Canadian Council for Refugees

What Canadian Council for Refugees does

The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR), founded in 1978 and headquartered in Montréal, Québec, is an independent non-governmental umbrella organization that aggregates Canadian refugee-serving and immigrant-serving NGOs into a pan-Canadian advocacy coalition. Its core offerings are not commercial products but member services and convening assets: a bilingual English/French website, an annual national consultation drawing 300+ participants (refugees, NGO representatives, government officials, UNHCR, academics), three thematic working groups (Immigration and Settlement; Inland Protection; Overseas Protection and Resettlement), a Youth Network for newcomer leadership development, an ongoing webinar program, and a digital resource library of consultation reports, resolutions, policy submissions, and public education materials. The CCR is also an active legal advocate, intervening in significant refugee-rights cases including a June 2026 court challenge against Canada's practice of returning refugees to the United States.

Underlying technology is limited to a non-proprietary bilingual website (ccrweb.ca) with member directories, application portals, donation workflows, and an action-alert system; no proprietary AI/ML platform, API, or mobile product was disclosed. The CCR earns no commercial revenue and explicitly states that it receives no core government funding. Its revenue mechanics consist of (i) annual membership fees from full member organizations (tiered by organizational budget), associate individual members ($250/year, $35/year for youth under 25), non-Canadian NGO members ($100/year with exemptions for non-Western organizations), and observers; (ii) donations from individuals (one-time, recurring 'Friends of CCR' monthly giving, honor donations) and organizations; (iii) an endowment fund capitalized by a $1M 2012 contribution from the Sisters of Service and ethically invested; and (iv) securities donations processed through CanadaHelps and CanaDon. The go-to-market is community-led: member engagement, working-group meetings, annual consultations, webinars, and public-facing advocacy campaigns such as 'We are Better Together' and '40 for 40' drive participation and funding.

Name

Canadian Council for Refugees

Legal name

Canadian Council for Refugees

Website

https://ccrweb.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Canadian Council for Refugees is an independent, Montréal-based non-profit founded in 1978 that aggregates Canadian refugee-serving NGOs into a pan-Canadian advocacy coalition, providing member services, annual consultations, working groups, youth engagement, and litigation-driven policy advocacy for refugee protection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Advocacy and Settlement Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Professional Organizations (81392), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)

Keywords

• Refugee rights advocacy
• Immigration policy research
• Refugee settlement support
• Nonprofit member services
• Newcomer leadership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from Canadian non-profit organizations, associate members (individuals), NGOs outside Canada, and observers. Fee scales vary by organization budget.
2. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, including monthly giving program (Friends of CCR), one-time gifts, and honor donations.
3. Organizational Donations: Donations from organizations supporting the CCR's messaging campaigns and general work.
4. Endowment Fund: Major and legacy donations invested in an endowment fund managed ethically. The Sisters of Service contributed $1 million in 2012 to establish the fund.
5. Securities Donations: Accepts donations of publicly traded securities and mutual funds processed through CanadaHelps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Canadian Council for Refugees is a pan-Canadian nonprofit umbrella organization that connects refugee-serving nonprofits and individuals. It advances refugee protection and newcomer settlement through policy advocacy, national consultations, thematic working groups, webinars, public education, member resources, and a national Youth Network. Its website supports membership, event registration, action alerts, and donations.

Product overview

The Canadian Council for Refugees is a non-profit umbrella organization operating since 1978 that connects refugee-serving organizations across Canada. The organization functions as a unified advocacy platform rather than a commercial product company, offering membership services, annual consultations, webinars, a youth network, and specialized working groups. Key offerings include the bilingual CCR website with member resources, annual national consultations, educational webinars, the Youth Network for newcomer leadership development, three thematic Working Groups, the Francisco Rico-Martinez Access to Justice Award program, a digital resource library, and various fundraising campaigns including the monthly donor program. The organization does not receive core government funding and relies on donations and membership fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CCR Membership Annual membership for Canadian refugee-serving nonprofit organizations and other eligible individuals or organizations, providing access to the CCR network, information sharing, advocacy participation, professional development, and member resources; full nonprofit members have voting rights.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered significant and minor.

• OCASI (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants)significantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024OCASI contributed to the Francisco Rico-Martinez Access to Justice Award fund, supporting projects advancing access to justice for refugees and migrants in Canada.
• Sojourn HouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Sojourn House contributed to the Francisco Rico-Martinez Access to Justice Award fund.
• Romero HouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Romero House contributed to the Francisco Rico-Martinez Access to Justice Award fund.
• CanadaHelpssignificantTechnology or IntegrationCanadaHelps processes securities donations and online donations for the CCR, providing a secure platform for charitable giving with automatic tax receipt generation.
• CanaDonsignificantTechnology or IntegrationCanaDon processes online donations, fundraising pages, and honor donations for the CCR. Also handles securities donations for the organization.
• Réseau des Organismes et Groupes de parrainage des réfugiés au Québec (ROGPRAQ)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerROGPRAQ jointly organized webinars with CCR, such as the Private Sponsorship Refusals webinar, demonstrating collaboration on refugee sponsorship issues in Quebec.
• UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNHCR participates in CCR's annual consultations, contributing to international collaboration on refugee protection and resettlement issues.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society): International Jewish humanitarian organization providing refugee resettlement and advocacy. Comparable as a long-standing refugee-focused organization engaging in advocacy and resettlement support, though with a different community-specific origin.
• UNHCR Canada: Canadian office of the UN Refugee Agency. Operates in the same refugee protection space and participates in CCR consultations, but is a global intergovernmental organization rather than an NGO coalition.
• Canadian Red Cross: Major Canadian humanitarian organization with refugee-related programming. Comparable as a large independent humanitarian body engaged in refugee support, but operating at materially larger scale and broader scope.
• Amnesty International Canada: Canadian branch of a global human rights organization. Comparable as a high-profile independent advocacy body that intervenes on refugee rights, though its mandate is much broader than refugee-specific policy.
• International Rescue Committee: Global humanitarian organization providing emergency relief and refugee resettlement. Comparable mission on refugee resettlement and protection, though operating at much larger international scale and with direct service delivery.

Direct peers

• Refuge (UK): U.K. charity providing specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic violence and other refugees. Comparable as a refugee-focused advocacy and service organization with national scope.
• Refugee Council of Australia: Australia's national umbrella body for refugee advocacy. Direct structural peer as a country-level coalition advancing refugee protection and settlement policy.
• Refugee Council USA: U.S. national coalition coordinating refugee advocacy organizations. Closest international structural analogue to CCR — a membership-based umbrella body focused on refugee rights and resettlement policy.
• OCASI (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants): Provincial umbrella body coordinating immigrant-serving NGOs in Ontario. Highly comparable as a membership-based coordinating coalition in the same refugee/immigrant advocacy space, though geographically narrower.
• FCJ Refugee Centre: Toronto-based refugee service organization co-founded by former CCR President Francisco Rico-Martinez. Directly comparable as a frontline refugee advocacy and service provider in Canada, and historically linked to CCR leadership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ccrweb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-council-for-refugees
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccrweb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Canadian Council for Refugees