Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies

What Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies does

AAISA is a Calgary-based non-profit umbrella association founded in 1980 that represents more than 50 newcomer-serving agencies across Alberta, with the network reported at up to 55 organizations. Its core function is sectoral coordination: it convenes member agencies, represents the collective voice of Alberta's settlement sector to government, and runs the only Settlement Practitioner Certification in Canada at levels 1, 2, and 3.

Its product portfolio spans three lines: (1) credentialing and professional development via the Settlement Practitioner Certification and ongoing training programs; (2) policy research and advocacy, including joint research outputs such as the Temporary Foreign Workers Prairie-region study with the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS), the 2025 Immigration Levels Plan analysis, and the March 2026 RAP Dashboard Evaluation Report; and (3) capacity-building programs including the Mental Health Capacity Accelerator, Grassroots Accelerator, and a National GBA+ Capacity project.

Its business model is a non-profit funding mix comprising grants from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Government of Alberta, supplemented by membership dues from the 50+ member agencies. AAISA is also a member of the National Settlement Council, formalizing its role in pan-Canadian sectoral coordination. The go-to-market is a community-led membership model with a lean operating footprint of 1-10 employees; revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies

Legal name

Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies

Website

https://aaisa.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AAISA is a Calgary-based non-profit umbrella association founded in 1980 that represents more than 50 newcomer-serving agencies across Alberta, delivering Canada's only Settlement Practitioner Certification, professional development, policy research, and sector advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: AAISA generates revenue through membership fees from newcomer-serving agencies across Alberta. Members pay dues in exchange for representation services, access to research, training discounts, and networking opportunities.
2. Government funding: The organization is funded by the Government of Alberta and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to support its mandate of representing and developing the newcomer-serving sector in Alberta.
3. Professional development and certification: AAISA generates revenue through professional development workshops, training courses, and certification programs for settlement practitioners. Members receive free or discounted registration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AAISA is a non-profit umbrella organization that represents, advocates for, and develops the capacity of over 50 agencies providing resettlement, settlement, and integration services to newcomers across Alberta. Its core offerings include the Settlement Practitioner Certification (levels 1, 2, and 3) — the only such certification in Canada — professional development training aligned to the Alberta Settlement Practitioner Competency Framework, policy and research publications, and government advocacy at municipal, provincial, and national levels.

Product overview

AAISA is a non-profit umbrella organization representing agencies that provide resettlement, settlement, and integration services to newcomers in Alberta. The organization operates as a single unified service portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core offerings center on professional certification (Settlement Practitioner Certification levels 1-3), professional development training, research and policy analysis, advocacy at government levels, and member coordination. The certification program is the only one of its kind in Canada for settlement workers. Training courses are aligned with the Alberta Settlement Practitioner Competency Framework. Research publications cover immigration policy, newcomer mental health, rural settlement, and sector-wide surveys. AAISA also facilitates the Grassroots Accelerator Program, Mental Health Capacity Accelerator, and provides a Settlement Sector Toolkit for practitioners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Settlement Practitioner Certification Three-tier certification program (levels 1, 2, and 3) for settlement workers, offered by AAISA as the only certifying body in Canada and aligned with the Alberta Settlement Practitioner Competency Framework. Members receive certification at no cost.
• Professional Development Training Courses and training programs designed for settlement practitioners' unique challenges, delivered for over a decade and aligned with the Alberta Settlement Practitioner Competency Framework. Available to member agencies with priority access and discounts.
• Policy & Research Services In-depth research and analysis on critical issues facing newcomers in Alberta, providing practical solutions to enhance newcomer-serving agencies. Includes sector surveys, policy briefs, immigration levels plan analyses, and topic-specific reports.
• Policy Advocacy Advocacy work at municipal, provincial, and national levels on behalf of the Alberta newcomer-serving sector, including representation in the National Settlement Council (NSC) and engagement with federal and provincial officials.
• National Engagement Approach Engagement service with government officials and participation in provincial committees to inform and advocate for the newcomer-serving sector, including the Provincial Engagement Initiative committees and working groups.
• Membership Services Annual membership for over 50 newcomer-serving organizations across Alberta, providing member directory listing, priority access to workshops and professional development, representation in advocacy work, research library access, and sector networking.

Quantifiable outcome

• The only organization in Canada providing Settlement Practitioner Certification (levels 1, 2, 3)

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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022AAISA and CCIS jointly commissioned Pivotal Research Inc. to conduct policy research focused on Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) in the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan). The project analyzed TFW needs and service gaps, producing research to strengthen the TFW-serving ecosystem across the Prairie region.
• National Settlement Council (NSC)coreOthersAAISA participates in the National Settlement Council by sending delegates to represent the perspectives of Alberta's newcomer-serving sector and gather pertinent information for AAISA's membership. The NSC brings together settlement sector representatives from across Canada.
• Government of AlbertacoreOthersGovernment funding partner supporting AAISA's mandate of representing and developing the newcomer-serving sector in Alberta. AAISA acknowledges the Government of Alberta as a funder.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)coreOthersFederal government funding partner supporting immigration settlement programs. AAISA acknowledges IRCC as a funder and works with the department on immigration policy and sector coordination.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI): Ontario's provincial coordinating body for immigrant-serving agencies, providing policy advocacy, sector research, and professional development. Functions as the eastern counterpart to AAISA in a federated sector model.
• Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA): British Columbia's provincial umbrella of immigrant-serving agencies, providing training, research, and advocacy for member organizations. Closest structural parallel to AAISA, differing only by geography; comparison illuminates how AAISA could nationalize its model.
• Manitoba Immigrant Services Association (MISA): Manitoba's umbrella association for immigrant-serving agencies, offering research, training, and advocacy. Peer in the Prairie/settlement-sector landscape and a co-region collaborator on TFW research.

Regional players

• Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS): One of Canada's largest immigrant-serving agencies, providing direct settlement services rather than acting solely as an umbrella. Comparable on training and credentialing but operates a different (delivery vs. coordination) model.
• Saskatchewan Settlement Services Association: Saskatchewan's settlement-sector association supporting member agencies across the province. Comparable mandate to AAISA but smaller scale and limited training/certification offerings, making AAISA a benchmark for capacity.

Others

• Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS): Direct service provider and AAISA's existing research partner on the Temporary Foreign Workers project. Comparable on service portfolio and training, and a useful benchmark for what a member agency looks like at scale.
• National Settlement Council: Federal-provincial forum in which AAISA already participates through delegates. Not a competitor so much as the governance layer that channels sector priorities to IRCC; relevant because changes here directly affect AAISA's funding and influence.

Emerging players

• Canadian Council for Refugees: National advocacy coalition on refugee and immigrant rights that overlaps with AAISA's policy advocacy mandate. Differs in scale and orientation (national advocacy vs. provincial sector coordination).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AlbertaSer80387
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdNNuRQWSAFnBbe0jmLxxPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AAISAconnection
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aaisa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies