What Ottawa Sooners (2015) Foundation does

The Ottawa Sooners (2015) Foundation is a registered Canadian non-profit organization that operates the Ottawa Sooners Football Club, an Ottawa-based community junior football program competing in the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) and Ontario Football Conference (OFC). Founded in 1960, the organization serves junior-eligible athletes (primarily ages 17-22), including graduating high school players, CEGEP participants, Algonquin College student-athletes, and university transfers, with a documented pathway producing 100+ CFL alumni and four National Championships (1974, 1979, 1984, 1992). The core product portfolio centers on the CJFL competitive program, augmented by the Battle of the Border international showcase, Senior Men's football (paused for 2026), Sooners Summer development sessions, structured tryouts and training camps, and an alumni registry with AI-assisted profile submission. Supporting infrastructure includes billeting for out-of-town athletes, a volunteer and game-day operations program, and youth/community development initiatives (food drives, clothing drives, partnerships with Ottawa Mission and Shepherds of Good Hope).

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: tiered corporate sponsorships ranging from Bronze ($500-$1,999) to Platinum ($10,000+); player registration fees of $700 per athlete for the 2026 CJFL season; tax-credit-eligible foundation donations and a Legacy Endowment Fund with tiers from $25,000 (Founding Legacy Partner) to $1,000,000+ (Orange & Black Legacy Circle); and game-day ticket sales, fundraising events, and the Pack The Park 4000 attendance campaign. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via TeamLinkt and SportsEngine registration platforms, with CJFL TV handling national streaming. The organization is governed by Kevin Ling (President & General Manager), newly appointed Head Coach Josh Sacobie (April 2026), and an Advisory Council with recently appointed members Chuck Najm (Strategic Legacy & Financial Sustainability) and Norm Odjick (Indigenous Community Liaison). Technology infrastructure is minimal: a Next.js-based public website with admin login, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X), and a single AI feature (auto-complete on alumni profile submissions). The technology stack is operational rather than product-differentiating, and the organization is volunteer-driven with 1-10 staff operating on an annual budget of approximately $100,000-$200,000.

Name

Ottawa Sooners (2015) Foundation

Legal name

Ottawa Sooners Football Club

Website

https://ottawasooners.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ottawa Sooners (2015) Foundation is a Canadian non-profit that operates a CJFL junior football program in Ottawa, serving athletes aged 17-22 with pathways to university and professional football, funded via player fees, tiered corporate sponsorships, donations, and a legacy endowment fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur / Junior Football Program Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Junior football program
• Amateur athlete development
• Community sports club
• Youth football training
• Non-profit football foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Stittsville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Foundation partnership tiers from Bronze ($500-$1,999) to Platinum ($10,000+) providing brand visibility, logo placement, social media recognition, game day signage, and tax receipts for charitable donations
2. Player Registration & Season Fees: 2026 CJFL Regular Season total fees of $700 per player, including $100 non-refundable registration fee plus $600 in installment payments, covering equipment loan, practice fields, officials, and banquet
3. Player Sponsorship: Individual athlete sponsorship contributions applied toward player's seasonal team fees, managed through the Ottawa Sooners Football Foundation, CJFL-compliant to preserve amateur status
4. Foundation Donations: Tax-credit eligible charitable donations through annual giving, legacy endowment fund (ranging from $25,000 Founding Legacy Partner to $1,000,000+ Orange & Black Legacy Circle), supporting athlete development, education, and community programming
5. Ticket Sales & Fundraising Events: Game day tickets, corporate challenge packages ($500-$5,000+), alumni registration, and Pack The Park 4000 campaign supporting player development, equipment, travel, and foundation programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Ottawa Sooners (2015) Foundation supports the Ottawa Sooners Football Club in operating an elite junior football program within the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) and Ontario Football Conference (OFC). The Club fields a competitive team for athletes aged roughly 17–22, runs structured tryouts, training camps, and free summer development sessions, and provides billeting housing for out-of-town student-athletes. The Foundation administers tax-receipted charitable fundraising through tiered corporate sponsorships, player sponsorships, donations, and a multi-tier Legacy Endowment Fund to underwrite athlete development, equipment, travel, and community programs.

