Equitas

What Equitas does

Equitas is a Canadian registered charity founded in Montreal in 1967 by John P. Humphrey, Thérèse Casgrain, and Dr. Gustave Gingras, dedicated to human rights education. The organization delivers participatory, experiential training programs that build the capacity of human rights educators, defenders, and communities to know, claim, and defend their rights. Its core methodology is a proprietary Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) framework combined with a "Pathways to Action" methodology that translates training into concrete post-program action plans.

The product portfolio centers on three intensive training programs: the flagship International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP), running since 1997 and held for the first time outside Canada in Bangkok in 2026, plus regional two-week intensives in East Africa (EAHRP) and French-speaking Africa (SRFDH). Each combines a 6-week online preparatory phase with an in-person intensive. Complementing these are Canadian youth programming delivered through 100+ partner organizations, free online courses on the Equitas Community platform, consulting services for institutions integrating human rights practices, and the Act Together for Inclusion Fund (ACTIF), a grant mechanism that has allocated nearly $10 million to LGBTQI+ rights projects in the Global South since 2020.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across five streams: institutional government grants (Global Affairs Canada, BC Ministry of Education, Quebec MIFI), IHRTP participation fees of $9,180 CAD per participant (~100 participants annually), corporate and foundation sponsorships (TD Bank, Bell Canada, Azrieli Foundation), individual charitable donations, and fee-based consulting services. The organization operates from offices in Montreal and Vancouver, with a governance board chaired by Darryl Yates (SickKids) and executive leadership under Executive Director Odette McCarthy.

Name

Equitas

Legal name

Equitas

Website

https://equitas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Equitas is a Canadian nonprofit founded in 1967 that delivers participatory human rights training programs globally, serving human rights defenders, children and youth in Canada, and civil society organizations across 140+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Major funding from government partners including Global Affairs Canada, BC Ministry of Education, Quebec MIFI, and international development agencies for program delivery.
2. Program Participation Fees: IHRTP participation fee of $9,180 CAD covering training, accommodation, meals, materials, and medical insurance. Some bursaries available.
3. Corporate and Foundation Sponsorships: Support from corporate sponsors including TD Bank, Bell Canada, and foundations such as Azrieli Foundation, Brian Bronfman Foundation.
4. Individual Donations: Charitable donations from individuals supporting human rights education. Registered charity status with tax-deductible donation capability.
5. Consulting Services: Specialized consulting services helping organizations integrate human rights into internal practices and external operations, including policy development, strategic planning, and participatory evaluation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Equitas is a Canadian nonprofit that delivers human rights education through flagship training programs (IHRTP, EAHRP, SRFDH), free online courses, children and youth programming in Canada, and specialized consulting services for organizations. The organization also manages the Act Together for Inclusion Fund (ACTIF), a grant program supporting LGBTQI+ human rights projects in the Global South. Its methodology is grounded in participatory, experiential learning and its proprietary Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) Framework and Pathways to Action methodology.

Product overview

Equitas operates as a human rights education organization offering a portfolio of training programs and services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include three major training programs: the flagship International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP/PIFDH), the East Africa Regional Human Rights Training (EAHRP), and the French-Speaking Africa Regional Training (SRFDH). Complementing these are Canadian-focused programs for children and youth, free online courses through the Equitas Community platform, and consulting services for organizations seeking to integrate human rights approaches. The Act Together for Inclusion Fund (ACTIF) manages grant funding for LGBTQI+ rights projects globally. All offerings are grounded in participatory, experiential learning methodologies and a human rights-based approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP): Equitas' flagship global training program, also known as Programme international de formation aux droits humains (PIFDH), offering intensive training for human rights educators and defenders from around the world.
• Act Together for Inclusion Fund (ACTIF)
• East Africa Human Rights Program (EAHRP)
• Session régionale en français sur les droits humains (SRFDH)

