Steer Friends

What Steer Friends does

Steer Friends is a registered Canadian charity (778679712RR0001) that operates a day program for youth and adults with physical and developmental disabilities and complex care needs, including individuals with cerebral palsy, autism, and genetic or seizure disorders. Founded in 2018 in a Markham church, the organization now runs its core program from a single facility at 30 Innovator Avenue, Unit 6, Stouffville, Ontario, serving 20 individuals per day with a waitlist exceeding 40 people. The program integrates therapeutic and recreational activities — music therapy, sensory-based learning, pet therapy, art expression, culinary activities, community outings, and Challenger Baseball (delivered in partnership with Jays Care, Little League Canada, and Baseball Canada) — alongside structured life-skills and social-stimulation components.

The organization's business model is a hybrid of program fees (recurring but not publicly priced) and a donations-and-fundraising model that includes individual giving, community-hosted third-party fundraisers, and a flagship annual Automotive Festival (Steering for Steer Friends) that raised $130,000 in 2025 and is described as the funding backbone of the organization. Go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-family: outreach occurs through volunteer networks, disability-organization partnerships, co-op field placement programs with colleges and universities, and word-of-mouth referrals from families and caregivers across York Region and the GTA. The organization is led by Executive Director Jacqueline Hall-Fusco and Program Manager Lisa-Marie Ciccia, and is governed as a nonprofit with no parent company, private equity backing, or institutional investors identified.

Name

Steer Friends

Legal name

Steer Friends

Website

https://steerfriends.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Steer Friends is a registered Canadian charity operating a single-site day program in Stouffville, Ontario, serving 20 youth and adults with physical and developmental disabilities across York Region and the GTA through therapeutic, recreational, and community-integration activities funded by donations and an annual automotive festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Day Programs

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Therapeutic Adult Day Programs (PT/OT/SLP, Cognitive Rehab) (HSABANAF), Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK)

Keywords

• Disability day programs
• Therapeutic recreation services
• Developmental disability support
• Community-based rehabilitation
• Adult day care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stouffville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals, community members, and supporters. Online donation processing through secure third-party payment processor.
2. Third-party Fundraising Events: Community-hosted fundraisers and events. Third party events are described as the funding backbone of the organization. Major annual event is the Steering for Steer Friends Automotive Festival.
3. Program Fees: Day program enrollment fees from clients/families. Contact for enrollment options and fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Steer Friends delivers a therapeutic day program for youth and adults with physical and developmental disabilities and complex care needs, serving 20 individuals daily from its Stouffville, Ontario facility. The program integrates client-specific activities spanning life skills, art, music, fitness, sensory-based learning, pet therapy, culinary activities, community outings, and adaptive Challenger Baseball. Supporting offerings include a volunteer program, co-op field placements for health and social service students, and a third-party fundraiser hosting program, with the annual Steering for Steer Friends Automotive Festival serving as the primary fundraising initiative.

Product overview

Steer Friends is a registered charity providing a unified day program for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities and complex care needs. The core offering is the Day Program, which integrates multiple therapeutic and recreational activities including Music Therapy, Sensory-Based Learning, Pet Therapy, Art Expression, Culinary Fun, Community Outings, and Challenger Baseball. Supporting services include volunteer coordination, co-op field placement opportunities for students in health and social service programs, and third-party fundraiser hosting. The organization's primary annual fundraiser is the Steering for Steer Friends Automotive Festival. Founded in 2018, the organization serves York Region and the GTA from its Stouffville location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Steering for Steer Friends: Annual automotive festival fundraiser for Steer Friends, featuring indoor and outdoor show vehicles, vendors, and community partners

Products and services

• Steer Friends Day Program Therapeutic day program providing support to youth and adults with physical and developmental disabilities and complex care needs, offering client-specific activities including life skills, art, music, fitness, sensory learning, pet therapy, culinary activities, community outings, and Challenger Baseball. Delivered in-person at the Stouffville facility to families across York Region and the GTA.
• Steering for Steer Friends Automotive Festival Annual charity car show and primary fundraising initiative featuring indoor and outdoor show vehicles, vendors, and community entertainment to support Steer Friends programs; the 2024 edition raised $130,000 and welcomed over 1,500 spectators with 500+ show vehicles.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities supporting weekly day programs, administrative tasks, and fundraising initiatives for community members interested in supporting individuals with disabilities.
• Co-Op Field Placement Program Field placement opportunities for college and university students in programs including Occupational Therapy, Developmental Service Worker, Social Service Worker, Nursing, Personal Support Worker, Child and Youth Care, and Therapeutic Recreation.
• Third-Party Fundraiser Hosting Program enabling community members to host their own fundraisers and direct proceeds to Steer Friends, described as the funding backbone of the organization.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Little League CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChallenger Baseball is run in partnership with Little League Canada and Baseball Canada. This adaptive baseball program is specifically designed to empower individuals living with physical and/or cognitive disabilities.
• Baseball CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChallenger Baseball is run in partnership with Little League Canada and Baseball Canada. This adaptive baseball program is specifically designed to empower individuals living with physical and/or cognitive disabilities.
• Jays CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChallenger Baseball is Jays Care's adaptive baseball program, run in partnership with Little League Canada and Baseball Canada.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/steerfriends
• Facebookfacebook.com/steerfriends
• Instagraminstagram.com/steerfriends
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steer-friends

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Steer Friends