Product overview

The Ottawa Sooners Football Club operates as a community-based junior football organization with a multi-product portfolio. The core offering is the CJFL Program - elite Canadian Junior Football League competition providing a pathway to university and professional football. Supporting programs include the Senior Men's Football program (returning 2027), the Battle of the Border international showcase, and various player development initiatives (Tryouts, Main Camp, Mini Camp, Sooners Summer Sessions). The organization provides player registration services, game broadcasts via CJFL TV, an Alumni Registry with AI-powered profile submission, and a Billeting Program for player housing. Community engagement is delivered through volunteer programs, game day operations staff, and support staff opportunities. The Ottawa Sooners Foundation administers fundraising through Legacy Endowment Fund, Player Sponsorship, Corporate Sponsorship packages, and the Pack The Park 4000 campaign. All programs are supported by an Advisory Council and operational support staff positions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CJFL Junior Football Program Elite Canadian Junior Football League program for athletes aged 17–22 competing at the national level, providing structured athlete development with a documented pathway to U SPORTS, NCAA, and the CFL.
• Senior Men's Football (NFC) Program Senior men's football program historically representing Ottawa; currently in a strategic reorganization period with planned return for the 2027 season.
• Battle of the Border International Showcase International Canada vs USA football showcase event in which the Ottawa Sooners compete against American college programs to represent Canadian football on a national stage.
• Sooners Summer Sessions Free Monday-night football development sessions running June through July at Brewer Park in Ottawa, open to all skill levels and hosted by Head Coach Josh Sacobie.
• Tryouts and Training Camps (Open Tryouts, Mini Camp, Main Camp) Structured multi-phase player evaluation pathway comprising open tryouts, combine-style assessments, an invite-only Mini Camp at the Ottawa Mega Dome, and a full Main Camp producing final roster and travel-roster decisions.
• 2026 CJFL Player Registration Package (Earn The S) Complete CJFL registration package including league registration, identification verification, health card upload, CCES anti-doping education, Football Ontario insurance, and the off-season Earn The S testing athletes must complete to earn roster positions. Total 2026 season fees are $700 per player ($100 non-refundable base + $600 in four installments).
• Billeting Program (Player Housing) Housing support program connecting out-of-town athletes with billet families, including a work-for-housing arrangement with ATH SPORTS / Power Muscle Fitness that lets players offset housing costs through community outreach, facility maintenance, game-day operations, and ATH SPORTS business operations.
• Alumni Registry Searchable official alumni directory allowing lookup by name, position, era, or role, with an AI-powered auto-complete feature that assists alumni in submitting their playing career profiles by suggesting positions, years, and jersey numbers from free-text descriptions.
• Game Broadcasts via CJFL TV Live and archived game broadcasts of Ottawa Sooners home and away games delivered through CJFL TV, the official streaming platform of the Canadian Junior Football League.
• Corporate Sponsorship Packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) Foundation partnership levels — Bronze ($500–$1,999), Silver ($2,000–$4,999), Gold ($5,000–$9,999), and Platinum ($10,000+) — providing brand visibility, logo placement on team website and digital game day materials, social media recognition, on-field signage, public address announcements, complimentary season tickets, and tax receipts for eligible contributions.
• Player Sponsorship Program Individual-athlete sponsorship channel managed through the Ottawa Sooners Football Foundation, applying contributions toward a specific player's seasonal team fees and program costs while preserving the athlete's CJFL amateur status.
• Conference and Game Sponsorship Categories Specific game-day sponsorship categories — Conference, League, Game, Halftime, TV Timeout, and Quarter Sponsors — with category-specific recognition benefits offered to corporate partners.
• Legacy Endowment Fund Planned giving and endowment program with six tiers — Founding Legacy Partner ($25,000+), Bronze ($50,000+), Silver ($100,000+), Gold ($250,000+), Platinum ($500,000+), and Orange & Black Legacy Circle ($1,000,000+) — creating a permanent funding source for athlete development, education, leadership programming, and community initiatives.
• Pack The Park 4000 Campaign Attendance-record community campaign aiming to surpass the existing OFC attendance record at the August 15, 2026 home opener at TD Place Stadium, offering individual fundraising tiers, corporate challenge packages ($500–$5,000+), alumni registration, and a youth football challenge.
• Volunteer Program (Game Day Operations, Support Staff, Community) Organized volunteer engagement offering game day staff positions modeled on CFL/CJFL standards (fan services, gate operations, security, game presentation, concessions, media, field operations, statistics) and support staff opportunities (equipment manager, photographer/videographer, social media coordinator, athletic trainer assistant, statistics analyst, team administrator, youth program coordinator, Operations Manager, Registrar, Volunteer Coordinator, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Player Housing & Support Manager, Chief Statistician, Quality Control Manager).
