Compassionate Communities Kingston Canada

What Compassionate Communities Kingston Canada does

Compassionate Communities Kingston Canada (CCKC) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2017 in Kingston, Ontario, that delivers free community-based programs supporting older adults and their families. It is the Canadian franchisee of the global Compassionate Communities movement, which originated in Australia over 20 years ago to promote intergenerational care and mutual support. CCKC operates four core programs: Talking Cafés (informal, lightly facilitated social gatherings hosted at local libraries and community centres to reduce isolation); Advance Care Planning Workshops (educational sessions helping adults reflect on healthcare wishes and designate substitute decision makers); Community Connectors (one-hour volunteer training sessions teaching community members to signpost neighbours to health and social services — 250 citizens trained to date against a goal of 1,000); and Health Care Connectors (staff embedded in family doctors' offices to connect patients to community resources as part of social prescribing strategies). Over 500 area residents have attended Advance Care Planning seminars, and the Talking Café program has hosted 28 sessions reaching 258 participants since its September 2025 launch.

Name

Compassionate Communities Kingston Canada

Legal name

Compassionate Communities Kingston

Website

https://compassionatekingston.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Compassionate Communities Kingston Canada is a nonprofit founded in 2017 that delivers free programs supporting older adults in Kingston, Ontario through Talking Cafés, advance care planning workshops, Community Connector volunteer training, and Health Care Connector social prescribing initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health and Social Services for Older Adults

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Companionship & Social Engagement Visits (HSABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Social Adult Day Care (Non-Medical Supervision & Activities) (HSABANAA), Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO)

Keywords

• Community health programs
• Advance care planning
• Senior social connection
• Social prescribing services
• Community volunteer training

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Funded primarily through grants from government and foundation sources. The organization received funding from the Government of Ontario and the Retired Teachers' of Ontario Foundation (RTOERO). Additional grant funding received from William J. Henderson Foundation for quality improvement research.
2. Donations: Accepts donations from the public to support community programs and initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Compassionate Communities Kingston Canada delivers free, community-based programs that support older adults through social connection (Talking Cafés), advance care planning education (workshops), volunteer training (Community Connectors), and in-clinic social prescribing (Health Care Connectors). Programs are delivered in person through libraries, the Seniors Centre, community health centres, rural community services, and virtually via Zoom, targeting residents of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.

Product overview

Compassionate Communities Kingston Canada operates as a community organization offering a suite of interconnected programs focused on end-of-life planning, social connection, and community support for older adults. The core offerings include: Talking Cafés (informal social gatherings at libraries), Advance Care Planning Workshops (educational sessions on healthcare wishes), Community Connectors (volunteer training to help neighbors find resources), Health Care Connectors (office-based community resource guidance), and a Community Connections Podcast. The programs work together to address social isolation, promote vitality, and mobilize citizens to care for one another.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Talking Cafés Free, informal gathering sessions held at local libraries and community spaces where older adults meet new people, share stories, and engage in meaningful conversations. Sessions are lightly facilitated by volunteers, with topics chosen by participants.
• Advance Care Planning Workshops Free educational workshops helping people reflect on their values and wishes for healthcare, choose a Substitute Decision Maker, and communicate their wishes to loved ones. Over 500 area residents have attended these seminars.
• Community Connectors One-hour training sessions for community members to learn how to help family, friends, and neighbours find resources for health and wellbeing. Trained 250 citizens to date with a goal of training 1,000 people.
• Health Care Connectors Employees in doctors' offices who listen to patients' stories and provide guidance, help, and information about community resources as part of social prescribing strategies within primary healthcare settings.
• Community Connections Podcast Podcast featuring inspiring community members who are making a difference in Kingston, showcasing stories of compassionate community building.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250 citizens trained as Community Connectors, with potential to reach 6,000 people annually if goal of 1,000 connectors is reached (1,000 x 6 connections)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Ongoing partnership with KFPL to host Talking Cafés at library branches. Libraries host Aging Well speakers' series followed by Talking Cafés. The library also provides catalogued resources including books on end-of-life topics. This is a primary partnership enabling the Talking Café program.
• Canadian Frailty NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization supporting Compassionate Communities Kingston initiatives. Works on issues related to frailty and aging.
• Pallium CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing resources and connection to the Compassionate Communities Exchange - a digital space for Canadian Compassionate Communities to share resources and learn from each other.
• Seniors Association KingstoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization operating the Seniors Centre (56 Francis Street) where Advance Care Planning workshops are held. Also provides venue for community programs.
• Southern Frontenac Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting community initiatives and co-hosting Talking Cafés at rural locations including Soldiers Memorial Hall in Sharbot Lake.
• Queen's Family Health TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating in the social prescribing research project under direction of Dr. Imaan Bayoumi. Healthcare connectors integrated into their practice.
• Rural Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Allied Health TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating in the social prescribing research project under direction of Dr. Jeanette Dietrich. Healthcare connectors integrated into their practice.
• Queen's University School of NursingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner for the social prescribing quality improvement study led by Dr. Rylan Egan. Also affiliated with Queen's Department of Family Medicine HORIZONS magazine feature.
• Kingston Community Health CentrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through 'Feel Good Fridays' program at Rideau Heights Community Centre, integrating Talking Café discussions into existing programming for older adults.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Seniors Association Kingston: Local Kingston seniors services organization operating the Seniors Centre where CCKC holds Advance Care Planning workshops. Serves a directly overlapping senior population with comparable programming (social connection, resources, advocacy) in the same geography.
• Alzheimer Society of KFLA: Local chapter of a national charity serving older adults and caregivers with dementia, including social programming and caregiver support. Comparable in volunteer-led, community-based service delivery for vulnerable seniors in the same region.

Direct peers

• Hospice Kingston: Local Kingston-area nonprofit providing volunteer-based end-of-life and bereavement support. Highly comparable mission (community-supported end-of-life care) and shares an overlap in advance care planning education and volunteer engagement models.
• Compassionate Communities Ottawa: Sister organization in the global Compassionate Communities movement delivering the same volunteer-driven model of advance care planning, community connector training, and social support for older adults in Ottawa. Operates with an analogous program portfolio and grant-funded nonprofit structure.
• Compassionate Communities Toronto: Toronto-based peer in the global Compassionate Communities movement delivering analogous programs (advance care planning, social connection, community mobilization) for older adults. Strongly comparable operating model and grant-funded nonprofit structure.

Others

• United Way Kingston & Districts: Regional community-funding and social-services umbrella operating in the same Kingston/Frontenac geography. Comparable in addressing social determinants of health, though as a funder/convener rather than direct program operator.
• Canadian Frailty Network (CFN): National network focused on frailty and aging research, listed as a CCKC partner. Comparable target population (frail older adults) and overlapping ecosystem, though its primary focus is research rather than community program delivery.

Broad incumbents

• SE Health (Saint Elizabeth Health Care): Large national home and community care provider offering social prescribing and aging-in-place programs. Comparable target market (older adults, family caregivers) and growing overlap with community-based, non-clinical support offerings.
• VON Canada (Victorian Order of Nurses): National nonprofit delivering home and community care services including social support and elder care programs. Broadly comparable in serving older adults through community-based, volunteer-supported models, though at much larger scale and with clinical scope.

Emerging players

• Pallium Canada: National nonprofit advancing palliative care education and the Compassionate Communities Exchange. Directly comparable in mission and serves as a connector platform for organizations like CCKC; partial overlap in target audience and program delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CompassionateCommunitiesKingston
• Instagraminstagram.com/compassionateckingston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Compassionate Communities Kingston Canada