Children First Canada
Children First Canada is a Calgary-based national charity founded in 2015 that advocates for the rights and well-being of Canada's 8 million children through research (Raising Canada), in-school programs (BBB, SDG Accelerator), youth civic engagement (Young Canadians' Parliament), and corporate-coalition advocacy campaigns including Countdown for Kids.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Children First Canada does
Children First Canada is a Calgary-based registered national charity (BN 799202528RR0001) founded in 2015 that operates as an independent advocacy organization for the rights and well-being of Canada's 8 million children. The organization builds a multi-stakeholder movement through three structural pillars: a Youth Advisory Council (~9 youth under 18), a Council of Champions (~20 senior leaders including CEOs of SickKids, CAMH, CHEO, IWK, McMaster Children's Hospital, Holland Bloorview, and the Canadian Medical Association), and a national network of schools, educators, and corporate partners. Core program offerings include the SDG Accelerator (a free, six-lesson civic-action curriculum for students aged 12-18), Being, Belonging, Becoming (a 10-lesson civic engagement toolkit for Grades 9-10 delivered to 3,300+ participants across 20+ schools in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia), Young Canadians' Parliament (a 14-week civic leadership program for youth under 18), the annual Raising Canada report (flagship research on the top 10 threats to childhood), and the Future is NOW! Awards (annual gala celebrating Canada's top 10 U18 changemakers, presenting-sponsored by Rogers). Mission-aligned campaigns include Countdown for Kids (online safety legislation advocacy) and Vote for Kids (federal election engagement).
Children First Canada firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Children First Canada
- Legal name
- Children First Canada
- Website
- https://childrenfirstcanada.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Children First Canada is a Calgary-based national charity founded in 2015 that advocates for the rights and well-being of Canada's 8 million children through research (Raising Canada), in-school programs (BBB, SDG Accelerator), youth civic engagement (Young Canadians' Parliament), and corporate-coalition advocacy campaigns including Countdown for Kids.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Children First Canada industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Rights Advocacy and Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)
Keywords
Where Children First Canada is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Children First Canada business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Charitable donations from individual Canadians through online giving platforms like CanadaHelps, merchandise sales (shop), and direct contributions.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Funding and in-kind support from corporate partners including Rogers (presenting sponsor of Future is NOW! Awards), TELUS, TD Bank, KPMG, Deloitte, and other organizations for specific programs and events.
- Government Funding: Support from Government of Canada and other public sector partners for programs including Young Canadians' Parliament and other youth engagement initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free programs for youth and students |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Children First Canada product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Children First Canada is a registered national charity that advocates for the rights and well-being of Canada's 8 million children through research, policy campaigns, and free educational programs for youth. It produces the annual Raising Canada report on the top 10 threats to childhood, delivers in-school programs (Being, Belonging, Becoming; SDG Accelerator), runs the Young Canadians' Parliament civic leadership program, and operates advocacy campaigns such as Countdown for Kids and Vote for Our Future.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SDG Accelerator Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,300+ youth participants engaged through BBB program with 93% feeling more confident about creating positive change
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Children First Canada
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Children First Canada technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Children First Canada partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Canadian Medical AssociationcorePart of the Countdown for Kids coalition advocating for online safety legislation. CEO Alex Munter serves on Council of Champions. Represents physicians advocating for children's health.
- Amanda Todd Legacy SocietycorePartner in Countdown for Kids campaign advocating for online safety legislation. Named in loving tribute for children lost to online harms.
- ParachutecoreNational injury prevention charity and member of Countdown for Kids coalition. CEO Pamela Fuselli serves on Council of Champions.
- The DaisminorToronto Metropolitan University platform for youth civic engagement, part of Countdown for Kids coalition.
- RogerscorePresenting sponsor of the Future is NOW! Awards, a major annual event celebrating Canada's top 10 U18 changemakers. Rogers representatives, including Suzanne Rogers, participate in award presentations.
- SickKidscoreHospital for Sick Children is a key strategic partner, co-sponsoring the Raising Canada report and represented on the Council of Champions by CEO Dr. Ronald Cohn. Strong alignment on child health advocacy.
- KPMGcoreCorporate sponsor presenting the 'Together We Rise Award' at the Future is NOW! Awards. Active supporter of youth changemaker recognition.
- DeloittecoreBoard member Ayeesha Sachedina is a Partner at Deloitte. Deloitte sponsors the Civic Spark Award at Future is NOW! Awards and supports organizational governance.
- CHEOcoreChildren's Hospital of Eastern Ontario is represented on Council of Champions by CEO Krista Jangaard. Co-sponsor of National Child Day events and advocacy campaigns.
