Working For Change
Working For Change is a Toronto-based nonprofit operating social enterprises (cafes, catering, landscaping) and training programs that provide supportive, trauma-informed employment for people with lived experience of mental health, addiction, homelessness, and trauma.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Working For Change does
Working For Change is a Toronto-based nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1994 (originally as the Ontario Council of Alternative Businesses) that operates a portfolio of Work Integration Social Enterprises providing supportive, trauma-informed employment for people with lived experience of mental health challenges, addiction, homelessness, trauma, gender-based violence, incarceration, and refugee histories. The organization runs three core social enterprises: Out of This World Cafe (two retail cafes and two kiosks operating within CAMH for 19 years), The Raging Spoon (a GTA catering enterprise operating for 16+ years), and Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises (an eco-landscaping and streetscaping social enterprise serving Toronto BIAs, hospitals, and nonprofits since 2001). It also operates two leadership training programs, Voices from the Street (currently on hiatus) and Women Speak Out, which channel graduates into employment within its own social enterprises or external organizations.
The organization generates revenue through two streams: (1) commercial income from its social enterprises (food services and landscaping/horticulture), which is reinvested directly into staff wages and supports, and (2) government and charitable funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health, ECHO, and the Toronto Enterprise Fund. Customer segments span healthcare (CAMH and other hospitals), Business Improvement Areas (Parkdale Village, Dundas West, Roncesvalles, College Promenade), nonprofits, and private sector clients seeking catering, landscaping, and streetscaping services. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on referrals from community organizations, health agencies, advocacy networks, and word of mouth rather than commercial sales infrastructure.
The organization operates independently under community-led governance with an Executive Director (Anita Prasad) and a Board of Directors, and does not have a parent company. It employs 55-60 people with lived experience in its social enterprises and has trained 150+ people over the past three years across food service, landscaping, peer relief, and shelter work programs.
Working For Change firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Working For Change
- Legal name
- Working For Change
- Website
- https://workingforchange.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Working For Change is a Toronto-based nonprofit operating social enterprises (cafes, catering, landscaping) and training programs that provide supportive, trauma-informed employment for people with lived experience of mental health, addiction, homelessness, and trauma.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Working For Change industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Work-Integration Social Enterprise Services
- NAICS
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Caterers (72232), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Labor, Worker Rights & Employment Policy Advocacy (BPAGAFAH)
Keywords
Where Working For Change is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Working For Change business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Food Services Revenue: Revenue generated from two retail cafe locations (Out of This World Cafe), catering services, and the Raging Spoon catering enterprise. Revenue goes directly into staff wages and supports.
- Landscaping/Horticulture Services: Revenue from Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises providing plant maintenance, landscaping and streetscaping services to BIAs, nonprofits, hospitals, and private sector clients.
- Government and Charitable Funding: Funding from government sources (Ontario Ministry of Health) and charitable organizations (ECHO, Toronto Enterprise Fund) to support training programs and operational costs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Working For Change product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Working For Change owns and operates work-integration social enterprises that deliver food services (Out of This World Cafe retail locations and The Raging Spoon catering) and landscaping/horticulture services (Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises) to BIAs, hospitals, nonprofits, and private-sector clients. It also runs two leadership training programs — Voices from the Street and Women Speak Out — that prepare people with lived experience of marginalization for employment and advocacy roles.
Product overview
Working For Change is a social enterprise organization operating a portfolio of three distinct social enterprises (Out of This World Cafe, The Raging Spoon, and Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises) that provide supportive, trauma-informed employment for people with lived experience of mental health, addiction, homelessness, trauma, gender-based violence, incarceration, and refugee histories. These enterprises operate in two sectors: Food Services (cafes and catering) and Landscaping/Horticulture. The organization also runs two training programs—Voices from the Street and Women Speak Out—that provide leadership development and advocacy skills. The social enterprises generate revenue that funds staff wages and supports, creating a self-sustaining model where training program graduates often transition into employment within the organization's enterprises.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Out of This World Cafe Social purpose enterprise operating within CAMH, providing 2 retail cafes, 2 kiosks, and catering services. Offers stable, supportive employment for people with lived experience of mental health, addiction, homelessness, trauma, gender-based violence, criminal justice, and refugee histories. Serves CAMH patients, staff, survivors, and the surrounding neighbourhood community.
- The Raging Spoon Catering enterprise serving the Greater Toronto Area, providing jobs for those with mental health/addiction concerns in food service. Offers diverse appetizers, entrees, desserts, and custom catering for events, meetings, and conferences serving west-end and central Toronto.
- Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises Award-winning eco-landscaping social enterprise providing climate change responsive plant maintenance, landscaping, and streetscaping services to Business Improvement Areas, nonprofits, hospitals, and community organizations in Toronto. Won TABIA Streetscaping Awards in 2014 and 2018.
- Voices from the Street Leadership training program providing economically, politically, and socially marginalized individuals an opportunity to bring their voices and perspectives to decision-making bodies. Includes a Speakers Bureau and advocacy training, with graduates serving on community boards and advisory councils.
- Women Speak Out A 12-week leadership training program using a gender lens to explore social justice issues. Graduates participate in advisory committees, community boards, and the Speakers Bureau to inform policy and systems-level change.
Quantifiable outcome
- 68,000 meals provided to those experiencing homelessness
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Working For Change
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Working For Change technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Working For Change partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)coreAnchor partner hosting Out of This World Cafe locations within CAMH facility. CAMH is the largest mental health and addictions facility in Canada. Partnership provides employment opportunities for Consumer/Survivors and creates a model for community integration and building resilience into recovery.
- Parkdale Village Business Improvement AreacoreFirst contract in 2001; ongoing client for eco-landscaping and streetscaping services.
- Dundas West BIAmajorClimate change responsive plant maintenance and landscaping services.
- Roncesvalles BIAmajorEco-landscaping and streetscaping services.
- College Promenade BIAmajorStreetscaping and plant maintenance services.
- Community Partners NetworkcoreIncludes PARC, 519 Church Street Community Centre, Sistering, Habitat Services, WomanACT, Gerstein Centre, TDIN, PeerZone, and other organizations supporting the community.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Working For Change competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- United Way Greater Toronto: Toronto-area funding and coordinating body for social-services and workforce-development nonprofits. Comparable ecosystem role as a major funder and convener for the same population served by WFC.
- Sherbourne Health Centre: Toronto health and social-services organization serving marginalized populations including newcomers, LGBTQ+, and people with mental health challenges. Adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct social-enterprise competitor.
Direct peers
- Fred Victor: Toronto nonprofit operating social enterprises (including a cafe and thrift/social-enterprise ventures) and employment programs for people experiencing homelessness, mental health, and poverty. Closely comparable model, geography, and target population.
- A-Way Express Courier Services: Toronto social enterprise providing courier and moving services employing people with mental health and addiction histories. Comparable as a Toronto-based work-integration social enterprise serving a similar participant population.
- Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth: Toronto-based nonprofit running social enterprises (including a cafe and catering) that employ and transition homeless and at-risk youth. Directly comparable in geography, social-enterprise model, and mission of using earned-revenue businesses to deliver employment outcomes.
- Common Grounds (Philadelphia): US-based cafe-style social enterprise employing people with mental health histories. Mirrors the Out of This World Cafe model in both business format (cafe/catering) and participant population (mental health lived experience).
- Goodwill Industries (Canada): Goodwill operates work-integration social enterprises across Canada providing employment and training for people facing barriers to work. Highly comparable to WFC's supportive-employment social-enterprise model, though at much larger national scale.
Regional players
- The Mustard Seed (Calgary): Calgary-based nonprofit operating social enterprises (catering, retail, food services) that employ people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Same social-enterprise-to-employment model, but in a different Western Canadian market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks2 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Working For Change social profiles
Digital presenceWorking For Change financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Working For Change leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles21 records
Working For Change subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Working For Change funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Working For Change M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Working For Change
What does Working For Change do?
Working For Change owns and operates work-integration social enterprises that deliver food services (Out of This World Cafe retail locations and The Raging Spoon catering) and landscaping/horticulture services (Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises) to BIAs, hospitals, nonprofits, and private-sector clients. It also runs two leadership training programs — Voices from the Street and Women Speak Out — that prepare people with lived experience of marginalization for employment and advocacy roles.
Is Working For Change a public or private company?
Working For Change is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Working For Change founded?
Working For Change was founded in 1994.
Where is Working For Change based?
Working For Change is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Working For Change make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Food Services Revenue is the primary driver. The others are landscaping/Horticulture Services and government and Charitable Funding.
Who are Working For Change's main competitors?
Others on record are United Way Greater Toronto and Sherbourne Health Centre. Direct peers are Fred Victor, A-Way Express Courier Services, Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth, Common Grounds (Philadelphia) and Goodwill Industries (Canada). The Mustard Seed (Calgary) is listed as a regional player.
Does Working For Change have an API?
No public API is recorded for Working For Change.
What industry is Working For Change in?
Working For Change's product category is Work-Integration Social Enterprise Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAB, Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement), with a secondary code of BPAGAFAH, Labor, Worker Rights & Employment Policy Advocacy. Its NAICS code is 6243 and its SIC code is 8300.