Spectrum Mothers Support Society

What Spectrum Mothers Support Society does

Spectrum Mothers Support Society is a registered Canadian non-profit charity (CRA 843209735 RR 0001) founded in 2005 by pediatric nurse Sally Livingstone, headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The organization provides free, in-home one-on-one support services to mothers on the North Shore who are caring for children from newborn to five years old and who are experiencing difficult circumstances including postpartum depression and anxiety, isolation, financial hardship, or family crisis. Core service lines include the Caregiver and Mentor Program (trained women who provide practical childcare, companionship, and mentorship during scheduled in-home visits), a Doula service for pre- and post-partum support, and a Referral Services function that coordinates intake with over 20 partner agencies including Public Health Nurses, Canopy Midwives, Lions Gate Hospital maternity and pediatrics units, Family Services of the North Shore, and North Shore Crisis Services. No proprietary technology platform underpins delivery; the service model is fundamentally human-labor-based, with caregivers matched to families through agency referrals and direct community outreach.

The organization's go-to-market motion is community-led: clients are sourced primarily through professional referrals from healthcare and social service agencies, with awareness amplified via the website (spectrummothers.ca), a multi-platform social presence (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn), a monthly email newsletter, the "Word to the Moms" grassroots sticker campaign, and local media coverage. Revenue is generated entirely through charitable channels including individual donations (PayPal, CanadaHelps, cheque, bank deposit, securities), community foundation grants (North Shore Community Foundation, St Francis in the Wood Legacy Fund, Soroptimist International), fundraising events (annual Fall Fundraiser, golf tournament, bocce tournament, benefit concerts), and partnership-based fundraising such as Purdys chocolate percentage-of-sales. Pricing is structured as a freemium model with services free for eligible Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents on the North Shore, supplemented by a $25 annual voting membership tier. In 2025, the organization supported 82 mothers and 119 children, and it was recognized as Non-Profit of the Year by the North Van Chamber of Commerce. Leadership comprises Executive Director Rachael Durie, Program Director Anne Bethune, Founder/Program Manager Sally Livingstone, and a Board led by President Wendy Brown.

Name

Spectrum Mothers Support Society

Legal name

Spectrum Mothers Support Society

Website

https://spectrummothers.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spectrum Mothers Support Society is a North Vancouver-based non-profit charity founded in 2005 that provides free in-home caregiver, mentor, and doula support to North Shore mothers with children aged 0-5 experiencing crisis, postpartum depression, or isolation, funded by donations and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maternal and Family Social Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAC

Family & Parenting Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYHSAAAGAJ

Postpartum Family Helper (Non-Medical)

Home & Personal Services/Childcare, Babysitting & Nanny Services/Mother’s Helper & In-Home Child Supervision

SECONDARYHLAFAJAN

Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Women’s & Children’s Health Providers

SECONDARYBPAGACAF

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

Keywords

• Maternal support services
• In-home caregiver support
• Postpartum depression assistance
• Non-profit social services
• Doula and mentorship services

Headquarters

HQ city

North Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Spectrum receives donations from individuals through its website via PayPal, CanadaHelps, cheque, or bank deposit. Donations are tax-deductible for Canadian donors.
2. Foundation Grants: Spectrum receives grants from community foundations including North Shore Community Foundation and St Francis in the Wood Legacy Fund.
3. Fundraising Events: The organization holds annual fundraising events including fall fundraisers, golf tournaments, bocce tournaments, and benefit concerts to raise funds for caregiver services.
4. Community Partnerships: Spectrum receives support through community partnerships including percentage-of-sales programs (e.g., Purdys chocolate fundraiser where 25% of sales go to Spectrum).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Spectrum Mothers Support Society provides free, in-home caregiver and mentor support to North Shore mothers with children from newborn to five years old who are experiencing crisis, postpartum depression, isolation, or financial hardship. Services are delivered one-on-one by trained female caregivers and are supplemented by pre- and post-partum doula support, with client access coordinated through a network of over 20 referring healthcare and social service agencies.

