace Campaigns, the Grand Slam Slo-Pitch Tournament, and Puck Toss For a Cause at Oil Barons hockey games — alongside digital tools such as the MakeTheMonthWB.ca poverty simulation platform and a 211 Alberta referral service partnership. The organization also operates the Redpoll Centre at SMS Equipment Place in Fort McMurray as an anchor community hub, offering subsidized office space ($15-$50/day), meeting room rentals ($25-$350), and a collaboration facility for social profit, cultural, and sports organizations in the region.

UWFMWB employs 5 core staff (Executive Director, Director of Finance & Administration, Finance Coordinator, Community Impact Coordinator, and Community Campaign Coordinator) and is governed by an independent local Board of Directors; it is not owned by, controlled by, or affiliated through equity with any parent company, PE firm, or external investor. Its GTM motion is community-led, relying on personal relationships, board advocacy, corporate campaign coordinators, and signature events rather than paid marketing. Campaign totals have trended downward from a CAD $4.65M peak (pre-2020) to CAD $3.5M in 2020 and a CAD $2M goal in 2024, indicating revenue compression likely tied to the regional oil-and-gas donor base.

Name

United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo

Legal name

United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo

Website

https://fmwbunitedway.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo is a registered Canadian charity (founded 1978) that runs annual workplace and individual giving campaigns and distributes funds to 11 partner social profit agencies serving the Wood Buffalo region, while also operating the Redpoll Centre community hub and signature volunteer and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Charity and Social Profit Investment Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Community fundraising campaigns
• Workplace giving programs
• Social profit investments
• Volunteer engagement
• Community facility rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort McMurray

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue stream from individual donations, corporate donations, and workplace giving campaigns. Donations are tax-credit eligible and support local partner agencies addressing poverty, mental health, youth well-being, and community services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo operates as a registered Canadian charity that raises and invests donated funds into a network of 11 local social-profit partner agencies addressing poverty, mental health, addiction, youth wellness, and community services in the Wood Buffalo region. It runs annual community campaigns, workplace giving programs, signature fundraising events, and operates the Redpoll Centre, a community hub offering subsidized office space, meeting rooms, and rentals. It also delivers programs such as Tools for School, Day of Caring, and the MakeTheMonthWB.ca poverty simulation platform, with 80% of donations flowing directly to community programs.

