Project Hastings

What Project Hastings does

Project Hastings Foundation is a youth-led nonprofit registered under the British Columbia Societies Act in 2020, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Its mission is to combat food insecurity and poverty in urban centers — primarily Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES) — by distributing meals, water, blankets, socks, and seasonal essentials to individuals facing homelessness, substance use challenges, and mental health crises. Since 2020, the organization reports delivering 175,000+ meals and raising $200,000 (CAD) cumulatively through grassroots donations, local business sponsorships, and community grants.

The organization's core products are four program areas: Distributions (monthly/bi-monthly meal and supply distributions), Youth Empowerment (structured volunteer opportunities for secondary school students), Community Connections (collaborations with peer humanitarian organizations, resident interviews, and policy panels), and Education (workshops for elementary and high school students about DTES issues). It has no proprietary technology platform — operations rely on standard nonprofit tooling including a website, JotForm volunteer intake, and direct email contact. Geographic reach has expanded through a chapter model: Project Hastings UBC (Vancouver), Project Hastings Toronto (2023), and Project Hastings Paris (2023).

The business model is purely donation-based: there is no commercial product, no pricing, no revenue from sales. Revenue streams are grassroots individual donations, local business sponsorships (in-kind and cash), and community grants. The leadership and volunteer corps are entirely composed of secondary school and university students from schools across British Columbia, supported by a Board of Directors of industry professionals and a rotating alumni Advisory Board. The 2025-2026 executive team includes Grade 11-12 students serving as Chief of Staff, Executive Director of Operations, Communications, Project Management, and Finance executives.

Name

Project Hastings

Legal name

Project Hastings Foundation

Website

https://projecthastings.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project Hastings is a youth-led nonprofit founded in Vancouver in 2020 that delivers bi-monthly food and supply distributions to vulnerable communities, led entirely by secondary school and university student volunteers across chapters in Vancouver, Toronto, and Paris.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

Keywords

• Food distribution services
• Youth volunteer programs
• Humanitarian aid services
• Community education workshops
• Nonprofit charitable services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Grassroots donations from individuals and community supporters. The organization has fundraised $200,000 since 2020 through sponsorships, community grants, and grassroots support.
2. Sponsorships: Support from local businesses and partner organizations that sponsor distributions and operational activities.
3. Community Grants: Grant funding from community organizations and foundations to support specific initiatives and programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Project Hastings Foundation is a student-led nonprofit that organizes bi-monthly distributions of nutritious meals, water, blankets, socks, and seasonal essentials to vulnerable individuals in urban centers such as Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The organization supplements direct aid with youth empowerment programs, community education workshops, and partnerships with local businesses and humanitarian organizations. Operations are run by a network of 500+ secondary school and university student volunteers.

Product overview

Project Hastings is a youth-led non-profit organization (not a technology company) that operates a single integrated charitable service focused on combating food insecurity and poverty. The organization delivers four core program areas: Distributions (monthly meal and supply distributions), Youth Empowerment (volunteer opportunities for high school students), Community Connections (collaborations with humanitarian organizations), and Education (workshops for younger generations). The organization has three geographic chapters (Project Hastings UBC, Project Hastings Paris, and Project Hastings Toronto) that operate under the same mission with locally tailored initiatives. The organization does not offer technology products, platforms, or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Distributions

Quantifiable outcome

• 175,000+ meals delivered since 2020
• +2 more outcomes

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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Humanitarian OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Hastings collaborates with other humanitarian organizations to supply more individuals with food and resources. This partnership enables expanded reach and increased impact by combining resources and expertise to serve vulnerable communities more effectively.
• Local BusinessescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal businesses provide generous support to Project Hastings distributions through sponsorships and in-kind contributions. These partnerships enable the delivery of 175,000+ meals and $200,000 in fundraising since 2020.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WE Charity: Formerly Free The Children — youth-led Canadian charity that mobilized student volunteers and raised significant funds for international development. Directly comparable youth-led model and school-based volunteer network, though at much larger scale before its 2020 restructuring.
• Canadian Feed The Children: Canadian nonprofit addressing child poverty and food insecurity domestically and internationally. Comparable in food security and youth-focused community development, but operates with professional staff and established international partnerships.
• Food Banks Canada: National food bank network aggregating provincial food banks across Canada. Highly comparable to Project Hastings' food distribution mission, but operates at national scale with professional staff, paid infrastructure, and a broader scope than the youth-led DTES focus.
• Right To Play: Global nonprofit using sport and play to empower disadvantaged youth, with strong youth leadership development programs. Comparable in combining youth development with community impact, but operates globally with professional staff and longer-established funding.
• United Way British Columbia: Major social services funder and coordinator in BC, supporting community programs across the province including in the Downtown Eastside. Comparable in serving vulnerable populations but at a much larger scale as a grantmaking and convening body.

Regional players

• Daily Bread Food Bank: Toronto's largest food bank, providing food distribution and social services in the Greater Toronto Area where Project Hastings Toronto operates. Comparable food distribution model but operates regionally with established infrastructure and government partnerships.

Direct peers

• Covenant House Vancouver: Vancouver-based nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk youth with shelter, food, and support services. Directly comparable in addressing homelessness and food insecurity in the same city, but with professional staff and a residential services model.
• Greater Vancouver Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Vancouver, including the Downtown Eastside — the same neighborhood Project Hastings serves. Directly comparable food distribution mission, but with far larger scale, paid staff, and warehouse infrastructure.
• Meal Exchange: Canadian student-led nonprofit focused on campus-based food security and student volunteer mobilization. Directly comparable in the student-led food security model and youth volunteer activation, though primarily campus-based rather than community-based.

Emerging players

• Breakfast Club of Canada: National nonprofit running school breakfast and food programs across Canada to address child hunger. Comparable in mobilizing youth and addressing food insecurity through school-based channels, with overlap in secondary school student engagement in the same Canadian markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-hastings

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Project Hastings