Pacific Immigrant Resources Society

What Pacific Immigrant Resources Society does

Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS) is a Vancouver-based, registered Canadian charitable nonprofit (BN: 119075463RR0001) founded in 1975 that delivers trauma-informed programs for immigrant and refugee women and their children across Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. The organization's core methodology is trauma-informed practice, applied across a portfolio of approximately 17 interconnected programs spanning English language instruction (Community English Classes, Moving Forward), employment and childcare-sector training (Pathways to Childcare Careers, Pop-Up Child Care, ECE Assistant Training), leadership and advocacy (Building Bridges, Childcare Leadership Group, IWAC), and family/children services (Kids Have Stress Too, Healthy Together, Food Skills, Safe Haven). A distinctive operational feature is the integration of childcare alongside women's programming, removing a key participation barrier and feeding into a closed-loop training-to-employment ecosystem with Vancouver Community College.

PIRS is funded through a mix of government grants (notably from Women and Gender Equality Canada for the multi-phase Building a Childcare System initiative and from United Way British Columbia), individual and corporate donations, third-party fundraising campaigns, and charitable contributions. Programs are delivered free of charge at multiple locations including Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster. The organization is led by Executive Director Mariam Bouchoutrouch, governed by a Board of Directors, and operates with a staff of 11-50. Cumulative reach since founding is approximately 28,000 women and children served, with current annual throughput of around 700 women through Community English Classes alone.

The go-to-market motion is community-led: beneficiaries are reached through referrals from settlement agencies, healthcare providers, and schools; through word-of-mouth within immigrant networks; and through direct community outreach. PIRS holds earned media presence in CBC News, New Westminster Record, and The Source, and has been recognized with the 2021 Council of the Federation Literacy Award, the 2020 BC Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Award, and a 2022 Volunteer BC Photo Contest first place. The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026 and continues to expand its systemic-change agenda in BC's childcare sector.

Name

Pacific Immigrant Resources Society

Legal name

Pacific Immigrant Resources Society

Website

https://pirs.bc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pacific Immigrant Resources Society is a Vancouver-based nonprofit founded in 1975 that delivers trauma-informed English, childcare, employment, and leadership programs to immigrant and refugee women and their children across Metro Vancouver.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigrant and Refugee Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK)

Keywords

• Immigrant settlement services
• Refugee women support
• English language training
• Trauma-informed practice
• Childcare training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

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. Government Funding and Grants: PIRS receives funding from government sources including Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), BC Ministry programs, and other public funders for specific projects and ongoing operations.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations support the organization's programs, with a charitable registration number (119075463RR0001).
3. Third-Party Fundraising: Community fundraising events, raffles, and third-party fundraising campaigns support specific initiatives like the Afghan Women Fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PIRS delivers free, trauma-informed social service programs for immigrant and refugee women and their children in Metro Vancouver. Offerings span English language and digital literacy classes, integrated childcare and childcare-career training, leadership and advocacy development, one-on-one settlement support, and specialized programs for refugee claimants and asylum seekers.

Product overview

Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS) offers a comprehensive portfolio of trauma-informed social service programs for immigrant and refugee women and their children in Metro Vancouver. The organization operates as a single unified nonprofit entity with multiple interconnected programs rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core offerings include Community English Classes and Moving Forward for language and digital literacy, the Pathways to Childcare Careers Program and Early Childhood Education Assistant Training for employment pathways, Pop-Up Child Care and Childcare Leadership Group for childcare advocacy, Building Bridges and IWAC for leadership development, and family support programs including Kids Have Stress Too, Healthy Together, and Food Skills. Major initiatives include the Building a Childcare System project funded by WAGE Canada and the Afghan Women Fund for crisis response.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community English Classes Low-barrier English language learning classes for immigrant and refugee women from pre-literacy to CLB 6 level, offered at multiple locations in the Lower Mainland with early years children's programs attached.
• Moving Forward Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of participants reported feeling more confident in speaking English after Community English Classes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Vancouver Community College (VCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Pathways to Childcare Careers program is offered in partnership with VCC, enabling graduates to apply for the Early Childhood Educator Assistant (ECEA) program at VCC with more confidence and preparation.
• Burnaby Neighborhood House (BNH)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer Community English Classes at multiple locations in the Lower Mainland.
• Simon Fraser University (SFU)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Digital Literacy Exchange Program providing digital literacy education to underrepresented target groups.
• Disability Alliance of British ColumbiasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the Building Bridges for Immigrant and Refugee Women with Disabilities project, supporting newcomer women with visible and invisible disabilities.
• Journey Home CommunitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIRS operates a food hub at Journey Home Community location in Burnaby, providing food support to refugee families including Afghan arrivals.
• Welcoming and Inclusive New Westminster Local Immigrant Partnership Council (WINS LIP)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIRS participates in WINS LIP along with Fraser Health, Fraserworks Co-op, MOSAIC, Ministry of Children and Family Development, and Welcome Centre to coordinate immigrant services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC): One of the largest immigrant-serving agencies in BC, providing language training, settlement, and employment services across Metro Vancouver — directly comparable in scope and target population.
• S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-service immigrant settlement organization in Metro Vancouver delivering English classes, employment programs, and family/newcomer services — comparable model and beneficiary base to PIRS.
• MOSAIC: Vancouver-based nonprofit settlement agency serving immigrants and refugees across Metro Vancouver with English classes, employment services, and settlement support — overlapping directly with PIRS's core mandate and geography.
• CultureLink Settlement and Community Services: Toronto nonprofit providing settlement, language, and employment services for immigrants and refugees — directly comparable model focused on newcomer integration.
• DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society: Surrey-based immigrant-serving nonprofit offering settlement, language training, and employment programs in the Lower Mainland — overlapping service lines and target population.

Broad incumbents

• COSTI Immigrant Services: Large Toronto-based immigrant services agency offering settlement, language, employment, and refugee support — comparable model but broader geographic and program scope.
• Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS): Major Alberta-based refugee and immigrant settlement agency delivering language, employment, and integration services — comparable mandate but different regional focus.
• YMCA Newcomer Services (Greater Vancouver): Branch of the YMCA offering immigrant settlement, language, and refugee programs in Metro Vancouver — broader portfolio but overlapping immigrant-services offerings.

Emerging players

• Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture: Toronto-based nonprofit providing trauma-informed counseling and settlement support for refugee claimants — overlapping on trauma-informed methodology and refugee claimant beneficiary segment.

Regional players

• North York Community House: Toronto-based settlement and community services organization serving immigrant women and families with language, employment, and settlement programs — comparable in programming for newcomer women.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/pirsvancouver
• Facebookfacebook.com/pirsvancouver
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-immigrant-resources-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/pirsvancouver

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Pacific Immigrant Resources Society