Product overview

Spectrum Mothers Support Society is a non-profit charitable organization offering a coordinated suite of social support services for mothers in crisis on the North Shore of Vancouver. The organization operates an integrated service model centered on trained caregiver/mentor support, supplemented by doula services, agency referral coordination, and donation processing infrastructure. Services are provided free of charge to Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents with newborn to five-year-old children. The core service model pairs mothers with experienced caregivers who provide in-home support for several hours per week, while the organization maintains referral relationships with over 20 partner agencies to ensure holistic support. The Word to the Moms campaign represents a community awareness and fundraising initiative rather than a distinct product module.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spectrum Clients Support Services One-on-one in-home support services provided free of charge to mothers on the North Shore of Vancouver with children from newborn to five years old. Caregivers offer practical childcare assistance, companionship, and mentorship to isolated, overwhelmed, and struggling families, including those with low income, postpartum depression, or crisis situations.
• Caregiver and Mentor Program Trained and experienced caregivers and mentors (mothers themselves) who provide in-home friendship, encouragement, and practical assistance to mothers and children. Caregivers undergo criminal record checks and hold CPR certification.
• Doula Services
• Referral Coordination Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 82 mothers and 119 children supported in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Cause We CareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 May 2018Cause We Care provided Mother's Day hampers for Spectrum clients, partnering to provide practical support items to families in need.
• Universal Gospel ChoirminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 April 2017Universal Gospel Choir performed at a benefit concert supporting Spectrum, with proceeds going to the organization's caregiver program.
• Wendy and James Brown (Bocce Tournament)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 August 2014Wendy and James Brown hosted an annual Bocce Ball Tournament fundraiser for Spectrum, raising funds through community event participation.
• Public Health Nurses (VCH North Shore)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic Health nurses refer clients to Spectrum and work collaboratively to ensure mothers receive coordinated support. Nurses have expressed gratitude for the hands-on support Spectrum provides to their vulnerable clients.
• Canopy MidwivescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMidwives refer clients to Spectrum's services as part of comprehensive maternal care support.
• Family Services of the North ShorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily services agency refers clients in need of caregiver support to Spectrum's programs.
• North Shore Crisis ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrisis services organization refers mothers in crisis situations to Spectrum for support.
• Lions Gate Hospital (Pediatrics and Maternity Units)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital social workers and staff refer patients to Spectrum and coordinate care for mothers experiencing postpartum challenges.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Kids Help Phone: A national Canadian charity providing e-mental health support for young people. Thematically adjacent as a national non-profit addressing child and family wellbeing through supported-care delivery, though focused on youth rather than mothers.

Direct peers

• North Shore Crisis Services Society: Another core referral partner of Spectrum, providing crisis intervention and shelter services on the North Shore. Highly comparable as a regional non-profit serving women and families in crisis situations.
• Family Services of the North Shore: A North Shore non-profit providing family counselling, youth services, and support programs. One of Spectrum's core referral partners and directly comparable in serving vulnerable North Shore families with social support services.
• Pacific Postpartum Support Society: A Vancouver-based non-profit providing direct postpartum depression and maternal mental health support, peer support groups, and education across BC. Closely comparable to Spectrum's postpartum depression client base, geography, and non-medical support model.

Broad incumbents

• Healthy Families BC: A BC government-supported initiative providing maternal and child health information, resources, and program connections. Comparable target population (mothers with young children) but operates as an information/referral layer rather than direct service provider.
• YWCA Metro Vancouver: A large multi-service women's organization providing housing, child care, employment, and family support across Metro Vancouver. Comparable in mission of supporting women and mothers in crisis, though with much broader service portfolio and scale.
• Nurse-Family Partnership: An internationally replicated nurse-led home visiting program for first-time mothers facing adversity. Comparable in pairing trained professionals with vulnerable mothers for in-home support, though with a more structured clinical model and broader geographic reach.
• Postpartum Support International: The largest international organization dedicated to perinatal mental health, providing training, provider directories, and support coordination. Comparable in mission focus but operates at vastly broader scale than Spectrum's single-region in-home caregiver model.

Regional players

• Vancouver Aboriginal Health Society: A Vancouver-based non-profit providing health and social services with a focus on Indigenous families. Comparable as a non-medical family/maternal support provider in the Metro Vancouver region, though with different population focus.
• Canopy Midwives: A North Vancouver midwifery practice that refers clients to Spectrum. Comparable as a North Shore maternal health provider, though operating in a clinical perinatal role rather than postpartum social support.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/home
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnR588MIIxcFcOxqmW5fv5w
• Facebookfacebook.com/spectrummothers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spectrum-mothers-support-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/spectrummothers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Spectrum Mothers Support Society