OCAD Student Union

What OCAD Student Union does

OCAD Student Union (OCAD SU) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation incorporated in Ontario, Canada, established in 1989 as the democratically elected student government for OCAD University. It serves approximately 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students through a comprehensive service offering organized around four pillars: food security (Hot Lunch, Student Pantry, Community Fridge), legal and advocacy support (Advocacy Services, SU Lawyer, Social Justice Library, Safer Sex Supplies), health and welfare benefits (Health and Dental Plan administered via StudentCare.ca), and student funding (Micro-Grants up to $250, Project Grants, Student Price Card). Operations are run by a small staff of approximately 7 employees working from offices at 230 Richmond Street West and within OCAD University campus, under the governance of an elected Board of Directors comprising 11 voting members spanning executive, representative, and at-large roles.

The union's primary revenue stream is mandatory membership ancillary fees collected by OCAD University and remitted to the union. Secondary revenue includes a $11.99/year Student Price Card loyalty program offering discounts across 450+ brands, with $2 of each SPC membership donated back to OCAD SU. Supplementary funding comes from the Student Experience Fund (acquired in 2022 as part of the joint Affordability Taskforce with OCAD U Administration) and other grants. The Student Price Card is administered through a partnership with SPC rather than built on proprietary technology; the union's digital infrastructure consists of a Student Resources Hub website and an emailed newsletter, with no proprietary software platform or AI/ML components.

OCAD SU's strategic positioning is grounded in social justice, decolonization, and anti-oppression advocacy, operationalized through partnerships with the Canadian Federation of Students, UTILE (student housing research), and the Dandelion Initiative (gender-based violence survivor support). The organization maintains a single-customer-segment focus (OCAD U students) and a single-geographic footprint (Toronto, Ontario). Commercial revenue streams are limited to the ancillary fee levy and the SPC discount program; the union does not generate enterprise revenue, charge membership dues beyond the ancillary fee, or operate any commercial product line.

Name

OCAD Student Union

Legal name

OCAD Student Union

Website

https://ocadsu.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OCAD Student Union is a not-for-profit, democratically elected student government serving approximately 5,000 OCAD University students in Toronto through advocacy, food security programs, legal aid, health and dental benefits, and student funding, funded primarily by mandatory ancillary fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Union Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDALABAJ

Student Engagement & Belonging Initiatives

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Academic Advising, Career Services & Student Success

SECONDARYEDALAHAF

Cultural, Identity & Inclusion Programs

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Activities, Clubs & Campus Life

Keywords

• Student union services
• Campus food security
• Student legal aid
• Student advocacy
• Student health insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Students pay into their membership via Ancillary Fees to the University which are then passed on to the OCAD Student Union. This forms the primary revenue stream for the union.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The OCAD Student Union is an independent, not-for-profit student organization that provides approximately 5,000 OCAD University students with on-campus services including a campus food bank, community drop-in hot lunch, free legal services via the SU Lawyer, student advocacy support, micro-grants and project funding, a Student Price Card discount program, administration of a Health and Dental Plan through StudentCare.ca, annual social events and workshops, and a Social Justice Library.

Product overview

OCAD Student Union operates as a not-for-profit student organization serving approximately 5,000 OCAD University students. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of student services organized around four core pillars: Food Security (Hot Lunch, Student Pantry, Community Fridge), Legal and Advocacy Support (Advocacy Services, SU Lawyer), Health Benefits (Health and Dental Plan via StudentCare.ca), and Funding Programs (Micro-Grants, Project Grants, Student Price Card). Supporting these core services are advocacy initiatives including the Affordability Taskforce addressing food insecurity, housing, and financial aid; the Campaigns and Action Committee for social justice and decolonization; and annual events (Spring Festival, O-Days!, Winter Feast). The union also maintains a Social Justice Library and publishes a student newsletter as part of its community-building mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hot Lunch

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,581 emergency food support requests fulfilled since March 2020
• +3 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OCAD U AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Joint committee led by OCAD Student Union and OCAD U Administration committed to finding solutions and compiling resources to combat financial stress for OCADU students through initiatives and advocacy. In 2022, acquired funding from OCAD University for the Student Experience Fund.
• HOUSE CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExplored partnership with HOUSE Canada, an incorporated non-profit dedicated to developing student-controlled and permanently affordable accommodations across Ontario. Partnership was not pursued due to concerns about student levy requirements, but remains tabled for future consideration.
• UTILEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for student housing research. UTILE conducted surveys and research to document student housing situations to put student housing on government radar. UTILE provides prize incentives for survey participation.
• Dandelion InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToronto-based grassroots survivor-run organization providing gender-based violence education, training, and survivor support services. OCAD SU partners to provide 'Survivors Thrive' workshop series for students.
• Canadian Federation of Students (CFS)coreOthersOCAD Student Union represents the OCAD University student population within the Canadian Federation of Students. Participates in provincial CFS-Ontario activities, petitions, and lobbying efforts.
• OCAD U Faculty AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on alternative budget proposals and joint advocacy efforts for student and faculty interests.
• The Dandelion InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated resource book for survivors with supports specific to Toronto and the GTA. Partnership for survivor support services and workshops.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Students' Society of McGill University: Student society at McGill University providing student governance, services, and advocacy. Closely comparable in structure, democratic governance, and portfolio of services including funding programs, advocacy, and student-life support in a Canadian university context.
• Toronto Metropolitan University Student Union: Student union serving Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) with a similar mandate of student advocacy, services, and representation. Operates in the same Toronto market and serves a comparable urban, design-and-creative-adjacent student population with overlapping service categories including food security, legal aid, and health plans.
• University of Toronto Students' Union: Student union serving University of Toronto Mississauga and Scarborough campuses. Operates the same fundamental model of student advocacy, services provision, and democratic governance within the Toronto higher-education ecosystem, with overlapping service offerings and ancillary fee funding structure.
• University of Guelph Central Student Association: Central student association at the University of Guelph providing advocacy, services, and student life programming. Comparable in operating model, ancillary fee funding, and service portfolio including health plans, legal services, and food security initiatives.
• University of Waterloo Federation of Students: Federation of Students at the University of Waterloo serving approximately 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Operates the same service-and-advocacy model with comparable offerings including health/dental plans, food support services, and advocacy resources.
• York Federation of Students: Federation representing undergraduate students at York University in Toronto. Functions as a direct peer with identical value proposition—student representation, services, advocacy, and campus life programming—funded through ancillary fees and operating with democratic elected governance.
• Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia: Student society at UBC Vancouver, the largest student union in Canada. Operates the same model of student representation, services provision, and democratic governance with extensive service portfolio spanning food security, advocacy, and member benefits.
• Western University University Students' Council: USC at Western University in London, Ontario, providing student services, advocacy, and governance. Direct peer with similar ancillary-fee funding model, elected board structure, and portfolio of student support services including legal aid and food security.
• Queen's University Alma Mater Society: AMS at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, providing student services, advocacy, and campus life programming. Direct peer with identical governance model, ancillary fee funding structure, and comparable portfolio of student-support services.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Federation of Students: National federation of student unions in which OCAD SU is a member local. Operates at a broader scale, providing collective advocacy, lobbying, and services to member locals across Canada. Directly comparable to OCAD SU's mission of student representation but operating at a provincial and national level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OCADSU
• Facebookfacebook.com/ocadsu
• Instagraminstagram.com/ocadsu
• TikToktiktok.com/@ocadsu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocad-student-union

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about OCAD Student Union