Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice

What Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice does

Yarrow began in 2015 as Youth for Chinese Seniors (Y4CS), operating under the fiscal sponsorship of the Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative and Atira Development Society, and registered as an independent non-profit society in March 2018. It is a registered Canadian charity that primarily serves low-income, Chinese-speaking immigrant seniors in Vancouver's Chinatown, Downtown Eastside, Strathcona, and Oppenheimer communities, with youth volunteers and community supporters as a secondary audience. Its core programs are Nourishing Hearts, which provides food access, nutrition education, digital inclusion, and community connection; Chinese Seniors Hub, which offers exercise, recreation, and skill-building; and Community Outreach, which provides case management, housing and benefits navigation, medical accompaniment and interpretation, and advocacy. Yarrow reports that it has helped more than 1,000 seniors since 2015, interpreted at more than 500 medical appointments, and keeps more than 100 seniors active weekly through the Hub.

Delivery is direct and community-led through staff casework, neighborhood outreach, community-center programming, and partnerships with local organizations. Core services are free; Yarrow's revenue model combines individual donations, monthly recurring gifts, suggested contributions from $15 to $750, annual campaigns, merchandise sales, government grants, and foundation funding. Its technology is primarily nonproprietary and operational—a Wix website, PayPal and e-transfer donation processing, Calendly, Mailchimp, Shopify, and social and video platforms—and it discloses no public app or API.

Name

Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice

Legal name

Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice

Website

https://yarrowsociety.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Yarrow is a Vancouver nonprofit providing free, culturally and linguistically appropriate food, wellness, advocacy, casework, and intergenerational programs to low-income Chinese seniors and youth in Chinatown, the Downtown Eastside, Strathcona, and Oppenheimer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals via PayPal, e-transfer, and cheque. Monthly recurring donation option available. Donations over $20 receive tax receipts.
2. Grants and Government Funding: Funding from government sources including City of Vancouver, BC Health Minister's office, WorkBC, Canada Summer Jobs, and New Horizons for Seniors Program. Private foundation grants from organizations like Vancouver Foundation.
3. Partner Organization Donations: Donations processed through partner organization NICCSS (Network of Inner City Community Services Society) for tax receipt purposes on donations $100+.
4. Fundraising Campaigns: Annual grassroots fundraisers including Winter Solstice Fundraiser (raised $18,945), Heart to Heart (raised $59,000), and Weaving Hearts campaigns.
5. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling items like Chinatown Looks photobook and merchandise through Shopify.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

No verifiable information about the company's core offering was provided in the input.

Product overview

Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice is a non-profit organization offering community programs for seniors and youth in Vancouver's Chinatown and Downtown Eastside. The organization operates four core programs: Nourishing Hearts (food and wellness), Chinese Seniors Hub (community spaces and activities), Community Outreach (advocacy and case management), and the Maclean Park Fieldhouse Residency. Media/arts projects include Speak My Language (podcast series) and Chinatown Looks (photography exhibition). The organization publishes quarterly bilingual senior newsletters. Founded as Youth for Chinese Seniors (Y4CS) in 2015, it became a registered non-profit society in March 2018. Registered Canadian Charity: 766010516 RR0001.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2015, helped more than 1000 seniors access medical care, essential social services, housing, and safe spaces
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vancouver Board of Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Yarrow was granted a 3-year residency by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation at the Maclean Park Fieldhouse in Strathcona from 2025-2028 to facilitate regular community activation.
• SUCCESScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SUCCESS enabled the Grocery Program Coordinator position. SUCCESS processes some donations and collaborates on senior support programs.
• NICCSS (Network of Inner City Community Services Society)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization that processes donations and provides tax receipts for donors giving $100 or more. All donations through NICCSS support Yarrow's work.
• SFU Woodward's - Vancity Office of Community EngagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor and mentor for Speak My Language media arts project, providing venue and support.
• CiTR 101.9FM & Discorder MagazineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRadio partners that broadcast Speak My Language radio documentaries and provided mentorship.
• WePressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on joint workshops and programming at Maclean Park Fieldhouse.
• LIVE BiennaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on joint workshops and programming at Maclean Park Fieldhouse.
• Chinatown TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighbourhood partner collaborating on joint workshops and programming at Maclean Park Fieldhouse.
• Massy Arts SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallery partner hosting Chinatown Looks exhibition and Dreaming Hand-in-Hand zine launch at 23 East Pender Street location.
• Hua FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth-led non-profit partner collaborating on food program and meal delivery project for Chinese seniors.
• SRA Collaborative (Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiscal sponsor and parent organization from 2015-2018 when operating as Youth for Chinese Seniors (Y4CS).
• Atira Development SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that provided fiscal sponsorship during Y4CS program phase 2015-2018.
• UBC Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies (ACAM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic program sponsor for Speak My Language project.
• Soloman ChiniquayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrathcona-based documentary photographer and filmmaker who mentored and collaborated on Chinatown Looks photography project.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hua Foundation: A youth-led non-profit in Vancouver working on food justice, food security, and cultural programming. Partnered with Yarrow on the meal delivery program for Chinese seniors and shares the same youth-led intergenerational orientation toward the Chinese-Canadian community.
• Kiwassa Neighbourhood House: A neighborhood house serving East Vancouver communities with seniors programs, food security, and community outreach — operating the same community-development service model Yarrow uses, in adjacent neighborhoods of the DTES.
• PHS Community Services Society: A major Downtown Eastside service provider delivering housing, health, and community services to vulnerable populations. Operates in the same geography with significant overlap in low-income senior case management, housing, and wraparound support.
• Carnegie Community Centre (Carnegie Centre): A long-standing Downtown Eastside community hub offering drop-in services, programs, and advocacy for low-income residents. Operates in the same neighborhood as Yarrow with overlapping mandate (community services for vulnerable residents including seniors).

Broad incumbents

• MOSAIC BC: A Vancouver-based multilingual immigrant services organization providing settlement, language, employment, and community programming across many language groups. Competes for immigrant and senior services contracts with broader scope but less Chinese-language specialization than Yarrow.
• SUCCESS (United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society): The largest Chinese-Canadian social services organization in the Lower Mainland, providing settlement, employment, seniors, and youth services across multiple cities. Directly comparable mission (serving Chinese-speaking immigrants and seniors) at significantly larger scale, making it the dominant incumbent in Yarrow's target market.

Others

• Atira Women's Resource Society: Former fiscal sponsor of Yarrow's Y4CS program during 2015-2018. A larger DTES-focused organization providing housing and services primarily to women and children — relevant as a former parent organization and adjacent DTES service provider.
• Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC): A national advocacy organization for Chinese-Canadians operating in Vancouver and Toronto. Shares the anti-racism and Chinese-community empowerment mission but operates as an advocacy body rather than a direct social services provider.
• DTES SRO Collaborative Society: Former fiscal sponsor of Yarrow when it operated as Youth for Chinese Seniors (Y4CS) from 2015-2018. Continues to operate in the DTES with related but distinct mandate focused on single-room occupancy housing advocacy.

Regional players

• Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society: A Vancouver-based community organization delivering social services, cultural programming, and senior support to the Indigenous community. Operates a highly comparable community-service delivery model but serves a different demographic in the same city.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@yarrowsociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/Youth-for-Chinese-Seniors-138013570150978
• Instagraminstagram.com/yarrowsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yarrow-intergenerational-society-for-justice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice