Queen's Project on International Development (QPID)

What Queen's Project on International Development (QPID) does

Queen's Project on International Development (QPID) is a student-run nonprofit organization founded in 1990 at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. It exists to raise development awareness and encourage critical thinking about international development issues among Queen's students and the broader Kingston community, framing its work as a holistic approach to development that emphasizes informed action over charity.

QPID delivers a portfolio of recurring programs: weekly Forums on development topics, an annual Youth Conference, Workshops, Community Outreach initiatives in Kingston, Summer Internships placing student volunteers with grassroots NGOs in countries including Botswana, India, the Philippines, and Nunavut, the Charity Pitch Competition awarding $1.5k to a participant-nominated charity, the 5 Days for Homelessness awareness campaign supporting the Kingston Youth Shelter, and the Collecting with QPID (CwQ) collection campaign. The organization maintains a content platform including a blog, photography gallery, publications archive, and the Manila Diaries project documenting Parabukas internships. Technology is not a material input; the offering is human-led programming and content.

Operationally, QPID is governed by an annually elected student executive team (General Director, Finance Director, Vice General Director, Internships Director, Marketing Director, Campus & Community Directors, EDII Director, and others) and is housed in Queen's Centre Office 3-A607 with an additional address through the Alma Mater Society at 87 Union Street. Revenue is sourced from voluntary individual donations and the volunteer labor of approximately 28 student members, with no disclosed institutional funders, sponsorships at scale, or earned income. Programs are offered free of charge to participants, and the 5 Days campaign has cumulatively raised over $1.5M since 2005 across Canadian university shelters.

Name

Queen's Project on International Development (QPID)

Legal name

Queen's Project on International Development

Website

https://qpidqueens.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

QPID is a student-run nonprofit at Queen's University, founded in 1990, that runs forums, internships with grassroots NGOs abroad, and local campaigns to raise development awareness among students and the Kingston community, funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Education and Advocacy

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

Keywords

• International development education
• Student volunteer programs
• Community development awareness
• Youth homelessness advocacy
• Charitable fundraising campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: QPID accepts donations from individuals to support their initiatives both at home and abroad.
2. Volunteer-generated: The organization operates primarily through volunteer participation without generating traditional revenue streams. Members volunteer their time to support development initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

QPID is a student-run nonprofit that delivers international development awareness and education through weekly Forums, an annual Youth Conference, Workshops, Community Outreach initiatives in Kingston, and Summer Internships placing student volunteers with grassroots NGOs in countries such as Botswana, India, and Nunavut. The organization also runs fundraising campaigns including the 5 Days for Homelessness initiative (which has raised over $1.5 million since 2005) and a Charity Pitch Competition, and sustains these activities through donations, student volunteer labor, and partnerships with international NGOs.

Product overview

QPID (Queen's Project on International Development) is a student-run organization founded in 1990 that operates as an educational and advocacy platform focused on international development awareness. The organization offers a suite of programs including weekly Forums for critical dialogue on development topics, an annual Youth Conference, Workshops, Community Outreach initiatives in Kingston, and international Summer Internships placing students with grassroots NGOs in Botswana, India, and Nunavut. QPID runs annual campaigns including the 5 Days for Homelessness initiative supporting local youth shelters and the Charity Pitch Competition offering $1.5k prizes. The organization maintains content platforms including a Blog, Photography gallery, and Publications archive. QPID uses a holistic approach to development through engagement in critical thinking and informed action, functioning as a collaborative venue for students and community members to share knowledge and promote development consciousness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forums Weekly discussion sessions held on development topics where students and community members engage in critical dialogue about international development issues, featuring guest speakers and interactive learning activities.
• Youth Conference Annual conference bringing together students to discuss and learn about international development issues and take meaningful action.
• Workshops Educational workshops designed to develop skills and knowledge related to community engagement and development work.
• Community Outreach Local Kingston community engagement initiatives connecting Queen's students with development awareness activities in their host community.
• Summer Internships International internship placements sending student volunteers to work with grassroots NGOs in developing countries including Botswana, India, and Nunavut.
• Charity Pitch Competition Annual pitch competition offering participants the chance to win $1.5k for a charity of their choice, fostering entrepreneurial approaches to social good.
• 5 Days for Homelessness Campaign Annual awareness campaign where participants sleep outside for five days to raise funds and visibility for youth homelessness in Kingston, supporting the Kingston Youth Shelter.
• Collecting with QPID (CwQ) Campaign initiative focused on community collection and engagement activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1.5 million raised through 5 Days For Homelessness campaign since 2005

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ParabukascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQPID partners with Parabukas in Manila, Philippines for internship placements. Interns document their experiences through the Manila Diaries project, sharing reflections on work, cultural experiences, and cross-cultural collaboration.
• VIDYAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQPID sends summer interns to work with VIDYA in Gurgaon, India. VIDYA is a national NGO focused on children's education and women's empowerment that has helped over 300,000 people.
• Bana Ba LetsatsicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQPID partners with Bana Ba Letsatsi, a children's rehabilitation center in Maun, Botswana, focused on providing support, mentorship, and counseling for street children.
• Kingston Youth SheltercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQPID's 5 Days For Homelessness campaign raises funds for and awareness about the Kingston Youth Shelter, which provides emergency housing for youth ages 16-24.
• BotswanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational internship placement location in Maun, Botswana with local NGO partnerships.
• NunavutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational development partnership location for student internships and engagement.
• IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational internship placement location with VIDYA partnership in Gurgaon, India.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Right To Play Canada: Canadian international development organization using sport and play for development. Comparable to QPID as a Canadian NGO with international development programming that engages youth, though Right To Play operates with paid staff across many countries and a formal institutional donor base.
• Aga Khan Foundation Canada: Canadian branch of the Aga Khan Development Network focused on international development in Asia and Africa. Comparable to QPID as a Canadian organization engaging on international development with developing-country partnerships, though AKFC operates as a professionally-staffed foundation with significantly larger resources.
• AIESEC: Global student-run organization facilitating international internships and cross-cultural exchanges. Comparable to QPID as a youth-led platform placing students in development-related roles internationally, though AIESEC operates across a much wider global chapter network with a broader commercial-exchange focus.
• CUSO International: Canadian international development and volunteer-sending organization with established partnerships in developing countries. Comparable to QPID in its focus on Canadian-led volunteer placements in international development, though CUSO operates as a paid-staff NGO with professional volunteer programming.
• Engineers Without Borders Canada: Canadian international development organization founded by university students with a focus on engineering and development. Comparable to QPID as a Canadian university-rooted development NGO that engages students in international development work, but operates at much larger scale with paid professional staff.
• Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC): Canadian umbrella organization representing international development NGOs. Comparable to QPID as part of the Canadian international development sector and as a body promoting ethical development practice, though CCIC operates as a policy/advocacy coordinator for member organizations rather than as a direct program implementer.
• WE Charity / Free The Children: Canadian-founded international development and youth-empowerment organization. Comparable to QPID in its Canadian roots, youth-engagement approach, and international development focus, though WE Charity operates at vastly larger scale with professional staff and a global footprint.

Direct peers

• Queen's University International Centre (QUIC): Queen's University's central hub supporting internationalization, international student services, and global engagement on the same campus as QPID. Comparable as a co-located Queen's University organization advancing international awareness and student mobility, with overlapping student audiences and complementary international development programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qpidqueens
• Facebookfacebook.com/QPIDqueens
• Instagraminstagram.com/qpidqueens
• TikToktiktok.com/@qpidqueens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/queens-project-on-international-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Queen's Project on International Development (QPID)