Society of Saint Vincent de Paul - National Council of Canada

What Society of Saint Vincent de Paul - National Council of Canada does

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul - National Council of Canada is a registered Canadian charity headquartered in Ottawa that coordinates a national network of local conferences and regional councils delivering direct material aid and social services to individuals and families experiencing poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, and educational disadvantage. The organization is the Canadian member body of the International Confederation of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP Global), itself founded in Paris in 1833, with the first Canadian conference established in Quebec City in 1846. SSVP Canada's service portfolio spans seven core programs — Personal Encounters (home visits), Food Assistance (food banks and soup kitchens), Material Help (clothing, furniture, household goods), Housing (emergency shelter, transitional housing, subsidized multi-unit facilities such as Mary's Home, Ozanam House, and Rosalie's Village), Help for Youth (scholarships, school supplies, summer camps), Social Justice Advocacy, and Emergency Relief — plus three special projects: Seeds of Hope (educational savings since 2012), North of 60 (Arctic community support since 2010), and Twinning (international solidarity partnerships).

Name

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul - National Council of Canada

Legal name

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul National Council of Canada

Website

https://ssvp.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul - National Council of Canada is a Canadian charity that coordinates a national volunteer network providing food, clothing, housing, and material aid to individuals and families in need across all Canadian provinces and territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA)

Keywords

• Charitable social services
• Food assistance programs
• Housing support services
• Thrift store retail
• Emergency relief services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: SSVP generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. This includes one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations (Partner in Hope program), and planned gifts through wills and estates. Donations can be directed to specific causes or locations across Canada.
2. Thrift Store Sales: SSVP operates thrift stores (Chez Vincent) that sell donated goods including clothing, furniture, and household items. Proceeds support the organization's charitable programs.
3. Corporate Giving and Employee Giving Programs: Corporate partners contribute through employee giving programs facilitated by Benevity, matched donations, and major corporate philanthropy (over $10,000).
4. Planned Giving and Legacy Donations: The organization receives donations through wills, life insurance policies, publicly traded securities, and other estate planning vehicles.
5. Merchandise Sales: SSVP sells branded merchandise including t-shirts ($55) and hoodies ($70) through the SSVP Boutique, with profits supporting charitable programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SSVP Canada provides charitable social services including food assistance through food banks and soup kitchens, material help (clothing, furniture, household goods), housing aid (shelters, transitional and subsidized housing), youth education support, emergency relief, and social justice advocacy. It also operates the Chez Vincent thrift store chain and the SSVP Boutique online merchandise shop, with all proceeds and donations funding the charitable programs. Services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries across all Canadian provinces and territories.

Product overview

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul National Council of Canada is a charitable organization, not a technology company. It does not offer software products. Its 'offerings' consist of social service programs including food assistance (food banks, soup kitchens), material help (clothing, furniture distribution), housing support, youth education assistance, emergency relief, and advocacy. Special initiatives include Seeds of Hope (educational savings), North of 60 (northern community support), and Twinning (international partnerships). Operational infrastructure includes thrift stores (Chez Vincent), an online boutique, and an internal Members Portal for reporting. No external-facing API or technology products exist.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Seeds of Hope: Educational support program helping low-income families plan their children's education through access to Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs), Canada Learning Bond, and Canada Education Savings Grant. Since 2012, helped 979 children access up to $1.9 million in educational support.
• North of 60 Project
• Twinning Program
• Weekender Program
• Partner in Hope

Products and services

• Food Assistance Program
• Personal Encounters (Home Visits)
• Material Help Program
• Housing Programs
• Help for Youth Program
• Social Justice Advocacy
• Emergency Relief
• Seeds of Hope
• North of 60 Project
• Twinning Program
• SSVP Thrift Stores (Chez Vincent)
• SSVP Boutique

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped more than 350,000 people annually in Canada
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the North of 60 project in Nunavut. KIA generously shares the cost of marine crossing shipping costs for food and household goods to partner communities.
• BenevitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployee giving platform that allows company employees to make payroll withholding donations and participate in matched donation programs. Enables SSVP to access corporate workplace giving.
• Donate a Car CanadaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to accept vehicle donations. Donate a Car Canada handles all details including free towing and processing. Vehicles are recycled or re-sold with proceeds benefiting SSVP.
• BC SPCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Our Lady of Guadalupe SSVP Conference and BC SPCA for pet food bank program, helping vulnerable pet owners access food assistance for their animals.
• CanadaHelpsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate friend of the Society, appearing on the gratitude page for supporting the organization's donation platform.
• International Confederation of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP Global)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal parent organization coordinating international twinning partnerships and emergency relief efforts. SSVP Canada receives guidelines and coordination for international charitable work.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Red Cross: Comparable on emergency relief, humanitarian aid, and international twinning-style assistance. Similar geographic reach and donor-base composition, though operating as a secular humanitarian organization.
• Catholic Charities (multiple Canadian dioceses): Faith-based social service agencies providing food, shelter, refugee support, and material help. Strongly comparable to SSVP in mission, service mix, and donor demographic, though organized at the diocesan level rather than through lay conferences.
• Moisson Montréal: Quebec's largest food bank, comparable to SSVP's food assistance programs in scale and beneficiary population. Direct overlap on food sourcing, distribution logistics, and support for vulnerable populations including northern and Indigenous communities.
• Daily Bread Food Bank: Toronto-area food bank serving a similar beneficiary population through food hampers and member-agency distribution. Directly comparable to SSVP's food assistance and material help programs in urban Ontario.
• Food Banks Canada: National federation coordinating Canada's food bank network. Directly comparable to SSVP's food assistance program in mission and beneficiary population, operating across all Canadian provinces and territories.
• Covenant House Toronto: Faith-rooted charity providing shelter, housing, and youth services. Overlaps with SSVP on youth-focused programming (Help for Youth), shelter operations, and emergency housing for vulnerable populations.
• The Salvation Army Canada: The most direct peer: a faith-based charity operating food banks, shelters, thrift stores, and material assistance programs across Canada. Overlaps heavily with SSVP on home visits, food/clothing distribution, and emergency relief.
• Goodwill Industries of Canada: Operates thrift/retail stores funding social programs including employment services for vulnerable populations. Closely parallels SSVP's Chez Vincent thrift stores as a circular-economy funding model for charitable work.

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity Canada: National housing-focused nonprofit operating transitional and affordable housing programs across Canada. Comparable to SSVP's Housing Programs (Mary's Home, Ozanam House, Rosalie's Village), though with a narrower focus on housing rather than multi-service social support.
• United Way Canada: Federated charity coordinating workplace giving and funding local social services. Comparable to SSVP on corporate-giving infrastructure (Benevity-style payroll giving) and national reach, though operating through local member agencies rather than direct service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ssvpnational-canada5440
• Facebookfacebook.com/SSVPCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ssvp-national-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/ssvp.canada

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Society of Saint Vincent de Paul - National Council of Canada