• Community Programs (Food Banks, Homelessness Support, Youth Development) Community-facing initiatives including annual Thanksgiving food drives with Ottawa Food Banks, clothing drives with the Ottawa Mission and Shepherds of Good Hope, youth football development camps, and the Sooners Summer performance and wellness partnership with Power Muscle Fitness.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ CFL alumni developed from the program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Power Muscle FitnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership with Power Muscle Fitness for performance and wellness programs, promoting athletic excellence and community wellness. Power Muscle Fitness is a campaign sponsor for Pack The Park 4000 initiative, providing support for player development and athletic training.
• TD Place StadiumcoreOthersHome venue partnership with TD Place Stadium (1015 Bank St, Ottawa) for home games including August 15, 2026 home opener. TD Place Partner corporate sponsorship tier ($5,000+) includes on-field recognition and sponsor wall inclusion.
• Gee-Gees Field (University of Ottawa)coreOthersPractice and home game venue for regular season games. Gee-Gees Field provides access to university-level athletic facilities supporting both CJFL program and Battle of the Border Canada vs USA showcase.
• TeamLinktcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial registration and ticketing platform partner. Players register through TeamLinkt for tryouts, season registration, and game tickets. Also used for volunteer registration and billet family applications.
• SportsEngine (CJFL)coreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial CJFL registration system through SportsEngine for player registration, identification verification, health card upload, and eligibility documentation for the 2026 season.
• CJFL TVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial streaming platform partner for live and archived game broadcasts. CJFL TV distributes Ottawa Sooners games to national audience, increasing program visibility and fan engagement.
• Ottawa Mission and Shepherds of Good HopeminorOthersAnnual clothing drives and donations supporting homelessness and essential needs in Ottawa community. Demonstrates organization's commitment to community service beyond football.
• ATH SPORTS / Power Muscle Fitness (Billeting Work Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWork-for-housing arrangement partners providing player billeting opportunities. Players complete community outreach, facility maintenance, game-day operations, and ATH SPORTS business operations to offset housing costs.
• Ottawa Food BanksminorOthersAnnual Thanksgiving food drives delivering thousands of dollars worth of food items to local food banks, supporting community food security initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vancouver Island Raiders: A CJFL BCFC junior football program operating under the same national league framework. Directly comparable in team structure, sponsorship tiers, and community-athlete development mission.
• Edmonton Huskies: A CJFL prairie-conference junior football program with a similar community-club model, multi-tier sponsorship structure, and player development focus. Directly comparable in scale, operations, and league participation.
• Hamilton Hurricanes: CJFL/OFC program referenced directly in Ottawa Sooners materials (the Hurricanes hold the existing OFC attendance record of 3,510 that Ottawa is targeting to break). Direct on-field competitor and structurally similar Ontario-based amateur club.
• Kamloops Broncos: A CJFL junior football club in Western Canada with a similar non-profit, community-based structure and athlete development pipeline. Comparable in operating scale, league tier, and fundraising approach.
• Langley Rams: A CJFL BCFC junior football program with a parallel community-club structure, tiered sponsorship model, and youth-to-university athlete development mandate. Direct competitor in the broader Canadian junior football ecosystem.
• Regina Thunder: A CJFL prairie-conference junior football club with a comparable community-led operating model, sponsorship-driven revenue mix, and emphasis on athlete progression toward U SPORTS and CFL pathways.
• St. Clair College Saints: Named as the Ottawa Sooners' August 15, 2026 home opener opponent at TD Place Stadium. A direct CJFL competitor fielding a community-based junior football program with comparable recruitment and sponsorship structures.
• Saskatoon Hilltops: A long-standing CJFL powerhouse and multiple-time Canadian National Champion based in Saskatchewan. Directly comparable to the Ottawa Sooners as a community-based junior football club competing in the same national league with the same athlete development mandate.

Others

• University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Football: U SPORTS football program whose home venue (Gee-Gees Field) the Ottawa Sooners use for games and practice. A pipeline partner rather than competitor — Sooners players commonly progress to U SPORTS programs including the Gee-Gees.

Broad incumbents

• Ottawa Redblacks: The CFL professional football club based in Ottawa sharing TD Place Stadium with the Sooners. A broader incumbent in the same city and venue — overlaps in audience and corporate sponsor pool but operates at a far larger, professional commercial scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ottawa-sooners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ottawa Sooners (2015) Foundation