Rise Calgary

What Rise Calgary does

Rise Calgary is a registered Canadian charitable organization (BN863566592RR0001) incorporated in 2022 in Alberta through the merger of three legacy community agencies — BowWest Community Resource Centre (1999), Sunrise Community Link (2000), and the Southeast Community Resource Centre (which joined in 2025). Operating from four physical locations across Calgary (Forest Lawn headquarters, Ranchlands, Ogden) and on Siksika Nation, the organization serves 12,687+ registered clients and logged 24,000+ support interactions in the past year, focused exclusively on Calgarians living on low to moderate incomes and Siksika Nation members. Its mission is poverty reduction through economic and social mobility, organized around a three-phase framework of Stabilization, Mobility, and Empowerment.

The service portfolio is broad and human-delivered rather than technology-mediated. Core offerings include the Basic Needs Fund (one-time emergency financial assistance — $404,655 distributed in the referenced period), free tax filing via the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (returning $2.4M+ to clients through unlocked refunds and benefits), Mobility Coaching and Financial Coaching (one-on-one goal-based coaching), the Good Food Box subsidized produce program, the Earn and Learn matched savings scheme (3:1 matching via Momentum Calgary), Mo's Place youth program (ages 12-18), Crestwood Play Centre (early childhood), and affordable counselling at $15/session through Insight Counselling. Programs are delivered in person at Rise offices and partner sites such as Millican-Ogden Community Association, with the Siksika pilot extending service to the Nation through the Talking Taxes program.

The business model is a nonprofit donations-and-grants construct, not a revenue-generating enterprise. Funding is anchored by four institutional partners — United Way Calgary and Area, Calgary Foundation, Government of Alberta (Community Initiatives Program), and City of Calgary — supplemented by individual, corporate, and community donations including an active $350,000 Capital Campaign. A $15/session fee for counselling is the only direct user charge across the portfolio. The operating model is community-led, with client acquisition driven by referrals from partner agencies (CUPS, Calgary Drop-In, Distress Centre, Vibrant Communities, Aspire, I Can For Kids, Kids Up Front) and word-of-mouth rather than traditional marketing. The team is described internally as small but mighty and is currently formalizing fundraising and front-line capacity through active hiring.

Name

Rise Calgary

Legal name

Rise Calgary

Website

https://risecalgary.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rise Calgary is a Calgary-based registered charity delivering free poverty-reduction services — emergency financial assistance, free tax filing, financial coaching, food security, and youth programs — to low-income Calgarians and Siksika Nation members across four physical locations, funded by institutional grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food Services (62421), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Poverty reduction services
• Community social services
• Financial empowerment programs
• Emergency financial assistance
• Free tax filing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Revenue: Rise Calgary operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and community groups. They conduct fundraising campaigns including a capital campaign to grow their team and work toward a permanent home.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Core programs are funded by major funders including United Way Calgary and Area, Calgary Foundation, Government of Alberta (Community Initiatives Program), and City of Calgary. These funders support specific programs like the Basic Needs Fund, Mobility Coaching, and Financial Coaching.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rise Calgary provides free, judgement-free social and financial support services to Calgarians living on low to moderate incomes, organized across three program phases: Stabilization (Basic Needs Fund emergency assistance, Basic Needs Support), Mobility (Mobility Coaching, Financial Coaching, Good Food Box), and Empowerment (Earn and Learn matched savings, Calgary/Siksika Taxes and Benefits free tax clinics, Insight Counselling, Mo's Place youth program, Crestwood Play Centre). Services are delivered in person at four locations across Calgary and Siksika Nation, online, and through community-based partner sites.

