Canadian Airborne Forces Association

What Canadian Airborne Forces Association does

The Canadian Airborne Forces Association (CAFA), also known in French as Association des Forces Aéroportées du Canada (AFAC), is a federally chartered Canadian nonprofit veterans' association established on February 11, 1982. CAFA represents the serving and retired Canadian Forces Airborne community, including veterans of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, the First Special Service Force (FSSF), and the Canadian Airborne Regiment, along with their spouses, children, and grandchildren. Its stated objectives are to promote esprit-de-corps among members, support the continuation of balanced general-purpose Airborne Forces within Canada's Armed Forces, respond to hardship through gifts and grants, and support other applicable veterans' associations.

CAFA's core offerings are membership services rather than technology products. These include a membership enrollment program processed through a Yapla-based portal, the Maroon Beret Magazine (official publication), the ASOY (Soldier of the Year) award, and an annual $3,000 Airborne Forces Scholarship jointly funded with the (now-defunct) Airborne Regiment Association of Canada. The association also maintains digital archives of historical airborne publications, articles, and monuments across multiple countries, and operates a kitshop (cafakitshop.com) where a percentage of sales supports CAFA. The underlying technology stack is a standard Wix-hosted website with social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, and donation processing through CanadaHelps.

CAFA's revenue model is donation- and membership-driven rather than commercial. No commercial products are priced for sale; the kitshop functions as a fundraising channel rather than a profit center. The organization accepts donations through CanadaHelps and runs targeted campaigns such as 'Op Pegasus Jump.' Customer segments are persona-based: serving and retired airborne personnel, their descendants (eligible for scholarships), and the broader public engaging with historical content. Geographic reach spans North America and historical monument sites across the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Cyprus, France, and the USA.

Name

Canadian Airborne Forces Association

Legal name

Canadian Airborne Forces Association

Website

https://canadianairborneforces.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Canadian Airborne Forces Association (CAFA) is a federally chartered Canadian nonprofit veterans' association, founded 1982, that serves serving and retired Canadian Airborne Forces members, their families, and descendants through membership services, an annual scholarship, historical preservation, and a fundraising kitshop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Canadian Airborne Forces Association (CAFA) is a nonprofit veterans' association founded in 1982 that represents serving and retired members of the Canadian Forces Airborne community. Its core offerings include membership enrollment, an annual $3,000 Airborne Forces Scholarship for post-secondary education, a kitshop selling airborne-themed merchandise (with proceeds supporting the association), the Maroon Beret Magazine publication, the ASOY (Soldier of the Year) Award, and digital archives of historical articles, publications, and monuments documenting Canadian airborne forces heritage across multiple countries.

Product overview

The Canadian Airborne Forces Association (CAFA/AFAC) operates as a membership-based veterans association, not a technology product company. The organization offers a suite of member services including membership enrollment, an airborne-themed kitshop (cafakitshop.com), the Maroon Beret Magazine publication, the ASOY (Soldier of the Year) Award, and an annual $3,000 Airborne Forces Scholarship. CAFA also maintains digital archives of historical content including airborne publications, articles, and monuments documentation across multiple countries. These are informational and membership services rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAFA Membership
• Airborne Forces Scholarship
• Airborne Kitshop
• Maroon Beret Magazine
• ASOY Award (Soldier of the Year)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Airborne Regiment Association of Canada (ARAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARAC was a now-defunct association that jointly established the Airborne Forces Scholarship Fund with CAFA. The $3,000 annual bursary is jointly funded by both organizations to support members' families in pursuing post-secondary education.
• 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Virtual MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization maintaining virtual museum dedicated to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion history, listed on CAFA's links page as a key Canadian airborne resource.
• Canadian Army Advanced Warfare CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Canadian Army institution related to airborne warfare training and development, connected through CAFA's network of related organizations.
• Garrison Petawawa Military MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum housing the Canadian Airborne Forces Collection (CAFC), containing various artifacts and plaques capturing the entire Canadian airborne experience. Located at Garrison Petawawa.
• Project '44: The Road to LiberationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical research project related to Canadian military operations, linked as a resource on CAFA's Canadian websites section.
• Para Rescue Association of CanadaminorOthersCanadian association for pararescue personnel, listed as a Canadian association on CAFA's links page.
• Canadian Sport Parachute AssociationminorOthersNational governing body for sport parachuting in Canada, listed as a related association on CAFA's links page.
• Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Museum & ArchivesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum dedicated to preserving Canadian military history, linked as a resource for airborne history on CAFA's website.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Parachute Regimental Association: UK-based veterans association for former members of the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces. Directly mirrors CAFA's structure as a national airborne veterans body, providing comradeship, welfare support, and heritage preservation for British paratroopers.
• Soldier On: Canadian military charity supporting veterans through sport and physical activities. Comparable to CAFA as a Canadian veterans organization, with an overlapping post-service welfare and community-reintegration mission but a different programmatic focus.
• 101st Airborne Division Association: U.S. veterans association for the 101st Airborne Division ('Screaming Eagles'). Closely comparable to CAFA as a division/branch-specific airborne veterans organization preserving unit history, supporting members, and hosting commemorative events.
• 82nd Airborne Division Association: U.S. Army airborne veterans association representing former paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division. Directly comparable to CAFA in mission: serving retired and active airborne community members, preserving airborne heritage, organizing reunions, and supporting members and families.
• Special Forces Club: London-based private members' club for UK and allied special forces veterans. Comparable to CAFA as a membership-driven special-operations veterans organization that preserves esprit-de-corps and operates a venue for community events.
• Sky Soldiers Association (173rd Airborne Brigade): U.S. veterans association for the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Functions as a comparable unit-specific airborne veterans body, providing member support, heritage preservation, and reunions — same operating model as CAFA at the national level.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Canadian Legion: Canada's largest veterans service organization covering all branches and eras. A broader incumbent to CAFA: serves the same Canadian veterans community but at national scale across all military branches, providing advocacy, pensions support, and community programs.
• The American Legion: Largest U.S. wartime veterans organization with millions of members. A broad incumbent operating in the same veterans-association space as CAFA but at vastly greater scale, offering advocacy, scholarships, and community programs across all branches.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=7CleCWMa9d8
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/849999975042056
• Instagraminstagram.com/canadianairborneforces

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Canadian Airborne Forces Association