The Council of Canadians

What The Council of Canadians does

The Council of Canadians is an independent, nonprofit grassroots advocacy organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. It conducts advocacy and public-education organizing on social and democratic issues, with primary campaign areas covering water rights (including the Blue Communities Project and Blue Community Schools), universal pharmacare, climate justice, Indigenous water rights, and protection of democratic institutions from corporate influence. Its core "products" are campaign programs rather than technology platforms — the Blue Communities Project (a municipal water-as-a-human-rights initiative), Blue Community Schools (an educational offshoot), the Canadian Perspectives membership magazine, and a membership-and-donation platform hosted at canadians.org.

The organization is funded entirely by individual donations and a nominal $1 annual membership fee; it explicitly does not accept corporate or government grants and, because of its political advocacy work, is not a registered charity and cannot issue tax receipts for donations. Revenue streams include individual one-time and recurring monthly donations, $1 memberships, and planned/legacy giving (wills, life insurance, endowed gifts) managed by a dedicated Major and Legacy Gifts Officer. Distribution is direct-to-consumer across website, phone, mail, PayPal, and a network of 45 volunteer chapters; outreach is amplified through earned media, social channels (Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube), email newsletters, webinars, in-person tours, and partnerships with allied organizations (Blue Planet Project, CUPE, Eau Secros, Canadian Health Coalition, Équiterre, Sierra Club Canada Foundation, Food & Water Watch).

The organization operates with 11–50 staff and a 325,000-person supporter base spanning 45 Canadian chapters plus an international Blue Communities network covering 17+ countries and 23+ million people. Governance is via a member-elected Board of Directors and Annual Members' Meetings. The current operational period shows active campaign activity across pharmacare defense, Nova Scotia Power public ownership, AI data-center regulation, and water protection, alongside a recent Board Chair transition.

Name

The Council of Canadians

Legal name

The Council of Canadians

Website

https://canadians.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Council of Canadians is an independent Canadian nonprofit, founded in 1985, that runs grassroots advocacy campaigns on water rights, pharmacare, climate justice, and democratic accountability, funded entirely by individual donations and a $1 membership across 325,000 supporters and 45 volunteer chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advocacy and Public Policy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Grassroots advocacy campaigns
• Water rights advocacy
• Nonprofit membership organization
• Public education organizing
• Social justice activism

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The Council operates entirely on individual donations from members and supporters. No corporate or government funding accepted. Monthly giving plans and one-time donations supported.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of $1. Members receive voting rights, chapter access, annual reports, Canadian Perspectives magazine, and campaign updates.
3. Legacy Giving: Planned giving options including bequests in wills, gifts of life insurance, and endowed gifts. These provide long-term financial sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Council of Canadians is a nonprofit advocacy organization that runs grassroots campaigns on social and democratic issues including water rights, pharmacare, climate justice, and corporate accountability. It engages members through 45 volunteer chapters, advocacy campaigns, publications, webinars, and educational initiatives such as the Blue Communities Project. The organization is funded entirely by individual donations and a $1 annual membership fee, with no corporate or government grants accepted.

Product overview

The Council of Canadians is a grassroots advocacy organization that operates as a single-purpose nonprofit focused on campaign-based activism rather than a technology product company. Its offerings include the Blue Communities Project (municipal water protection initiative), Blue Community Schools (youth education program), Canadian Perspectives magazine (member publication), and a membership and donation platform. The organization functions as a traditional advocacy nonprofit rather than a technology platform provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Communities Project: An international movement encouraging municipalities and Indigenous communities to recognize water and sanitation as human rights, ban bottled water sales, and promote publicly owned water services.
• Canadian Perspectives