Product overview

Rise Calgary is a nonprofit social services organization offering a portfolio of human-centered programs organized in three phases: Stabilization (addressing immediate needs), Mobility (building stability through coaching), and Empowerment (strengthening long-term independence). Services include emergency financial assistance (Basic Needs Fund), free tax clinics (CVITP), food security programs (Good Food Box), one-on-one coaching (Mobility Coaching, Financial Coaching), matched savings (Earn and Learn), youth programming (Mo's Place), early childhood support (Crestwood Play Centre), and mental health counselling (Insight Counselling). Programs serve Calgarians living on low incomes from four locations across Calgary and on Siksika Nation. The organization is NOT a technology company and does not offer API products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Basic Needs Fund: One-time emergency financial assistance to low-income Calgarians facing urgent hardship, helping prevent housing loss, utility disconnections, and other crises.
• Calgary Taxes and Benefits
• Mobility Coaching
• Insight Counselling
• Talking Taxes (Siksika)
• Good Food Box
• Earn and Learn
• Mo's Place
• Crestwood Play Centre
• Financial Coaching

Products and services

• Basic Needs Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• Returned $2.4M+ to low-income Calgarians through free tax clinics
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Kitchen Program of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the Good Food Box Program in partnership with Rise Calgary. The program addresses food security by providing fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable cost through 30+ depots across Calgary.
• Momentum CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Earn and Learn matched savings program. Rise Calgary and Momentum collaborate to help Calgarians build savings and develop financial skills through a 6-month program with 3:1 matching.
• Insight Counselling & Therapy CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing affordable, accessible mental health support starting at $15/session for low-income Calgarians. Services available online or in person through qualified counsellors.
• Siksika NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot partnership launched in 2022 bringing free tax filing and benefits navigation to Siksika Nation members through the Talking Taxes program. Includes financial coaching, financial literacy, and support with government programs including Disability Tax Credit and RESPs.
• Vibrant Communities CalgaryminorOthersCommunity partner organization working alongside Rise Calgary daily, sharing referrals, programs, and resources so Calgarians can access the right support.
• Aspire CalgaryminorOthersCommunity partner sharing referrals and resources with Rise Calgary for client support.
• CUPS CalgaryminorOthersCommunity partner sharing referrals and resources with Rise Calgary for client support.
• Distress CentreminorOthersCommunity partner sharing referrals and resources with Rise Calgary for client support.
• Calgary Drop-In CentreminorOthersCommunity partner sharing referrals and resources with Rise Calgary for client support.
• I Can For KidsminorOthersCommunity partner sharing referrals and resources with Rise Calgary for client support.
• Kids Up FrontminorOthersCommunity partner sharing referrals and resources with Rise Calgary for client support.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Aspire Calgary: Calgary poverty-reduction and newcomer-support nonprofit sharing referrals with Rise Calgary; similar community-based social-services model.

Direct peers

• The Alex Community Health Centre: Calgary social enterprise addressing poverty through integrated health, housing, and income-support programs — closely comparable wraparound, poverty-reduction service model.
• CUPS Calgary: Calgary nonprofit integrating health, social, and financial services for low-income families — a referral-sharing partner of Rise Calgary addressing overlapping client needs.
• Calgary Drop-In Centre: Major Calgary emergency and social services provider serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty — a direct community-partner referral source for Rise Calgary's stabilization programs.
• Momentum Calgary: Calgary-based poverty-reduction nonprofit delivering financial empowerment, coaching, and the Earn and Learn matched-savings program — Rise Calgary's direct co-delivery partner on Earn and Learn.
• Vibrant Communities Calgary: Collective-impact organization coordinating Calgary's poverty-reduction strategy — works alongside Rise Calgary daily on shared referrals and program design.
• YW Calgary (YWCA Calgary): Calgary nonprofit delivering emergency shelter, affordable housing, and financial empowerment services overlapping Rise Calgary's basic needs and coaching offerings.
• Distress Centre Calgary: Calgary crisis-line and counselling provider that shares referrals with Rise Calgary for clients in financial and emotional crisis.
• Community Kitchen Program of Calgary: Operates the Good Food Box program with Rise Calgary, addressing food security across 30+ depots — directly comparable community-food-service delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Calgary and Area: Regional funder and convener that both funds Rise Calgary's core programs and operates broader poverty-reduction initiatives, including the city-wide poverty reduction plan that Rise Calgary's executive director helped launch.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sunrise-community-link-resource-centre
• Facebookfacebook.com/risecalgary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Rise Calgary