211 Nova Scotia

What 211 Nova Scotia does

211 Nova Scotia is a non-profit information and referral service incorporated under Nova Scotia's Societies Act in 2008 and formally launched on February 11, 2013. The organization operates as the only Inform USA-accredited information and referral provider in Nova Scotia (accredited 2017, reaccredited 2022), connecting residents of Nova Scotia — and through a contract with United Way PEI, residents of Prince Edward Island — to community, government, and social services via a 24/7 multi-channel contact operation spanning the 2-1-1 phone number, toll-free line, SMS, live chat, email, and Video Relay Service for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, with human interpretation available in over 240 languages.

The underlying technology consists of three components: an annually validated online resource database (ns.211.ca) covering community, health, and social services across the province; a Clipboard feature that lets users select, save, and share multiple services via email or print; and a Needs Data Dashboard — a business intelligence tool that publishes anonymized data on caller needs, service gaps, and barriers for use by policymakers and funders. Operational performance reported in the 2025 Q4 Data Report includes 93% caller satisfaction, a 73-second average wait time, and a 6 minute 36 second average contact length, with mental health, housing and shelter, and individual and family support as the top referral categories.

The business model is a government-and-philanthropy-funded non-profit. Core operating funding comes from the Government of Nova Scotia and United Way (Cape Breton and Maritimes), with additional contracted special project revenue from United Way PEI for 211PEI services, the Nova Scotia Department of Justice for Victim Services referrals, and the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women for gendered helpline referrals. The service is entirely free and confidential to end users. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, has no parent company or external equity ownership, operates from a single headquarters in Dartmouth, NS, and runs with a small team of fewer than 25 staff providing 24/7 coverage.

Name

211 Nova Scotia

Legal name

211 Nova Scotia Information and Referral Service

Website

https://ns.211.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

211 Nova Scotia is a non-profit information and referral service operating 24/7 across Nova Scotia and, by contract, Prince Edward Island, connecting residents to community, government, and social services via phone, text, chat, email, and an online database, funded by the Government of Nova Scotia and United Way.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services Information & Referral

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Social service referrals
• Community resource navigation
• Information and referral
• Helpline and crisis support
• Social services database

Headquarters

HQ city

Dartmouth

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from Government of Nova Scotia to support provincial information and referral services.
2. United Way Contributions: Funding from United Way Cape Breton and United Way Maritimes as core funding partners.
3. Special Project Contracts: Contracted services for special projects including 211PEI services, Department of Justice victim services, and Status of Women helpline programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

211 Nova Scotia is a free, confidential 24/7 information and referral navigation service that connects Nova Scotians to community, non-profit and government programs across housing, food, mental health, employment, healthcare and legal services. Trained Community Resource Navigators deliver needs-based assessments via phone (211), text, email, live chat and Video Relay Service, supported by an online searchable database with annually validated records.

Product overview

211 Nova Scotia operates as a single, unified information and referral service that connects individuals to social services across Nova Scotia. The core offering consists of the 211 navigation service (available via phone 2-1-1, text, email, and live chat), supported by an online searchable resource database and a business intelligence dashboard for data analysis. The organization also provides the Clipboard Feature as a website tool for service providers, and supports 211PEI through a partnership arrangement. Community Resource Navigators form the human interface of the service, connecting callers to resources based on needs assessments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 211 Nova Scotia Navigation Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% caller satisfaction rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Government of Nova ScotiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funding partner providing core provincial funding for 211 Nova Scotia's information and referral services. Also contracts for special projects including Nova Scotia Guard emergency volunteer management.
• United Way Cape BretoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore funding partner supporting 211 Nova Scotia operations as part of the United Way network in Nova Scotia.
• United Way MaritimescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore funding partner supporting 211 Nova Scotia operations at the regional Maritimes level.
• United Way PEImajorStrategic or Co-development Partner211 Nova Scotia contracted to provide 211PEI services, handling calls, texts, and emails from Prince Edward Island residents. 3,170 contacts handled in 2024 through this partnership.
• Nova Scotia Department of JusticemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner211 Nova Scotia contracted to provide referrals for the Victim Services - Independent Legal Advice Program, connecting victims with legal support services.
• Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of WomenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Men's, Women's, and All Genders Helplines provided by Family Service of Eastern Nova Scotia. 211 provides referrals to these 24/7 telehealth counselling services.
• Family Service of Eastern Nova ScotiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Men's, Women's, and All Genders Helplines - free, confidential telehealth counselling services. 211 Nova Scotia made 9,800 referrals to these helplines in 2022.
• Transition House Association of Nova Scotia (THANS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with 211 Nova Scotia for the No Wrong Door Gender-Based Violence Initiative, ensuring women experiencing violence can access support without barriers. Hosted in-person knowledge exchange sessions.
• Inform USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional membership association for community information and referral services. Provides standards, program accreditation, and practitioner certification. 211 Nova Scotia holds international accreditation through Inform USA.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Findhelp (formerly Aunt Bertha): US-based social services search and referral platform; closest commercial-model equivalent to 211 Nova Scotia's online searchable database and Clipboard-style resource bundling functionality.
• 211 British Columbia: Provincial 211 service in BC delivering the same information and referral model; comparable in scale, accreditation status, and partnership structure with United Way and provincial government.
• 211 Ontario: Direct counterpart running the 211 information and referral model in Ontario; operates similar multi-channel access, accredited database, and serves as the closest functional comparison for 211 Nova Scotia's operating model and scale.
• 211 Alberta: Alberta's 211 service, operating the same accredited information and referral model across another Canadian province with comparable funding mix and multi-channel access.

Emerging players

• Crisis Text Line: US-based crisis intervention service using text-based channels; overlaps with 211's text/chat navigation capabilities and represents an adjacent model for scaling digital crisis and information support.
• Kids Help Phone: Canadian non-profit providing 24/7 e-mental health service for young people; comparable in operating model (free, confidential, multi-channel) and is the source of new CEO Darren Mastropaolo's prior leadership experience.

Others

• Inform USA: The professional membership and accreditation body for community information and referral services; not a competitor but the ecosystem coordinator whose accreditation underpins 211 Nova Scotia's regulatory moat.

Regional players

• HealthLink BC: BC's 24/7 health information and referral service; comparable as a government-funded navigation hotline but scoped specifically to health rather than full social-services navigation like 211.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/211NS
• Facebookfacebook.com/211NS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/211ns
• Instagraminstagram.com/211ns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 211 Nova Scotia