Products and services

• International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP/PIFDH) Equitas' flagship intensive training program bringing together human rights educators and defenders from around the world. Includes a self-paced online preparatory phase (12-15 hours over 6 weeks) followed by an 11-day intensive in-person training session. Offered in English and French, it has trained over 4,500 participants from more than 140 countries since 1997.
• Regional Human Rights Training Session in East Africa (EAHRP) Regional training conducted in partnership with former Equitas training participants in East African countries. Features 12-15 hours of online preparation followed by a two-week intensive in-person training. Conducted in English only, it creates a support network for human rights educators and defenders in the region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 1+ million children and youth in Canada with human rights education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dignity Network CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACTIF (Act Together for Inclusion Fund) managed by Equitas in collaboration with Dignity Network Canada, funded by Global Affairs Canada, supporting LGBTQI+ human rights globally with nearly $10 million allocated to 20 projects in 25 countries since 2020.
• Kouraj pou pwoteje dwa moun (Haiti)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaitian human rights organization working with Equitas on human rights education. Administrative Director testified to partnership value: trust, communication, and camaraderie beyond the partnership.
• Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO) - SenegalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenegalese human rights organization partner providing understanding of country's sociocultural context and clarifying concepts in local languages for effective partnership work.
• Women's Empowerment Link (WEL) - KenyacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan women's rights organization partnered with Equitas to advance women's rights through capacity building and advocacy programs.
• Burkinabe Movement for Human and Peoples' Rights (MBDHP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organizing the regional human rights training session in French-speaking Africa, providing expertise in human rights education in the region.
• Tusonge Community Development Organization - TanzaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTanzanian community development organization partnered with Equitas for East Africa regional programming.
• Open Jam Collective (Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian community organization working on human rights issues including freedom of expression, rights of migrants, Indigenous peoples, 2SLGTBQI+ people, and people with disabilities.
• YMCA CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Canadian partner with multiple YMCA organizations across the country participating in human rights education programs.
• City of TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner supporting human rights education programs.
• City of VancouvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner supporting human rights education programs.
• Concordia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting human rights education.
• Resilient SocietiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner leading the Resilience Network initiative in partnership with Equitas - a global platform for human rights defenders, democracy practitioners, and civil society actors at risk.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Cuso International: Cuso International is a Canadian international development organization focused on inclusive development, volunteering, and capacity building — sharing Equitas's Canadian base, government funding model (Global Affairs Canada), and focus on empowering practitioners in the Global South, though operating in a broader development mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Amnesty International: Amnesty International is a much larger and broader global human rights organization with significant education and training components. While its primary mission is advocacy and research rather than training, it overlaps with Equitas's human rights education work and shares a similar global operating footprint.

Direct peers

• Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights: RFK Human Rights combines human rights advocacy with education programs, including curricula, fellowships, and training for activists — overlapping with Equitas's combined education-and-advocacy model and its focus on empowering rights defenders through structured learning.
• University for Peace (UPEACE): UPEACE is a UN-mandated institution offering graduate education, training, and capacity building on peace, human rights, and sustainable development — directly comparable to Equitas's IHRTP and regional training programs in terms of audience, methodology, and international delivery model.
• Facing History and Ourselves: Facing History and Ourselves is an international educational organization that develops curricula and teacher training on human rights, civic education, and historical consciousness. Comparable to Equitas's children/youth programming in Canada and its educator training methodology, though focused more on history-based pedagogy and primarily US-based.
• Front Line Defenders: Front Line Defenders focuses on the protection and capacity building of human rights defenders at risk — directly overlapping with Equitas's primary target segment (human rights defenders globally) and complementing Equitas's IHRTP alumni support work through grants, security training, and advocacy.
• ARTICLE 19: ARTICLE 19 works globally on freedom of expression and information rights, combining advocacy with capacity building and training for activists — comparable in scope of rights education work and in target audience of human rights defenders and civil society organizations.
• Outright International: Outright International is a leading LGBTQI+ human rights organization that combines advocacy, grantmaking, and capacity building — directly comparable to the ACTIF program managed by Equitas with Dignity Network Canada, and overlapping in target population of LGBTQI+ defenders in the Global South.
• Human Rights Education Associates (HREA): HREA is one of the most direct peers to Equitas — a global organization dedicated to human rights education, training, and capacity building for activists, educators, and practitioners. Both deliver multi-country training programs, develop curricula on rights-based approaches, and serve similar human rights defender audiences worldwide.

Others

• YMCA Canada: YMCA Canada is a major delivery partner for Equitas's children and youth human rights programs in Canada. While not a competitor, YMCA represents the broader community organization ecosystem through which Equitas reaches Canadian audiences and serves as a benchmark for non-formal education delivery infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EquitasHRE
• Facebookfacebook.com/equitas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/equitas-international-centre-for-human-rights-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/equitas_human_rights
• TikToktiktok.com/@equitas_human_rights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Equitas