Promise Vancouver

What Promise Vancouver does

Promise Vancouver is a registered charity (UrbanPromise Ministries, CRA #893125963RR0001) operating in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside since 2018 as the Vancouver expression of UrbanPromise Ministries, founded in Camden, New Jersey. The organization runs four core programs: After-School Programs, Summer Programs, Young Leaders Program (a youth leadership pipeline), and Trekkers. Programming is delivered at no cost to families and is staffed by approximately five core year-round staff plus 22 Young Leaders in the 2024-25 cohort, with documented reach having grown from roughly 68 families in 2022 to over 200 children served. The beneficiary base is youth and families in the Downtown Eastside micro-market, with partnerships including Beedie Foundation, Beedie Luminaries, United Way BC, Canada Service Corps, ACCESS, and Lord Strathcona Elementary.

The organization is funded through donations, grants, and corporate partnerships; the most recent disclosed annual donation figure is approximately $479,520 CAD in 2021. There is no proprietary technology product, no platform architecture, and no AI or ML capability; service delivery is fundamentally human-led and location-bound. The charity carries no revenue from product sales or fees. Recent strategic activity includes the 2024 launch of the Trekkers program, 2025 partnerships with Beedie Luminaries (scholarships) and United Way BC (Young Leaders), a 2025 divestiture of its owned building that has produced a stated one-year operating runway, and a 2026 search for a Programs Director. Operating address is 558 Powell Street, Vancouver.

Name

Promise Vancouver

Legal name

UrbanPromise Ministries

Website

https://promisevancouver.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Promise Vancouver is a registered charity in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, operating since 2018 to deliver free after-school, summer, Young Leaders, and Trekkers programs to local youth and families, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Community Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• After-school programming
• Summer camp services
• Community youth services
• Nonprofit child services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monthly recurring donations from Promise Partners provide predictable funding. One-time donations from individuals support specific programs. Average monthly donation is $87.19 per Promise Partner. In 2021, total donations were $479,520.
2. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including Beedie Foundation and Beedie Luminaries support specific programs like the Young Leaders Program. Canada Service Corps funding supports the Trekkers outdoor program.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsors provide funding and in-kind support. Promise Partners program includes corporate sponsors at various commitment levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Promise Vancouver (legally UrbanPromise Ministries) is a registered charity that delivers free after-school programs, summer day camps, an outdoor Trekkers program, and a paid Young Leaders employment/mentorship program for children and youth in grades 1–12 living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Programs are rooted in a Christian worldview, trauma-informed, and emphasize belonging, literacy, art, leadership, and outdoor experiential learning for participants and their families.

Product overview

Promise Vancouver offers accessible, year-round youth programming in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside through four interconnected programs: After-School Programs (Grades 1-4 and 5-7) providing daily care, literacy, and social connection; Summer Programs featuring themed week-long camps; the Young Leaders Program (Grades 8-12) employing teens as mentors earning $18.15+ hourly; and Trekkers (Grades 10-12) focused on outdoor experiential learning. Programs are non-religious and trauma-informed, targeting families in the Downtown Eastside. The organization also facilitates donations via an online platform and recruits staff through job postings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• After-School Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Young Leaders identified an area of improvement after three months on the job (2022)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ACCESScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with ACCESS ( Aboriginal Children's Centre for Education and Safety) to build stronger connections with Vancouver's urban Indigenous communities. Supports culturally responsive programming.
• Lord Strathcona Elementary - Indigenous Education WorkercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with Lord Strathcona Elementary's Indigenous Education Worker to support Indigenous families. The school family worker refers families to Promise's programs.
• A Better Life FoundationminorOthers · 1 January 2021Chefs from A Better Life Foundation taught kids cooking skills during Summer Camp Food Week, providing culinary education and nutritious meals.
• Vancouver WhitecapsminorOthers · 1 January 2021Vancouver Whitecaps soccer players taught kids sports skills during Summer Camp Sports Week, providing athletic mentorship and engagement.
• Vancouver Art GalleryminorOthers · 1 January 2021Field trip destination for summer camp programs, exposing children to art and culture. Exhibits included claymation demos and paintings inspired by Chinese mythology.
• X ArchitectureminorOthers · 1 January 2021Local architecture firm led kids in designing and building scale models of dream homes during Design & Architecture week of summer camp.
• The Improv CentreminorOthers · 1 January 2021Granville Island workshop venue for summer camp Drama & Film week, providing space for improv and theatrical activities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• PLEA Community Services: Vancouver-based nonprofit providing community-based services, youth justice programs, and family support for vulnerable children and youth in BC.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada: National network of community-based clubs offering after-school programs, mentorship, and youth development for at-risk children—the closest direct analogue to Promise's year-round programming model.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada: Delivers youth mentorship programs nationwide, including Vancouver-area school and community-based mentoring—a strong peer for the Young Leaders mentor-driven model.
• YMCA BC: Operates child care, after-school, summer camp, and youth leadership programs across Metro Vancouver, including DTES-adjacent sites; directly comparable service mix and beneficiary profile.
• Covenant House Vancouver: Faith-rooted nonprofit serving at-risk and homeless youth in Greater Vancouver with housing, mentorship, and education support—comparable mission and faith-based heritage.
• UrbanPromise USA: Camden, NJ-based parent affiliate that inspired Promise Vancouver; operates after-school programs, summer camps, and teen employment programs with a near-identical theory of change.

Broad incumbents

• Canucks for Kids Fund / KidSport: Large national youth-funding organizations providing sports-based access; relevant as funders/partners for Promise's sports weeks but at much larger scale.
• United Way BC: Major regional funder and intermediary for community nonprofits, including Promise via the Future Leaders program; comparable in beneficiary scope though operating as a grantmaker rather than direct service provider.

Emerging players

• Fresh Roots: Vancouver nonprofit using schoolyard farms to engage youth in experiential learning and food education—partial overlap with Promise's experiential and food-week programming for vulnerable youth.

Regional players

• Aunt Leah's Independent Life Skills Society: BC nonprofit supporting youth in care and young mothers through housing, education, and life-skills programming—comparable trauma-informed, regional youth services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PromiseYVR
• Facebookfacebook.com/promisevancouver
• Instagraminstagram.com/promisevancouver
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/promise-vancouver

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Promise Vancouver