Waypoints Community

What Waypoints Community does

Waypoints Community Services Association is a registered Canadian charity (BN 118928449RR0001) and social profit organization founded in 1982 and headquartered in Fort McMurray, Alberta (Waypoints Community Services Association). It operates as the sole provider in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo offering a complete continuum of domestic violence, family violence, and sexual assault services, spanning crisis intervention, emergency shelter, transitional housing, trauma counselling, child advocacy, perpetrator intervention, and affordable housing. Its portfolio comprises seven core programs: Unity House Emergency Women's Shelter (45 bedrooms, 24/7 crisis intake, up to 21-day stays), Second Stage Women's Shelter (up to two years of subsidized transitional housing), Sexual Trauma Support Services (24/7 crisis line and counselling), Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (forensic interviews, court support, ages 3–17), Outreach Services (rural community visits across Anzac, Conklin, Fort Chipewyan, Fort McKay, Janvier, and Fort McMurray #468), Opportunities For Change (15-session court-mandated Provincial Family Violence Treatment Program), and The Compass affordable housing (bachelor through 3-bedroom units).

The underlying "technology" is a trauma-informed, multi-disciplinary service delivery model rather than a software product. Referrals flow through RCMP, Child and Family Services, Alberta Community Corrections, Victim Services, and the Athabasca Tribal Council, with all services delivered free to clients by trained crisis intervention workers and trauma counsellors. The Compass is a physical real-estate asset with a four-tier rental structure ($949–$1,669/month) and 10–20% income-based discounts. The organization does not offer a public API, mobile app, or proprietary technology platform.

Revenue is built on a hybrid nonprofit model: approximately $1.1 million annually from each of the Government of Alberta and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (combined ~$2.2M for shelter operations), plus one-time provincial funding ($665K for 15 previously unfunded beds), federal government contributions, individual and corporate donations, in-kind contributions, and high-margin fundraising events (Fort McMurray Food Festival generated over $100K net profit in 2025; Sunbelt Rentals/Ledcor golf tournament generated $110K). The Compass generates rental income and broadens the revenue base beyond grants. Total annual operating scale is estimated at $5M–$10M based on Unity House's $2.3M standalone operating cost, the multi-program scope, and disclosed fundraising totals.

Name

Waypoints Community

Legal name

Waypoints Community Services Association

Website

https://waypointswb.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Waypoints Community Services Association is a registered Canadian charity founded in 1982 that delivers the only complete continuum of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse services in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, serving women, children, and families across Fort McMurray and surrounding rural communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence and Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)

Keywords

• Domestic violence services
• Emergency women's shelter
• Trauma counseling
• Sexual assault support
• Affordable housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Mcmurray

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from Government of Alberta and Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo for shelter operations and programs. Funding amounts are approximately $1.1 million annually from government sources, with an additional $665,000 in one-time funding for unfunded beds.
2. Donations and Contributions: Monetary donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations supporting programs and services, or designated for specific campaigns.
3. In-Kind Donations: Physical donations including clothing, household items, hygiene products, and other essentials for shelter residents.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Fort McMurray Food Festival, Pub Crawl, and other community fundraising initiatives generating significant revenue (Food Festival generated over $100,000 in net profit).
5. Affordable Housing Rent: Rental income from The Compass affordable housing units, with rents ranging from $949 to $1,669 per month depending on unit size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Waypoints Community Services Association operates a comprehensive continuum of free services for individuals and families affected by domestic, family, and sexual violence in the Wood Buffalo region of Alberta. Its core offerings include 24/7 emergency shelter (Unity House), transitional housing (Second Stage), trauma counselling, child and youth advocacy through forensic interviews, rural community outreach, court-mandated perpetrator intervention programming, and affordable rental housing (The Compass). All client services are delivered free of charge by trained crisis intervention workers and trauma counsellors.

Product overview

Waypoints Community Services Association is a social profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of crisis intervention, shelter, counseling, and advocacy services targeting domestic violence, family violence, and sexual assault. The portfolio consists of two emergency shelter programs (Unity House and Second Stage Women's Shelter), two 24/7 crisis helplines, specialized trauma support services, a child and youth advocacy centre, outreach counseling, an affordable housing initiative (The Compass), and court-mandated programming (Opportunities For Change). Services are delivered through multi-disciplinary partnerships and extend to both urban Fort McMurray and rural communities throughout the Wood Buffalo region. The organization does not operate a technology product; all offerings are human-delivered social services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unity House Emergency Women's Shelter: 24/7 emergency shelter offering safe accommodation for adult female-identifying individuals with or without children fleeing interpersonal violence for up to 21 days.
• Second Stage Women's Shelter
• Sexual Trauma Support Services
• Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC)
• Opportunities For Change
• The Compass Affordable Housing

Products and services

• Unity House Emergency Women's Shelter A 45-bedroom emergency shelter offering safe housing for adult female-identifying individuals with or without children fleeing interpersonal violence for up to 21 days. Provides 24/7 crisis intervention through the Family Violence Crisis Line, with three meals daily and 24-hour support from trained crisis workers.
• Second Stage Women's Shelter Subsidized transitional housing offering apartments for up to two years for female-identifying individuals with or without children leaving abusive relationships. Includes enhanced security and supportive services focused on healing from violence.
• Sexual Trauma Support Services 24/7 crisis support and counseling services for individuals who have experienced sexual trauma including childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, or sexual harassment. Provides emotional support and referrals through the Sexual Trauma Support Line.
• Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) A Wood Buffalo Regional partnership serving children and youth ages 3-17 who have witnessed or experienced violence or abuse. Provides forensic interviews, court support, and trauma counselling through a multi-disciplinary team including RCMP, Victim Services, Child and Family Services, and Athabasca Tribal Council.
• Outreach Services Free counseling and support services for individuals experiencing or who have experienced domestic or family abuse, including child abuse, intimate partner violence, and relationship conflicts. Includes Domestic-Family Violence Counselling and Public Awareness Services throughout the Wood Buffalo region with regular visits to rural communities.
• Opportunities For Change A 15-session psycho-educational group program for adults who have used violence in intimate partner relationships, offered to both male and female groups. Part of the Provincial Family Violence Treatment Program, delivered through court-mandated referrals from Alberta Community Corrections and Child and Family Services.
• The Compass Affordable Housing Affordable housing initiative offering bachelor, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom rental units in the Wood Buffalo Region, with rents ranging from $949 to $1,669 per month and 10-20% discounts for households below specified income thresholds. Includes amenities such as heated underground parking, laundry facilities, and a secure children's playground.
• Family Violence Crisis Line 24/7 crisis intervention hotline at +1 (780) 743-1190 for individuals experiencing domestic-family violence or seeking emergency support and referrals.
• Sexual Trauma Support Line 24/7 crisis support line at +1 (780) 791-6708 for individuals who have experienced sexual trauma, providing confidential support, information, and referrals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 800 women and children found safety and support through Unity House in 2023-2024 fiscal year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Fort McMurray SPCA (Animal Safe Haven Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide temporary shelter and care for pets of individuals accessing shelter services, ensuring companion animals are cared for while families focus on healing.
• Fuse Social Wood Buffalo VolunteerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVolunteer management platform partner streamlining and managing volunteering initiatives. Volunteers can sign up directly and track hours for prize redemption.
• RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary team partner for Child & Youth Advocacy Centre. Referrals for forensic interviews and investigation of child abuse cases.
• Wood Buffalo Victim ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary team partner for Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, providing victim support services.
• Child and Family Services (Alberta)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary team partner for Child & Youth Advocacy Centre. Referrals for children affected by abuse.
• Athabasca Tribal CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary team partner for Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, providing Indigenous community support and cultural resources.
• Nistawoyou Friendship CentresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated gingerbread teepees and cookies for shelter holiday activities. Co-sponsored Blue Jean Jacket Day event.
• Counselling AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting new case management system for Opportunities for Change program and centralizing referral process for the Provincial Family Violence Treatment Program.
• RE/MAX Connect Fort McMurray Food FestivalsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of annual Fort McMurray Food Festival generating over $100,000 in net profit for Waypoints. 2025 event spanned July-August with multiple dining events.
• Printing UnlimitedsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTaste of YMM Eats sponsor for Fort McMurray Food Festival, with 15 local restaurants featuring special menus.
• 20/20 ManagementsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerYMM Patio Party sponsor for Fort McMurray Food Festival, which attracted nearly 1,200 attendees and raised over $80,000.
• Global Network of Women's Shelters (GNWS)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conference in Australia on emerging issues including technology-facilitated abuse and AI, with policy and practice sharing among shelters worldwide.
• Alberta Council of Women's Shelters (ACWS)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial network organization providing data, training, and support. Waypoints participates in annual conferences and receives program support.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Luke's Place Support and Resource Centre for Women and Children: Ontario-based organization providing shelter-supplementing services, court support, and counselling for women experiencing domestic violence. Direct peer in the legal/court advocacy and trauma counselling dimensions of Waypoints' CYAC work.
• Central Alberta Women's Outreach Society: Central Alberta shelter and outreach organization providing emergency shelter, counselling, and second-stage housing. Comparable in scale and service mix to Waypoints' Wood Buffalo operations.
• Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter: Alberta-based emergency women's shelter and counselling provider operating a similar continuum of crisis intervention, shelter, and outreach services. Direct peer given overlapping service model and provincial funder base.
• A Safe Place (Toronto): Toronto-based shelter and support services organization for women and children fleeing abuse. Direct peer with comparable emergency shelter, counselling, and transitional housing model in a different Canadian region.
• Saffron Centre: Sherwood Park, Alberta-based sexual assault and trauma counselling centre offering services closely comparable to Waypoints' Sexual Trauma Support Services and counselling programs.
• Win House (Edmonton): Edmonton-based women's shelter operating emergency and transitional housing programs under a comparable service model with provincial and government funding. Direct peer within Alberta's shelter network.

Regional players

• National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV): U.S.-based social-change organization supporting domestic violence shelters and advocates nationally. Adjacent peer providing policy, training, and resources that overlap with Waypoints' public-awareness and prevention work, though serving a different country.

Others

• BC Society of Transition Houses: Provincial umbrella organization coordinating transition houses and violence-prevention services across British Columbia. Comparable to ACWS as a peer ecosystem/coordination body, not a direct operator.
• Alberta Council of Women's Shelters (ACWS): Provincial umbrella and member association for women's shelters across Alberta. Functions as a coordinating, training, and advocacy body — explicitly named as a Waypoints partner — making it a peer network operator rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA Canada: National federation operating women's shelters, housing, and violence-prevention programming across Canada. Broader incumbent offering overlapping shelter and advocacy services as part of a wider social services portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/waypointswb
• Instagraminstagram.com/waypointswb
• Xx.com/Waypointswb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waypoints-life

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Waypoints Community