NGCOA Canada Foundation

What NGCOA Canada Foundation does

The NGCOA Canada Foundation is a federally registered Canadian charitable organization launched in November 2025 under the stewardship of the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada). It is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, and operates three programmatic funds: (1) the Jeff Ciecko Benevolent Fund, which provides temporary financial assistance to employees and families of NGCOA Canada member golf facilities experiencing unexpected hardship such as serious illness or loss of income; (2) the Live Your Best Life Fund, an education scholarship program offering up to five $1,000 grants annually plus conference registration and travel support to students pursuing golf industry careers; and (3) the Golf Sustainability Fund, which finances long-term resilience initiatives for the Canadian golf industry. The foundation is governed by an independent Board of Directors (Bryan Ewart as Chair, Jeff Calderwood as Vice-Chair, Brent Miller as Secretary/Treasurer, Lesley McMahon as Fundraising Chair, Tara Ciecko as Communications Chair, and Gilles Début) and is programmatically inspired by the legacy of the late Jeff Ciecko, co-founder of CK Golf.

Name

NGCOA Canada Foundation

Legal name

NGCOA Canada Foundation

Website

https://ngcoacanadafoundation.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NGCOA Canada Foundation is a registered Canadian charity, launched November 2025 under NGCOA Canada stewardship, providing financial hardship relief, education scholarships, and sustainability grants for the Canadian golf industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

Keywords

• Golf industry charity
• Emergency financial assistance
• Education scholarships
• Nonprofit foundation
• Charitable donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: The foundation generates revenue entirely through charitable donations from individuals and organizations within the Canadian golf industry. Donation tiers range from $25 to $1,000+, with $1,000+ contributions qualifying for Founder's Circle membership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NGCOA Canada Foundation is a registered Canadian charitable organization that provides temporary financial assistance to golf course employees facing unexpected hardships (Jeff Ciecko Benevolent Fund), up to $1,000 education scholarships for students pursuing careers in the golf industry (Live Your Best Life Fund), and sustainability initiatives that strengthen the long-term resilience of Canada's golf industry (Golf Sustainability Fund). The Foundation supplements these programs with structured donation processing and the Founder's Circle donor recognition program.

Product overview

The NGCOA Canada Foundation is a charitable organization that operates as a unified grant-making and fundraising platform offering three core programs: the Jeff Ciecko Benevolent Fund (emergency financial assistance for golf industry employees in crisis), the Live Your Best Life Fund (education scholarships for future golf industry leaders), and the Golf Sustainability Fund (industry resilience initiatives). The Foundation supplements these programs with a Founder's Circle donor recognition program, donation processing services with CRA tax receipt issuance, and newsletter communications. All programs are administered by an independent Board of Directors separate from NGCOA Canada operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jeff Ciecko Benevolent Fund: Provides temporary financial assistance to employees and families facing unexpected hardship including loss of income, serious illness, or personal crises
• Live Your Best Life Fund
• Golf Sustainability Fund
• Founder's Circle

Products and services

• Jeff Ciecko Benevolent Fund Provides temporary financial assistance to golf course employees and their families facing unexpected hardships including loss of income, serious illness, accidents, or other personal crises. Applications are submitted online and evaluated based on Canadian citizenship, industry affiliation, circumstances, and financial distress. Available to employees of NGCOA Canada member facilities nationwide.
• Live Your Best Life Fund Education scholarship program providing up to five $1,000 grants annually to students enrolled in golf industry-related programs at Canadian colleges or universities. Recipients also receive complimentary Golf Business Canada Conference delegate registration and up to $1,000 in travel expenses to attend the conference.
• Golf Sustainability Fund

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 and major.

• NGCOA CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025The foundation was established under the stewardship of the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada. NGCOA Canada provides administrative support, governance oversight, and access to its network of over 1,500 member facilities. Jeff Calderwood serves as both CEO of NGCOA Canada and foundation advisor. The foundation operates from NGCOA Canada's Ottawa offices.
• Golf Business Canada ConferencemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe annual Golf Business Canada Conference & Trade Show serves as the foundation's primary fundraising venue. The foundation concept was first introduced at the 2024 conference in Calgary and continues to participate annually (2025 in Niagara Falls). Scholarship recipients receive complimentary delegate registration and travel support to attend the conference.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Golf Foundation: US-based golf industry research and trade association focused on industry data and growth. Comparable as a golf industry support organization providing infrastructure and resources that complement foundation-level charitable activity, though primarily research rather than grantmaking.

Direct peers

• First Tee Canada: Canadian youth development charity using golf to build character and life skills. Comparable as a Canadian golf-focused charitable organization delivering programs through a network of facility partners, with overlapping target demographic and donor base.
• PGA of Canada Foundation: The PGA of Canada's charitable arm supporting Canadian PGA professionals and golf industry development. Comparable as a Canadian golf industry foundation focused on education, professional development, and community impact through a different professional member constituency.
• NGCOA (National Golf Course Owners Association): US-based counterpart association for golf course owners, the parent organization that NGCOA Canada operates under. Comparable as the direct US sister organization whose network, governance model, and stakeholder engagement approach inform the Canadian foundation's operating context.
• Golf Canada Foundation: Golf Canada's charitable arm supporting Canadian golf development, scholarships, and community programs. Directly comparable as a Canadian golf industry foundation with similar education and community-support mandates, though operating at the national sport federation level rather than facility-owner level.
• ClubLink Foundation: Charitable arm of ClubLink, one of Canada's largest golf course operators. Comparable as a Canadian golf operator-backed foundation supporting community initiatives, with overlapping donor and beneficiary networks in the Canadian golf industry.

Regional players

• Canadian Olympic Foundation: Canada's national Olympic sport foundation supporting athlete development and sport sustainability. Comparable as a Canadian sport-sector foundation operating under a similar CRA-registered charitable model with education scholarships and sustainability programs, but serving the broader Olympic ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• The R&A Foundation: The R&A's charitable foundation supporting golf development, sustainability, and education worldwide. Comparable as an established golf industry foundation with broader international scope and significantly larger grantmaking capacity, providing a relevant scale and structure benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ngcoacanadafoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 NGCOA Canada Foundation