Products and services

• Blue Communities Project An advocacy program that works with municipalities and Indigenous communities to recognize water as a human right, ban bottled water sales, and promote publicly owned water services. Launched in 2009 in partnership with the Blue Planet Project and CUPE, it has expanded internationally to cover 23+ million people.
• Blue Community Schools An educational program that teaches children about water rights, environmental stewardship, and community advocacy through school partnerships. Includes K-12 schools and universities such as York University, Huron College, Brescia University, Saint Paul University, and Victoria College.
• Canadian Perspectives Magazine The organization's award-winning in-house magazine featuring articles on water rights, healthcare advocacy, climate action, and democratic participation in Canada. Provided as a membership perk.
• Membership and Donation Platform An online platform enabling Canadians to become $1 annual members and make financial contributions (one-time or monthly) to support the organization's advocacy campaigns and operations. Includes membership enrollment, donation processing, and access to chapter activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23+ million people live in Blue Communities internationally

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Blue Planet ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Co-initiated the Blue Communities Project in 2009, a joint initiative to encourage municipalities and Indigenous communities to adopt resolutions protecting water as a human right. Both organizations work on international water rights advocacy.
• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Co-initiated the Blue Communities Project in 2009 alongside the Council of Canadians and Blue Planet Project. CUPE represents public sector workers including those in water services.
• Eau SecourscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec partner for the Blue Communities Project, working to advance water rights and public water services in Quebec.
• Justseeds Artists' CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Water is Life Art Challenge, inviting teachers, community members, and youth to participate in creative expression about water protection.
• Blue Community SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational offshoot of the Blue Communities initiative, empowering K-12 schools to teach water rights and protection. Now a separate program with its own website.
• Food & Water WatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S.-based ally in the Blue Communities movement. Their Water for Life is Not for Profit campaign and Just Water campaign share similar goals to the Council's water justice work.
• European Federation of Public Services UnionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean ally supporting the Blue Communities campaign and water rights advocacy in Europe.
• Canadian Health CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on healthcare advocacy, including joint webinars on Bill 11 and Medicare protection.
• ÉquiterreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec environmental organization co-hosting webinars with the Council on issues like offshore drilling impacts on biodiversity.
• Sierra Club Canada FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental ally co-hosting webinars with the Council on offshore drilling and biodiversity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Public Citizen: U.S. nonprofit advocacy organization challenging corporate power in trade, healthcare, and democracy. Broader portfolio than the Council but a clear analog in independent, grassroots advocacy strategy.
• Greenpeace Canada: Canadian environmental advocacy branch with overlapping climate, water, and corporate accountability campaigns. Much larger scale but operates on the same individual-donor-only model the Council emphasizes.

Direct peers

• Food & Water Watch: U.S.-based grassroots advocacy organization that partners with the Council on the Blue Communities movement. Directly comparable in water justice, anti-privatization, and corporate accountability mission, with a similarly member-funded model.
• Canadian Health Coalition: Coalition partner on pharmacare and Medicare defense, with co-hosted webinars and joint campaigns. Pursues the same public-healthcare advocacy lane with member-based fundraising.
• leadnow.ca: Canadian grassroots advocacy organization running digital campaigns on corporate accountability, democracy, and climate. Comparable member-funded, online organizing model targeting similar Canadian supporter demographics.
• Équiterre: Quebec-based environmental organization co-hosting webinars with the Council. Comparable member-supported advocacy model with shared focus on climate, biodiversity, and ecological governance.
• Blue Planet Project: Founded by Maude Barlow and co-initiator of the Blue Communities Project with the Council. Focused on water-as-a-human-right advocacy internationally, with overlapping leadership and campaign infrastructure.
• Sierra Club Canada Foundation: Established environmental advocacy partner that co-hosts webinars with the Council on biodiversity and offshore drilling. Comparable in chapter-based organizing and donor-funded environmental advocacy.

Regional players

• Eau Secours: Quebec partner for the Blue Communities Project, advancing water rights in francophone Canada. Comparable mission on public water services but geographically scoped to Quebec.
• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE): Core partner on the Blue Communities Project and Canada's largest public-sector union. Connected through shared water-justice campaigns but operates as a labor membership organization rather than a public advocacy NGO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CanadiansOrg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CouncilofCanadians
• Facebookfacebook.com/CanadiansOrg
• Instagraminstagram.com/canadiansorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadiansorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Council of Canadians