Pinball Foundation

What Pinball Foundation does

Pinball Foundation is a Canadian registered charity founded in 2006 by Michael "Pinball" Clemons and Diane Lee Clemons that serves equity-deserving youth aged 18 to 29, with explicit focus on BIPOC and 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Its service delivery is organized around four core programs: PinballBURSARY (financial scholarships), PinballMICRO (micro-grants), PinballACCELERATOR (a mentorship and leadership cohort of approximately 150 participants), and PinballNEXT (next-stage programming for alumni). The foundation runs an online learning management system and mentorship platform to deliver content and cohort engagement at scale, with active cohort sizes disclosed at 150 ACCELERATOR participants, 22 BURSARY Class of 2026 recipients, and 167 MICRO recipients. Its 20th-anniversary BOLDforce event incorporated an AI-agent-building exercise as part of its skills-development positioning.

The foundation's business model is that of a nonprofit dependent on philanthropic inflows. Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, consumer-facing retail partnerships such as the Smile Cookie campaign (which produced $96,808.78 in a single cycle), and the annual Victory Gala as the signature fundraising event. Grants and major gifts include a $250,000 commitment directed to the Africville initiative. Programs are delivered at no cost to participants, and the foundation is currently operating in Toronto and Winnipeg with publicly stated plans to extend to Edmonton and Halifax, indicating a national rollout strategy.

Name

Pinball Foundation

Legal name

Pinball Foundation

Website

https://pinballfoundation.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pinball Foundation is a Canadian registered charity, founded in 2006 by Michael "Pinball" Clemons, that delivers scholarships, micro-grants, mentorship, and leadership programming to equity-deserving BIPOC and 2SLGBTQI+ youth aged 18-29 across multiple Canadian cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Youth education programs
• Nonprofit mentorship services
• Post-secondary bursaries
• Career readiness programs
• Equity-deserving youth support

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississauga

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, memorial gifts, and stock/securities donations from individual supporters. Monthly giving campaigns encourage sustained support throughout the year.
2. Victory Gala Fundraising Event: Annual boxing-themed gala where participants ('fighters') train and fundraise for youth programs. Corporate sponsorships and ticket sales support the event.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support programs through the Smile Cookie campaign, corporate connect events, and general foundation support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pinball Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that provides scholarships, mentorship, and career readiness programs free of charge to equity-deserving youth aged 18-29. Its four core programs (PinballBURSARY, PinballMICRO, PinballACCELERATOR, PinballNEXT) form an integrated pathway covering tuition support, online skills training, intensive career preparation, and alumni networking. Operations are funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and signature fundraising events such as the annual Victory Gala.

Product overview

The Pinball Foundation operates four core youth empowerment programs forming an integrated pathway: PinballBURSARY provides financial support and mentorship for post-secondary education; PinballMICRO offers a 15-week online skills and career readiness course; PinballACCELERATOR delivers an intensive 3-week employment preparation program; and PinballNEXT provides ongoing alumni support through networking and leadership opportunities. The Foundation also runs signature events including the Victory Gala (annual boxing fundraiser) and You(th) Lead Conference. Programs are interconnected—students typically enter through BURSARY or MICRO, progress to ACCELERATOR for career preparation, and continue through NEXT as alumni.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PinballBURSARY: Bursary program covering tuition, textbooks, technology, and supplies for post-secondary students, with ongoing mentorship and career support.
• PinballMICRO
• PinballACCELERATOR
• PinballNEXT
• Victory Gala
• You(th) Lead Conference

Products and services

• PinballBURSARY

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ youth placed into employment annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, former and minor.

• SalesforcecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Partnered with Pinball Foundation to host BOLDforce mentorship and career development event at Salesforce Toronto office on June 9, 2026. Event included welcome lunch, leadership panels, hands-on AI agent building, and networking for youth aged 19-29.
• GenForcecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Partnered with Pinball Foundation and Salesforce to co-host BOLDforce corporate connect event for youth career development.
• One Voice One Team (OVOT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Primary mentorship partner providing mentorship sessions for youth in PinballBURSARY and other programs. OVOT's team including Sherri Sanjurjo delivers weekly mentorship group sessions and individual support. OVOT also received $96,808.78 from Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign.
• Tim HortonsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Tim Hortons Brampton Smile Cookie campaign raised $96,808.78 for OVOT mentorship partner. Smile Cookie program supports community initiatives across Brampton locations.
• The Whiteboard CollectiveformerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Former recruitment and employment partner for six years. Effective early 2024, Pinball Foundation brought all recruitment and employment functions in-house, ending the partnership. Gratitude expressed for their dedication to helping graduates find workforce footing.
• George Brown CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for PinballMiCRO Business Administration Micro-Credential program. 167 graduates celebrated in 2025. Hosted graduation ceremony at George Brown College.
• Oakville Boxing AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Sunday Smash training sessions leading up to Victory Gala. Located in Oakville, hosts bi-weekly training for fighters preparing for the annual boxing event.
• Africville Museum Heritage TrustmajorOthersReceived $250,000 donation from Pinball Foundation, including $200,000 for five students of Africville descent to attend post-secondary school and $50,000 for sailing school. Donation presented during Legacy Lift-Off trip to Halifax.
• Zurich InsurancemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter participating in Smile Cookie campaign and employer partner. Employs Pinball Foundation alumni including OVOT team member and former mentee.
• Great Canadian Casino Resort TorontominorOthersVenue host for Victory Gala 2026 boxing event. Located in Toronto, the venue provided space for the annual fundraising gala.
• Centennial CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for PinballBURSARY recipients including Illinoy Roberts-Farquharson who graduated from Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering Technology program.
• Carleton UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for PinballBURSARY recipients including Melissa Melbourne who graduated from Criminology and Criminal Justice program.
• McGill UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for PinballBURSARY recipients including Justin Patrocinio who graduated with 3.99/4.00 GPA.
• Seneca CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for PinballBURSARY recipients including Adam Elmi who graduated from Business Technology Management program.
• University of TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for PinballBURSARY recipients including Allen Chen who graduated from Sociology program.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pathways to Education Canada: Canadian charity providing financial support, mentoring, and programming to help youth from low-income communities finish high school and transition to post-secondary education. Directly comparable in target population (equity-deserving youth), bursary model, and mentorship-led service delivery.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada: National youth mentoring charity providing 1:1 and group mentorship to at-risk Canadian youth, with employer and community partnerships. Directly comparable in mentorship-driven service model, youth demographic, and corporate fundraising model.
• MLSE Foundation: Charitable arm of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment focused on youth access to sport and education in Ontario. Highly comparable given both organizations leverage Canadian sports celebrity platforms (Argonauts/Raptors) to fund youth programming, with overlapping Toronto geography and shared employer networks.
• NPower Canada: Canadian nonprofit providing tech and career-skills training, mentoring, and job placement for youth from underserved communities. Directly comparable in skills training (PinballMICRO), career readiness (PinballACCELERATOR), and employer-partner job placement model.
• Boys & Girls Club of Canada: Federated network of clubs delivering after-school programming, mentorship, and career readiness for Canadian youth in underserved communities. Comparable in multi-site youth programming model, post-secondary transition support, and corporate/donor funding mix.
• Right To Play: Global charity that uses sport and play-based programming to empower marginalized children and youth. Comparable as a sport-themed youth development nonprofit with fundraising galas, corporate partnerships, and education/career-readiness outcomes for equity-deserving populations.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Greater Toronto: Large regional United Way affiliate funding dozens of youth-serving agencies across the GTA. Comparable as a Toronto-based fundraiser for equity-deserving youth programs via corporate workplace campaigns (similar to Tim Hortons Smile Cookie), though operating at much greater scale as a grantmaker rather than direct service provider.
• YMCA Canada: National federation of YMCAs offering youth development, employment services, and newcomer settlement programs across Canada. Comparable in youth employment readiness and community-based delivery, with overlapping employer and government funding sources.
• Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation: Long-standing Canadian education savings and scholarship organization supporting post-secondary access for youth. Comparable in scholarship/bursary administration, but operates at far larger scale as a national education-finance platform rather than a community-rooted charity.

Regional players

• The 519: Toronto-based LGBTQ2S+ community organization offering programs, mentorship, and resources for 2SLGBTQI+ youth and adults. Directly comparable in serving 2SLGBTQI+ youth demographic and Toronto community, though broader in scope (community services beyond education/career).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/pinballfdn?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PinballClemonsFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/pinballfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pinballfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/pinballfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pinball Foundation