Empower The Youth Foundation

What Empower The Youth Foundation does

Empower The Youth Foundation is a black-led nonprofit organization founded in 2022 and headquartered at 30 Gilder Drive, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. The organization provides free youth programs to marginalized youth in low-income areas of Scarborough, addressing social determinants of health including racial discrimination, food insecurity, and mental health challenges. Its service offerings encompass youth programs with skill development and mentorship, workshops focused on resilience and life skills, mental health counseling services, and educational and job training programs, supplemented by structured volunteer opportunities.

The organization operates on a non-commercial model: all programs, workshops, and services are delivered at no cost to participants, with funding sourced from grants and donations. Its go-to-market is grassroots community outreach, leveraging email newsletters, the official website (empowertheyouthfoundation.ca), and active volunteer recruitment. Distribution is direct to beneficiaries through community-delivered workshops and events, with a geographic scope limited to the Scarborough region.

The foundation is led by Founder and CEO Yonis Awale, supported by a four-person board including Vice President Annmarie Grey, Treasurer Jamaal McLeggon, and Secretary/Director of Programs Nadra Abdihakim. Leadership has deep ties to the Gilder Drive community and to Gilder G.U.Y.D.E., a grassroots organization addressing social determinants of health, with which ETFY maintains an operational partnership. No headcount, revenue figures, grants received, or formal expansion plans are disclosed in the available materials.

Name

Empower The Youth Foundation

Legal name

Empower the Youth Foundation

Website

https://empowertheyouthfoundation.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Empower The Youth Foundation is a black-led nonprofit founded in 2022 in Scarborough, Ontario, delivering free youth programs in education, employment training, and mental health support to marginalized youth in low-income communities, funded by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Social Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Youth education programs
• Mental health counseling
• Job training services
• Community workshops
• Nonprofit youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

Scarborough

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: The organization relies heavily on grants as a primary source of funding to sustain and expand programs. This strategic funding model enables the organization to maintain accessibility of workshops, ensuring financial constraints do not hinder participation.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations from supporters and community members to fund its mission and programs for youth empowerment.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Empower The Youth Foundation delivers free youth programs focused on education, employment training, and mental health support for marginalized youth in Scarborough, Ontario. Core offerings include Youth Programs (skill development and mentorship), Workshops (resilience, community cohesion, life skills), Mental Health Counseling Services, Educational and Job Training Programs, and Volunteer Opportunities, all provided at no cost to participants.

Product overview

Empower the Youth Foundation is a black-led nonprofit organization offering a unified suite of youth empowerment services centered on addressing Social Determinants of Health. The organization's core offerings include Youth Programs (providing skill development, mentorship, and support at no cost), Workshops (focused on resilience, community cohesion, and life skills), Mental Health Counseling Services, and Educational and Job Training Programs. These services are complemented by Volunteer Opportunities. All programs are designed holistically to address the interconnected challenges faced by marginalized youth in low-income areas, including racial discrimination, food insecurity, and mental health concerns. The organization relies heavily on grants as a primary funding source to maintain accessibility of its programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Programs Comprehensive youth programs offering skill development, mentorship, and support services at no cost to participants. These include educational and job training initiatives as well as mental health counseling services for marginalized youth in Scarborough.
• Workshops Free workshops focused on enhancing resilience, fostering community cohesion, and imparting essential life skills. Address challenges including racial discrimination, food insecurity, and mental health concerns faced by youth from low-income areas.
• Mental Health Counseling Services Specialized mental health counseling services integrated into the organization's holistic approach to supporting youth well-being and addressing social determinants of health.
• Educational and Job Training Programs Robust educational and job training endeavors aimed at uplifting community members on their path to self-sufficiency, fostering growth across educational and employment dimensions.
• Volunteer Opportunities Diverse volunteer opportunities for individuals to actively participate and make a meaningful impact on the lives of youth served by the organization, contributing to personal growth and community empowerment.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Tropicana Community Services: Toronto-based multicultural nonprofit serving racialized and newcomer youth with settlement, education, employment, and mental health supports — comparable target population and holistic service mix.
• Across Boundaries: Toronto mental health organization serving racialized and marginalized communities facing systemic barriers — overlaps with ETYF's mental health counseling and racial-equity focus, though its client base extends beyond youth.
• Black Youth Helpline: National service supporting Black and racialized youth with mentorship, education referral, and mental wellness resources — directly comparable on the Black-led, racialized-youth intersection that defines ETYF.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada: Charity delivering youth mentoring and positive youth development programming, the same core service pillars ETYF emphasizes around mentorship and life skills for at-risk youth.
• YWCA Toronto: Toronto nonprofit delivering integrated education, employment, housing, and well-being programs for women, girls, and gender-diverse youth — comparable holistic SDoH service model in the same city.
• Boys & Girls Club of Canada: National nonprofit providing free youth programs spanning education, employment readiness, and well-being for marginalized youth — directly comparable operating model to ETYF, just at significantly larger scale.
• The Yonge Street Mission: Toronto faith-based nonprofit offering youth programs, education, employment, and community services to vulnerable populations — comparable community-based delivery model to ETYF.
• A Turning Point for Youth: Toronto-area nonprofit supporting at-risk and racialized youth through mentorship, education, and employment programs; overlaps directly with ETYF's at-risk youth mission and Scarborough/GTA geography.

Broad incumbents

• Kids Help Phone: Canada's largest youth mental health service, including counseling, crisis support, and education — comparable on ETYF's mental health counseling pillar but operates at national scale and via digital channels.

Others

• United Way Greater Toronto: Regional funder and convener that aggregates donations and regrants to community-based youth and social-service nonprofits like ETYF — relevant as a likely funding channel rather than a direct operating peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Empowertheyouthfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Empower The Youth Foundation