Product overview

United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo operates as a single unified charitable organization offering community programs rather than a technology platform. The core offering centers on fundraising campaigns and volunteer initiatives to support local social services. Key programs include the annual Community Campaign for fundraising, Day of Caring volunteer events, Tools for School supply distribution, and the Redpoll Centre facility which provides subsidized office space and meeting rooms to partner agencies. The organization also manages signature events like the Grand Slam Slo-Pitch Tournament and Puck Toss For a Cause, operates the 211 Alberta referral service, and provides the MakeTheMonthWB.ca poverty simulation platform. Meeting room and office space rentals at the Redpoll Centre are available to nonprofit organizations at subsidized rates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Day of Caring A hands-on volunteer initiative that brings together coworkers, sports teams, families, and friends for one-day projects supporting United Way-funded partner agencies and their clients in the Wood Buffalo region.
• Tools for School A school supply distribution initiative partnering with Staples Fort McMurray to ensure children from all families have access to necessary supplies for classroom participation across two local school districts.
• Workplace Campaigns Corporate workplace fundraising campaigns that engage employees through activities including bake sales, raffles, lunch-and-learns, and team-building events, with coordinator support, to raise funds for community programs.
• Redpoll Centre Meeting Room Rentals Affordable meeting room rentals at the Redpoll Centre including the Barb Jewers Meeting Room (up to 40 people), Collaboration Room (8 people), and Innovation Room with Infocus Mondopad technology, available at standard and non-profit rates.
• Redpoll Centre Office Spaces Professional office space rentals at the Redpoll Centre including individual cubicles ($15/day), private offices ($30/day), and double offices ($50/day), all-inclusive with furniture, Wi-Fi, and utilities.
• Puck Toss For a Cause A fundraising event held during Oil Barons hockey games where participants purchase pucks for toss games with cash prizes, with proceeds supporting United Way community programs.
• Grand Slam Slo-Pitch Tournament An annual softball tournament bringing together local workplaces and organizations to raise funds for United Way's community programs, featuring a marquee game between major corporate teams.
• MakeTheMonthWB.ca Poverty Simulation Platform A virtual poverty simulation platform that challenges users to manage a restricted budget for housing, mental health, food security, child poverty, and employment decisions, designed as a team-building and awareness tool for workplaces and community groups.
• 211 Alberta Referral Service A helpline and online resource partnership connecting residents to local community and social services, available by phone, chat, text, and web in multiple languages through 211 Alberta.
• Redpoll Centre (Community Hub) A collaborative community hub inside SMS Equipment Place in Fort McMurray providing subsidized office space, meeting facilities, collaboration spaces, and office workstations to social profit, cultural, and sports organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of donations go directly to community programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Staples Fort McMurraycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Tools for School initiative providing school supplies to 500+ students from two local school districts annually.
• FuseSocialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapacity development collaboration supporting social profit sector leaders through ED Roundtable, leadership training, and sector-wide learning initiatives.
• Poverty Reduction Network (PRN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of organizations committed to reducing poverty effects in Wood Buffalo region through awareness and innovative local solutions.
• A&W Fort McMurray and A&W Fort McKayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWe ♥ A United Wood Buffalo Month campaign donating $1 from every Teen Burger sold during November-December campaign period.
• Kal TireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTools for School partner providing gift-in-kind sponsorship, school supply collection, and logistical support for distribution to local school divisions.
• Midlite Powerline ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThermometer Update Partner donating time, equipment, and expertise annually to update community campaign thermometers across Fort McMurray.
• Fort McMurray Oil BaronsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for community engagement events including Puck Toss For a Cause at Oil Barons games.
• Regional Municipality of Wood BuffalocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Social Sustainability Plan creation and stewardship, and poverty reduction initiatives including MakeTheMonthWB.ca simulation platform.
• 211 AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral service partnership connecting community members to local programs, services, and supports through dial 211.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Volunteer Canada: National volunteer-engagement organization; comparable in mobilizing volunteers (Day of Caring) but operates as a broader national advocacy and capacity-building body rather than a regional fundraiser.
• Community Foundations of Canada: National umbrella network for community foundations; comparable in grantmaking and local-impact focus but operates at a much broader, federated scale across Canada.
• United Way Centraide Canada: National federation under which UWFMWB operates; provides network standards (e.g., 15% campaign-cost guideline) and shared infrastructure, representing the closest structural incumbent.

Direct peers

• United Way British Columbia: Provincial United Way umbrella covering multiple regions; comparable in federated-giving structure, volunteer mobilization, and social-profit funding approach.
• United Way Halifax: Regional United Way chapter with similar single-region focus and community campaign structure; comparable in scale and partnership-driven operating model.
• United Way of Calgary and Area: Sibling United Way chapter operating the same federated-giving model in Alberta; directly comparable in structure, donor mix, and community-investment focus, but serving a larger urban footprint.
• Wood Buffalo Community Foundation: Local community foundation operating in the same Wood Buffalo region with a comparable grantmaking and donor-advised fund model; represents the closest geographic peer and direct alternative for local donors.
• United Way Toronto & York Region: Largest Canadian United Way chapter running the same workplace-campaign, agency-funding, and community-impact model; useful peer for benchmarking scale, campaign efficiency, and partner-agency network depth.

Others

• FuseSocial: Wood Buffalo-based social-profit capacity builder; not a direct competitor but a strategic partner (ED Roundtable, leadership training) that overlaps in supporting the same regional non-profit ecosystem.

Regional players

• Calgary Homeless Foundation: Alberta-based social-services funder focused on homelessness and poverty; shares overlap with UWFMWB's poverty-reduction focus but specializes in a narrower issue area and Calgary geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fmwbunitedway
• Facebookfacebook.com/fmwbunitedway
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fmwbunitedway
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitedwayfmwb

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 United Way Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo