Skills Society

What Skills Society does

Skills Society is a registered nonprofit disability-services organization headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, founded in 1981. It supports approximately 400 individuals with developmental disabilities through residential, outreach, and individualized daily-living supports, community inclusion programs, and citizenship development initiatives delivered under its proprietary "Thrive in Five" framework. The organization employs roughly 116 staff and reports to a board of directors, with Executive Director Ben Weinlick leading the organization since February 2019.

The operating model is anchored in contracts with Alberta's Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program, where revenue is billed monthly against approved individual budgets. Supplementary income is generated through individual and corporate donations (collected via the Keela platform and campaigns such as Giving Tuesday and casino fundraisers) and through space-rental revenue from the Action Lab, a creative learning space that doubles as a social enterprise employing people with disabilities.

Beyond direct service delivery, Skills Society operates a portfolio of social innovation projects. MyCompass Planning is a case management application co-developed with Lift Interactive and the Southern Alberta Community Living Association that is scaling across North America. Other initiatives include the Future of Home Lab (an inclusive-housing prototype with Leston Holdings targeting a 325-unit building), the Edmonton Shift Lab (with the Edmonton Community Foundation), Action Lab, Project Citizenship, CommuniTEA Infusion, and the Belonging initiative. The organization has received external recognition, including coverage in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Name

Skills Society

Legal name

Skills Society

Website

https://skillssociety.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Skills Society is a 45-year-old Edmonton, Alberta nonprofit serving roughly 400 individuals with developmental disabilities through government-funded daily-living supports and social-innovation projects, including the MyCompass Planning app scaling across North America and the Action Lab social enterprise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ), Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Community living supports
• Developmental disability care
• Nonprofit social services
• Social innovation projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government PDD Funding: Primary funding from the Alberta Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program. Skills Society invoices PDD monthly for hours worked in support environments based on approved individual budgets.
2. Donations and Fund Development: Donations from individuals, organizations, and corporate partners help fund activities and initiatives not covered by government funding. The organization conducts casino fundraisers, Giving Tuesday campaigns, and receives donor support.
3. Action Lab Space Rental: The Action Lab social enterprise generates revenue through renting the creative learning and workshop space to groups for events, workshops, strategic planning sessions, and convenings. Revenue supports employment of people with disabilities and Skills Society services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Skills Society provides individualized daily living supports and community inclusion services to approximately 400 citizens with developmental disabilities in Edmonton, Alberta, through the holistic 'Thrive in Five' approach covering home life, relationships, employment, learning/growth, and community participation. The organization is funded primarily through recurring Alberta PDD (Persons with Developmental Disabilities) government contracts, supplemented by donations, casino fundraisers, and secondary revenue from the Action Lab social enterprise creative space rental. It also runs social innovation projects including MyCompass Planning (a case management tool scaling across North America), the Future of Home Lab (inclusive housing solutions), Project Citizenship, and CommuniTEA Infusion.

Product overview

Skills Society is a nonprofit disability services organization providing a portfolio of support services and social innovation projects. The core service is daily living supports using the holistic 'Thrive in Five' approach covering home life, relationships, employment, learning/growth, and community participation. Key innovations include MyCompass Planning (a case management social innovation scaling across North America), the Action Lab (a social enterprise creative space), and various projects focused on citizenship, belonging, housing, and community engagement including The Belonging Project, CommuniTEA Infusion, Project Citizenship, Edmonton Shift Lab, and SDX. Together these programs aim to help people with disabilities live meaningful lives as valued citizens in community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Action Lab: A social enterprise initiative operated by Skills Society focused on disability employment and inclusion.