- McMaster Children's HospitalcorePresident Bruce Squires serves on Council of Champions. Partner in advocacy for child health and mental health issues.
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation HospitalcoreCEO Julia Hanigsberg serves on Council of Champions. Partner in advocacy for children with disabilities and rehabilitation services.
- CAMHcoreCentre for Addiction and Mental Health represented by SVP Lori Spadorcia on Council of Champions. Partner in mental health advocacy campaigns including Countdown for Kids.
- IWK Health CentrecoreCEO Krista Jangaard serves on Council of Champions. Maritime partner in child health advocacy and National Child Day celebrations.
- BMOmajorPresenting sponsor of the Thriving Communities Award at Future is NOW! Awards.
- Century InitiativeminorNational charity supporting Canada's demographic and economic potential, aligned on issues affecting young Canadians.
- VIA Rail CanadaminorIn-kind partner providing travel services for program participants and events.
- Canadian NorthminorIn-kind partner providing travel support for northern community engagement.
- Canadian Red CrossmajorPartner supporting the Young Canadians' Parliament program, enabling humanitarian and emergency preparedness education components.
- Wisdom2ActionmajorSpecial partner in Young Canadians' Parliament providing expertise in youth engagement and community development. Listed as both strategic partner and content partner.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Children First Canada competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kids Help Phone: Canada's only 24/7 e-mental health service for young people. Comparable national-scale youth-services charity with strong corporate sponsorship (Bell Let's Talk), direct youth engagement, and advocacy for child well-being.
- Right To Play International (Canada): Toronto-headquartered charity using play and sport to protect and educate children, with strong Canadian corporate sponsor base (including RBC). Comparable operating model combining youth programming, advocacy, and corporate partnerships.
- World Vision Canada: Major Canadian humanitarian and child-focused NGO with sponsorship, advocacy, and child-rights programming. Notably, CFC's founder Sara Austin previously held senior roles at World Vision Canada, indicating a tight mission and donor-overlap relationship.
- Plan International Canada: Canadian affiliate of Plan International focused on girls' rights and child protection globally. Comparable rights-based, advocacy-driven operating model with corporate partners and youth-led programming.
- UNICEF Canada: National committee of UNICEF focused on children's rights, well-being, and policy advocacy in Canada. Operates a similar advocacy-plus-program model with corporate partners and donor base, and competes for the same philanthropic and government funding.
- Save the Children Canada: International NGO with a Canadian national affiliate dedicated to children's rights, child protection, and youth programming. Directly comparable mission, donor base, and advocacy posture; a primary competitor for children's-rights philanthropy in Canada.
Emerging players
- Children's Healthcare Canada: National association representing children's hospitals and pediatric health systems across Canada. Comparable child-well-being advocacy footprint with overlapping Council of Champions member organizations (SickKids, CHEO, IWK).
Broad incumbents
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada: Federated national youth-development charity delivering after-school and community programs across Canada. Broader youth-development mandate with overlapping donor base and corporate sponsorship pattern.
- YMCA Canada: National federation delivering youth development, child care, and health programs across Canada. Broader mandate but directly comparable youth-program delivery, school engagement, and corporate sponsorship model.
- Canadian Red Cross: Large national humanitarian charity delivering programs across emergency response, health, and youth education. Already a CFC partner on Young Canadians' Parliament; comparable scale of corporate and government partnerships.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Children First Canada social profiles
Digital presenceChildren First Canada financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Children First Canada leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Children First Canada funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Children First Canada M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Children First Canada
What does Children First Canada do?
Children First Canada is a registered national charity that advocates for the rights and well-being of Canada's 8 million children through research, policy campaigns, and free educational programs for youth. It produces the annual Raising Canada report on the top 10 threats to childhood, delivers in-school programs (Being, Belonging, Becoming; SDG Accelerator), runs the Young Canadians' Parliament civic leadership program, and operates advocacy campaigns such as Countdown for Kids and Vote for Our Future.
Is Children First Canada a public or private company?
Children First Canada is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Children First Canada founded?
Children First Canada was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Children First Canada based?
Children First Canada is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Children First Canada make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorship and government Funding.
Who are Children First Canada's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kids Help Phone, Right To Play International (Canada), World Vision Canada, Plan International Canada, UNICEF Canada and Save the Children Canada. Children's Healthcare Canada is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada, YMCA Canada and Canadian Red Cross.
Does Children First Canada have an API?
No public API is recorded for Children First Canada.
What industry is Children First Canada in?
Children First Canada's product category is Children's Rights Advocacy and Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAG, Child Protection & Child Rights. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.