Els For Autism Canada

What Els For Autism Canada does

Els For Autism Canada is a registered Canadian public charity (CRA Charitable Business Number 832050447RR0001) founded in 2013 as a Canadian affiliate of the Els for Autism Foundation, itself established in 2009 by professional golfer Ernie Els and his wife Liezl Els following their son Ben's autism diagnosis. The organization is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, and operates with a small paid staff supplemented by a volunteer Board of Directors. Its mission is to help people diagnosed on the autism spectrum in Canada live healthy, productive lives, operating through four interconnected programs: (1) Golf Challenge Events — four annual regional golf fundraising tournaments held in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal, plus a Grand Finale at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida; (2) the Ernie Els #GameON Autism Golf Program, developed with PGA Reach and The First Tee, providing golf clinics to youth on the autism spectrum ages 6-23; (3) a Grants Program that distributes funds to Canadian autism-serving non-profits, with a geographic fund-matching rule that keeps funds raised in each province within that province (currently active in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec); and (4) an Affiliate Events Program enabling community-organized fundraisers including runs, galas, bike races, and crowdfunding campaigns.

The organization's revenue model is multi-stream and event-driven: corporate sponsorship tiers ranging from $1,000 Hole Sponsor to $50,000 VIP National Sponsor; individual one-time and monthly donations processed through an Akaraisin donation platform; registration fees and participant fundraising from golf tournaments; and proceeds from third-party affiliate events. SAP serves as National Sponsor with employee executives chairing each regional event, and PwC, KPMG, Bell Canada, OpenText, and Coveo round out the 2026 sponsor roster. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight — a Wix-hosted marketing site, the Akaraisin donation platform, and an E-Learning webinar series covering six focus areas on autism spectrum disorder — and there is no proprietary software product or AI-driven capability. Supporting infrastructure includes active social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), email marketing to sponsors and donors, and earned media around events and milestones such as Rickie Fowler's reported $1M hole-in-one for the charity. In 2022 the organization distributed over $250,000 in grants to Canadian autism organizations, and the 14th annual Golf Challenge series is scheduled for 2026.

Name

Els For Autism Canada

Legal name

Els for Autism Canada

Website

https://elsforautismcanada.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Els For Autism Canada is a Calgary-based Canadian charity founded in 2013 that raises funds through annual Golf Challenge events across four provinces and distributes grants to Canadian autism-serving non-profits, while also running the #GameON Autism golf program for youth on the spectrum ages 6-23.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Non-Profit / Charitable Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Autism nonprofit services
• Golf fundraising events
• Community grant programs
• Autism awareness advocacy
• Charity sponsorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts one-time and monthly donations from individuals. Donations support Canadian autism organizations and programs.
2. Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsorships at various levels (Hole Sponsor $1,000-$1,500, Bronze $2,500, Silver $5,000, Gold $10,000, Platinum $25,000, Titanium $30,000, VIP National $50,000) for golf challenge events.
3. Affiliate Event Fundraising: Third-party events organized by individuals and organizations that raise funds for the organization. Events include golf days, runs, car races, tennis tournaments, bike races, bowling, galas, concerts, and crowdfunding.
4. Golf Challenge Event Revenue: Registration fees and fundraising from the Golf Challenge series of four regional events across Canada plus a Grand Finale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Els For Autism Canada is a Canadian public charity that raises funds through an annual series of regional Golf Challenge events, then distributes those funds as grants to autism-serving non-profits across Canada (with funds remaining in the province where raised). In parallel, the organization delivers the Ernie Els #GameON Autism golf program for autistic youth ages 6-23, supports community-driven affiliate fundraising events, and provides free e-learning webinars on autism topics.

Product overview

Els for Autism Canada operates as a nonprofit charitable organization rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings consist of four interconnected programs: (1) Golf Challenge Events — regional golf tournaments held annually across Canada that serve as the primary fundraising mechanism; (2) Ernie Els #GameON Autism Golf Program — a specialized golf initiative for youth ages 6-23 on the autism spectrum developed with PGA Reach and The First Tee; (3) Grants Program — distributing raised funds to Canadian autism organizations with geographic fund-matching; and (4) Affiliate Events Program — enabling community-driven fundraising events. Supporting services include E-Learning/Webinars on autism topics and an Online Donation Platform. The organization does not offer a technology product in the traditional SaaS sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ernie Els #GameON Autism: An innovative golf program developed by Els for Autism in collaboration with PGA Reach and The First Tee that gives children and young adults on the autism spectrum, ages 6-23, access to the game of golf. The program is aimed at developing life skills, encouraging social interaction and promoting healthy living through golf.

