Lighthouse For Grieving Children and Families

What Lighthouse For Grieving Children and Families does

Lighthouse For Grieving Children and Families is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization founded in 1999 and headquartered at 2522 Rebecca St., Oakville, Ontario, with a registered charity number of 86105 9715 RR0001. The organization provides free peer support groups, consultations, and educational resources to bereaved children and youth aged 3-24 and their families, serving the Halton, Hamilton, Peel, and broader Ontario regions. Its core products include open-ended in-person and online peer support groups (no eligibility restrictions beyond loss and no time limit on participation), one-on-one consultations, an annual Lighthouse Summer Institute for external practitioners, the Lighthouse Library of curated age-segmented grief books, and original publications such as "Dylan's Daddy Died" and "Where's Our Baby." The November Children's Grief Awareness Month campaign, the Blue Butterfly Circle monthly giving program, and dedicated resource sections for grieving children, youth, and parents/caregivers complete the service portfolio.

The organization's go-to-market approach is community-led and donation-funded, with no government funding and complete reliance on individual donations, monthly recurring gifts, memorial and legacy giving, matching gifts, sponsorship, and in-kind media partnerships. It maintains Imagine Canada accreditation (national charitable standards compliance) and is displayed alongside United Way as a partner, signaling governance and donor-trust credibility. Leadership consists of an Executive Director (Jason Dockeray) and a Board chaired by Shawna Dennis, with a stated staff of 12. Marketing and awareness are driven through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, a podcast, donated billboard inventory (Bell Media), municipal partnerships (Town of Oakville, City of Mississauga, City of Burlington), school partnerships (Walden International School), and local earned media (BurlingtonToday).

Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed; based on the nonprofit model, headcount of 12, 300-400+ beneficiaries served annually, and absence of government funding, implied annual operating revenue lies in the low single-digit millions Canadian dollars. No AI/ML capabilities, app, or proprietary technology platform are disclosed; service delivery is entirely human-facilitated, with technology limited to the website, podcast, and standard social media channels.

Name

Lighthouse For Grieving Children and Families

Legal name

Lighthouse For Grieving Children and Families

Website

https://lighthousegriefsupport.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lighthouse For Grieving Children and Families is a Canadian nonprofit founded in 1999 in Oakville, Ontario that provides free peer support groups, consultations, and educational resources to bereaved children and youth aged 3-24 and their families across Halton, Hamilton, Peel, and broader Ontario, funded entirely by community donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grief and Bereavement Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

Keywords

• Grief support services
• Peer support groups
• Bereavement counseling
• Children mental health
• Family support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Community Funding: As a nonprofit charitable organization, Lighthouse relies entirely on community donations and generosity to fund its free grief support services. The organization receives no government funding and depends on individual donors, monthly giving programs, memorial donations, legacy giving, matching gifts, and general donations to sustain operations serving over 300 children and families annually.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lighthouse For Grieving Children and Families is a Canadian nonprofit charitable organization that provides free peer support groups for grieving children and youth aged 3-24, along with their parents and caregivers. Its core services are delivered through in-person and online open-ended peer support groups, individual consultations, and education and training programs, all offered at no cost to families and funded entirely through community donations.

Product overview

Lighthouse For Grieving Children and Families operates as a community-based grief support organization offering a unified portfolio of services centered on peer support groups for children and youth aged 3-24 years. The core offerings include Support Groups (available in-person or online), Consultations, and Education & Training programs including the annual Lighthouse Summer Institute. These are complemented by the Lighthouse Library, which provides curated book resources organized by age group (3-5, 6-10, 11-19, and Parents & Caregivers) to support family grief journeys. The organization also runs the Blue Butterfly Circle monthly giving program and an annual Children's Grief Awareness Month campaign in November. All services are provided at no cost to families, with funding reliant on community donations. The organization serves the Halton, Hamilton, Peel, and broader Ontario regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peer Support Groups

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports over 300 children and families annually with free grief support services
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Walden International School of OakvilleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Art students at Walden International School produced 20 artwork pieces reflecting themes of hope, remembrance, and connection for Children's Grief Awareness Month. Artworks displayed at Oakville Public Library (Iroquois Ridge and Glen Abbey Branches) and Burlington Public Library Central Branch.
• Bell MediaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Donated billboard space throughout the region, including along the Gardiner Expressway into Toronto, supporting Children's Grief Awareness Month campaign visibility.
• GVA LightingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Generous support in helping spread awareness during Children's Grief Awareness Month through landmark lightings.
• Oakville and Burlington Public LibrariesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2025Display of Walden International School student artwork honoring Children's Grief Awareness Month at library branches.
• BurlingtonTodayminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Local news outlet shared the organization's story highlighting Children's Grief Awareness Month campaign.
• City of MississaugaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Sharing messaging across social media channels and displaying special message on city billboard at Celebration Square on November 20th for Children's Grief Awareness Day.
• Town of OakvilleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Oakville Town Hall illuminated in blue for Children's Grief Awareness Day (November 20); sharing messaging across social media channels.
• City of BurlingtonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Partnered with The Lighthouse to install a blue bench at Brant Hills Park in honor of Children's Grief Awareness Month. Bench includes plaque sharing its purpose for grieving children and families.
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way logo displayed on website footer indicating partnership/support relationship
• Imagine CanadacoreOthersImagine Canada accreditation logo displayed on website footer. Imagine Canada administers the Standards Program for charities to demonstrate compliance with national standards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Camp Erin (Eluna Network): Network of free bereavement camps for children and teens across North America. Adjacent peer-grief model serving a similar population, focused on weekend/camp format rather than ongoing groups.
• Kids Grief Support (A Kids' Grieve): Smaller emerging organization focused on supporting grieving children and families through peer connection and education — narrower geographic footprint but overlapping mission and target segment.

Direct peers

• Bo's Place: Houston-based nonprofit offering free, ongoing peer support groups for grieving children, youth, and adults — closely aligned operating model and program structure to Lighthouse.
• Bereaved Families of Ontario: Canadian nonprofit providing peer-based grief support groups for bereaved parents, siblings, and children across Ontario. Most directly comparable to Lighthouse in mission, geography, and peer-support delivery model.
• Judi's House: Denver-based nonprofit providing peer support programs and research on grieving children and families. Comparable all-family service model with a research and training arm similar to Lighthouse's Summer Institute.
• The Compassionate Friends Canada: International peer-support organization for families grieving the death of a child or sibling, with active Canadian chapters — closely mirrors Lighthouse's bereaved-child/family focus.
• Kidsgrief.ca (Canadian Virtual Hospice): Canadian online resource specifically designed to support grieving children, youth, and their parents — overlapping with Lighthouse's online groups and library offerings and serving a national footprint.
• Canadian Virtual Hospice: Canadian online hub offering grief and bereavement information and support, including resources tailored for children and families — directly comparable online peer-resource model.

Broad incumbents

• Winston's Wish: UK-based national charity providing grief support for bereaved children, young people, and families. Comparable mission, multi-channel service delivery (online, helpline, in-person), and education/training programs.
• The Dougy Center: U.S.-based pioneer and recognized leader in children's peer grief support model. Highly comparable service model (open-ended peer support groups) and a major training/consulting resource for organizations like Lighthouse.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/lighthouseprogram
• Facebookfacebook.com/lighthousegrief
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lighthouse-for-grieving-children-and-families
• Instagraminstagram.com/lighthousegrief

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Lighthouse For Grieving Children and Families