Products and services

• Daily Living Supports
• Action Lab
• MyCompass Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 400 individuals with disabilities supported to live full lives as valued citizens in community
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• Milk JarnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilk Jar is a Calgary-based candle company founded in 2016 by Holly Singer. The company employs individuals with disabilities (30-50% of staff) and has donated over $350,000 to causes. They partnered with Skills Society by donating to support initiatives like Action Lab and CommuniTEA Infusion that create tangible day-to-day skills for people with disabilities.
• NaheyawincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous knowledge and reconciliation partnership. Naheyawin, led by Hunter Cardinal and Jacquelyn Cardinal, curated an event for Skills Society to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, featuring engaging discussions, storytelling, and reflection on the journey towards reconciliation.
• Lift InteractivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner for developing the MyCompass Planning App - an innovative case management tool that humanizes the service planning process and centers the voice of people served. App now scaling across North America.
• Southern Alberta Community Living AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed MyCompass Planning alongside Skills Society and Lift Interactive. This social innovation emerged from Skills Society and is now scaling across North America to humanize case management in social services.
• Inclusion AlbertacoreOthersSkills Society is a member of Inclusion Alberta, working together on advocacy for disability rights and community inclusion. Sharing information about provincial election issues and calls to action regarding disability support services.
• Civida (formerly Capital Region Housing)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Future of Home Lab exploring affordable and accessible housing solutions for people with disabilities in Edmonton.
• Homeward TrustnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Future of Home Lab inclusive housing solutions initiative, working to address housing challenges for vulnerable populations including people with disabilities.
• Leston HoldingscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of the 2023 Community Belonging Award, Leston Holdings is bringing a housing prototype from the Future of Home Lab to life - a new 325-unit apartment building on Edmonton's west side where 12 people with PDD funding will receive support, featuring a 'Community Concierge' role.
• University of AlbertanotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with University of Alberta, including collaboration with Nancy Spencer-Cavaliere, PhD on Project Citizenship research. Also participates in Community Service-Learning programs and student internships.
• YWCAminorOthersYWCA donated Cushing House as the space for Skills Society's final Art Hive event in 2025, supporting inclusive community art-making activities.
• City of EdmontonnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Design by Doing 2.0 social innovation lab alongside EndPoverty Edmonton and Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative, working with the Bhutanese community on culturally adapting social innovation processes.
• EndPoverty EdmontonnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in collaborative social innovation initiatives including Design by Doing 2.0, working to address poverty and community challenges in Edmonton through systemic design approaches.
• Burwell School of PhotographyminorOthersExternal training provider where Skills Society Citizenship Award recipient Michelle took her first photography class, supported by Skills Society's Citizenship Award program.
• ArtsHub OrtonaminorOthersVenue partner that hosted Skills Society's first Art Hive event exploring the theme of 'Bee-longing' and belonging through community art-making.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Inclusion Canada: National federation of provincial disability rights organizations, including Inclusion Alberta. Operates at a wider scope than Skills Society but shares the citizenship and human rights orientation, and is an influential voice on national disability policy.

Direct peers

• posAbilities: British Columbia nonprofit offering person-centered support services to children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities. Directly comparable in mission and service delivery model, although serving a different provincial market.
• Community Living Toronto: Large Ontario-based nonprofit providing personalized supports and community-living services for people with developmental disabilities. Comparable in mission, service model, and scale to Skills Society's daily living support work.
• Inclusion Alberta: Provincial advocacy and member organization for the developmental disabilities community in Alberta. Skills Society is a member and co-advocates with Inclusion Alberta on provincial disability rights and policy, making them a closely aligned peer in the same geography and mission space.
• Reena: Toronto-area nonprofit providing residential, community participation, and employment supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. Comparable service breadth, funding mix, and citizen-centered philosophy.
• Vita Community Living Services and Mens Sana Families for Mental Health: Ontario nonprofit providing residential and community-based support services for adults with developmental disabilities. Similar in person-centered mission, though based in a different province.
• SARC (Saskatoon Abilities Resource Centre) / Saskatchewan Abilities Council: Saskatchewan-based nonprofit delivering community living supports, vocational programs, and person-directed services to people with intellectual disabilities. Closely analogous to Skills Society's mandate and funding model.

Emerging players

• Sinneave Family Foundation: Calgary-based foundation focused on transitions and inclusion for youth and young adults with developmental disabilities. Adjacent mission in the same Alberta ecosystem, with complementary transition and citizenship focus.

Regional players

• Extend-A-Family Kingston: Ontario nonprofit providing direct support, respite, and community living services to people with developmental disabilities. Comparable service model and citizenship philosophy, but operating in a different provincial jurisdiction.

Others

• CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation): Federal housing agency that funds Skills Society's Future of Home Lab. While not a direct peer, CMHC is the key ecosystem partner for inclusive housing innovation and a relevant comparator on national housing and disability programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skillssociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Skills Society