Products and services

• Golf Challenge Events

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $250,000 distributed to autism organizations in 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered national sponsor, core, regional host, flagship, silver sponsor, bronze sponsor and hole sponsor.

• SAPnational sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSAP is the National Sponsor for Els for Autism Canada's Golf Challenge series. SAP employees serve as Golf Challenge Chairs for regional events including Andy Cobbold (Vancouver), Sarah Kennedy and Brian Moore (Calgary), Michelle Zorn and Kevin Spencer (Toronto), and Danny Levesque (Montreal).
• PGA ReachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPGA Reach collaborated with Els for Autism and The First Tee to develop the Ernie Els #GameON Autism program, which provides golf access to children and young adults with autism.
• The First TeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe First Tee partnered with Els for Autism and PGA Reach to develop the Ernie Els #GameON Autism program for youth on the autism spectrum.
• Richmond Country Clubregional hostChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for the Vancouver Golf Challenge event scheduled for June 15th, 2026.
• Mickelson National Golf Clubregional hostChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for the Calgary Golf Challenge event scheduled for August 24th, 2026.
• Cedar Brae Golf Clubregional hostChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for the Toronto Golf Challenge event scheduled for July 16th, 2026.
• Golf Saint Raphaëlregional hostChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for the Montreal Golf Challenge event scheduled for September 22nd, 2026.
• The Breakers Palm BeachflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for the 2026 Grand Finale scheduled for November 2-4, 2026, featuring Welcome Party, Awards Ceremony, and Gala Celebration.
• PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)silver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor for the 2026 Golf Challenge series.
• KPMGbronze sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor for the 2026 Golf Challenge series.
• Bell Canadasilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor for the 2026 Golf Challenge series.
• Coveohole sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerHole sponsor for the 2026 Golf Challenge series.
• OpenTexthole sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerHole sponsor for the 2026 Golf Challenge series.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Canucks Autism Network: British Columbia-based autism nonprofit providing sports, recreation, and social programs — including golf — for individuals with autism. Comparable in adaptive-sports program delivery and recipient base, and is an existing Els for Autism Canada grantee.
• Geneva Centre for Autism: Toronto-based autism services nonprofit providing social skills programs and counselling. Comparable as a Canadian autism services provider and multi-year Els for Autism Canada grant recipient.
• Autism Speaks Canada: Canadian affiliate of one of the largest autism advocacy nonprofits in North America. Directly comparable in mission (support for autistic individuals and families) and fundraising approach (corporate sponsorships, signature events, donor-driven grants).
• Special Olympics Canada: National organization providing adaptive sports training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities, including many on the autism spectrum. Comparable as an adaptive-sports nonprofit leveraging corporate partnerships and signature events for fundraising.
• Autism Canada: National Canadian autism organization focused on advocacy, awareness, and resource provision. Comparable in pan-Canadian mission scope and educational content delivery (webinars, resources) similar to Els for Autism Canada's E-Learning platform.
• Pacific Autism Family Network: British Columbia-based autism services network providing programs, resources, and family support. Comparable in provincial autism service delivery and potential grantee relationship with Els for Autism Canada.
• Autism Okanagan: British Columbia interior autism services nonprofit that was seeded by an initial Els for Autism Canada grant. Comparable as a regional autism services provider in the Canadian autism nonprofit ecosystem.
• PGA Reach Canada: The charitable arm of the PGA of Canada. Directly comparable as a golf-tied nonprofit driving adaptive-golf programming, and an existing strategic partner of Els for Autism Canada on the #GameON Autism program.

Broad incumbents

• Rick Hansen Foundation: Canadian disability-focused nonprofit founded by celebrity athlete Rick Hansen, providing accessibility and inclusion programming. Comparable as a celebrity-founded, sports-tied Canadian disability charity with corporate sponsorship and event-based fundraising models.
• The First Tee (Canada): Youth development organization introducing golf to young people, with a Canadian chapter active in adaptive programming. Comparable as a youth-golf nonprofit co-developing adaptive programs and a strategic partner of Els for Autism Canada.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EFACanada
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnz7HxPcl3SINmJxuSLbPhA
• Facebookfacebook.com/E4ACanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elsforautism-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/elsforautismcanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Els For Autism Canada