Special Olympics Alberta

Name

Special Olympics Alberta

Legal name

Special Olympics Canada

Website

https://specialolympics.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adaptive Sports Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH)

Keywords

• Adaptive sports programs
• Intellectual disability athletics
• Community sports programs
• Coach training programs
• Special needs recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton, Alberta

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. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals, including monthly giving programs, one-time gifts, birthday donations, and draft-an-athlete programs.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: National partner sponsorships at Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers. Includes in-kind support, cause marketing, and event sponsorships.
3. Government Funding: Funding from Government of Canada and provincial/territorial governments supporting programs and operations.
4. Special Events: LIMITLESS Gala flagship fundraising event held annually in November, plus face-to-face fundraising programs in six provinces.
5. Securities and Planned Giving: Donations of publicly traded securities with double tax benefit, charitable annuities, endowments, and legacy bequests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Special Olympics Alberta is a provincial chapter of Special Olympics Canada that delivers community-based sports training and competitive programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities across Alberta. The chapter recruits athletes from age 2 upward, trains coaches and volunteers, and provides year-round community sports programs covering multiple disciplines, with athletes qualifying to represent Alberta at national events such as the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat. The chapter also supports participation in health programs, athlete leadership, safe sport initiatives, and the SO Learn online training platform.

Product overview

Special Olympics Canada is a national charitable organization that operates as a unified platform of sports programs and services for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The core offering consists of community sports programs (over 5,500 programs nationwide), competitive games at national and regional levels, health initiatives, and athlete/coach/volunteer development. Supporting infrastructure includes SO Learn (online training platform), Safe Sport policies, and official sports governance. The organization also operates complementary fundraising programs including the LIMITLESS annual gala, Draft an Athlete sponsorship, face-to-face fundraising, securities donations, and legacy giving. The portfolio is delivered through 12 provincial and territorial chapters supporting over 40,000 athletes and 20,000 volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LIMITLESS: Flagship annual fundraising gala held each November, featuring silent and live auctions, gourmet dinner, live entertainment, and an afterparty
• Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR)
• Champions Network

Products and services

• Community Sports Programs
• Special Olympics Canada Summer Games Medicine Hat 2026

Quantifiable outcome

• Athletes show 15% reduced diabetes risk and 49% reduced depression risk compared to non-participants with intellectual disabilities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered community champions, gold and core.

• Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR)community championsGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal law enforcement initiative engaging police forces to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Hosts Polar Plunge events and torch relays.
• motionballcommunity championsGTM or Marketing PartnerNational nonprofit dedicated to introducing Special Olympics movement to next generation of donors, volunteers, and sponsors through social and sporting events.
• Bain & CompanygoldStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal management consulting firm. Partnered to calculate Social Return on Investment demonstrating $8.76 benefit per $1 invested. Presented LIMITLESS Gala 2026.
• TSN (The Sports Network)goldGTM or Marketing PartnerSports broadcaster covering Special Olympics events and athletes. Vic Rauter co-hosts National Awards Night. Provides extensive sports media exposure.
• Athletics CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational sport organization providing resources, training, and competition opportunities for athletics programs.
• Canada BasketballcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body supporting basketball programs for Special Olympics athletes.
• Curling CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational curling federation providing resources and competition pathways for Special Olympics curling.
• Skate CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational skating federation supporting figure skating programs and coach training.
• Swimming CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational swimming federation providing resources for aquatics programs.
• Canada GamescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-sport organization providing competition and event opportunities.
• Coaching Association of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides coach training resources and certification pathways.
• Sport for LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-sport organization supporting long-term athlete development frameworks.
• Champions NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner50+ Olympic, Paralympic, and professional athletes advocating for Special Olympics. Includes Vic Rauter, Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, Catriona Le May Doan, Mark Tewksbury, and others. Founded by Mark Tewksbury.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Inclusion Canada: National federation advocating for Canadians with intellectual disabilities and their families. Comparable mission population and an overlapping advocacy/government-grant funding pool with Special Olympics.
• Canadian Paralympic Committee: National body governing high-performance Paralympic sport in Canada. Overlapping mission around disability sport, but focused on elite competition rather than grassroots community programming; competes for the same corporate and government disability-sport funding.
• Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities: Major Canadian charitable funder of youth sport including children with intellectual disabilities. Overlapping funding universe and shared focus on removing financial barriers to sport participation for underserved youth.

Direct peers

• Special Olympics International: Global parent organization that accredits Special Olympics Canada and all provincial chapters. Operates the worldwide adaptive-sport movement with 4.5M participants in 170 countries, providing the umbrella brand, global games, and cross-border best-practice sharing.
• Special Olympics Canada: Direct national parent organization operating the same mission and program model across Canada. Alberta chapter is one of 12 provincial/territorial chapters under Special Olympics Canada, so they share brand, mission, programming, and fundraising infrastructure.
• Special Olympics British Columbia: Sister provincial chapter delivering the same community-based adaptive sports programming in British Columbia. Directly comparable in scope, target population, and operating model.
• Special Olympics Ontario: Largest sister provincial chapter by population. Operates the same model for individuals with intellectual disabilities across Ontario and is the most relevant scale benchmark for Alberta.
• motionball: National nonprofit partner of Special Olympics Canada that hosts social and sporting events to engage the next generation of donors and volunteers for the Special Olympics movement. Closely aligned mission and shared event IP.

Emerging players

• Right To Play: International nonprofit using sport for development in underserved communities. Comparable sport-for-social-impact methodology and similar donor base, though focused on developing-country contexts rather than disability-specific programming.
• Variety - The Children's Charity: Canadian charity serving children with disabilities through grants, adaptive equipment, and program funding. Overlapping population (children with disabilities) and overlapping provincial chapter structure, comparable grassroots fundraising footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/special-olympics-alberta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries13 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 Special Olympics Alberta