Ocasi - Ontario Council Of Agencies Serving Immigrants

What Ocasi - Ontario Council Of Agencies Serving Immigrants does

OCASI was formed in 1978 as a registered charity (88878 3867 RR0001) and serves as the umbrella organization for immigrant and refugee-serving agencies in Ontario. Headquartered at 110 Eglinton Avenue West in Toronto, it represents a network of 250+ community-based organizations across seven Ontario regions (Central East, Central West, East, North, South, Toronto, West). OCASI operates three interlocking functions: collective advocacy and policy representation at federal, provincial, and municipal levels; sector capacity-building through professional development, training, and research; and direct service delivery through digital platforms aimed at both member agencies and newcomers.

The organization has built a portfolio of digital platforms over more than two decades. Settlement.Org (launched 1999) is an information and referral website for newcomers; LearnAtWork.ca (launched 2008) is an online learning platform hosting approximately 30 daily courses with 4,000+ active participants annually; the OCASI Client Management System (OCMS, launched 2014) is a web-based client management system for multi-service agencies that integrates with IRCC's iCARE via bulk export. Additional platforms include WelcomeOntario.ca, NewYouth.ca, CitizenshipCounts.ca, Etablissement.Org, SecteurEtablissement.Org, SettlementAtWork.org, Positive Spaces Initiative, and the Newcomer Donation Network. Programs span professional development (annual conference, PET program), equity grants (OCASI Support Fund, Equity Stream Fund – 22 recipients announced), and targeted initiatives (Mental Health Promotion, Accessibility Initiative, Gender-Based Violence Initiative, Allies for Refugee Integration).

OCASI is funded primarily through government grants from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, supplemented by membership dues from 250+ agencies and subscription fees from OCMS (the only product not government-funded). The organization operates with approximately 51 staff led by Executive Director Debbie Douglas. The 2026 IRCC Funding Cuts campaign signals material funding-side headwinds shaping near-term strategic priorities.

Name

Ocasi - Ontario Council Of Agencies Serving Immigrants

Legal name

Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants

Website

https://ocasi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Short description

OCASI is a Toronto-based registered charity founded in 1978 that serves as the umbrella organization for 250+ immigrant and refugee-serving agencies across Ontario, providing collective advocacy, professional development, and digital platforms including OCMS, Settlement.Org, and LearnAtWork.ca.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigrant Settlement Services and Sector Coordination

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Professional Organizations (81392), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program Management (BPADAOAC)

Keywords

• Immigrant settlement services
• Nonprofit umbrella organization
• Client management software
• Professional development training
• Policy advocacy coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary revenue from federal (IRCC) and provincial (Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development) government grants and contributions for settlement programs, training, and sector capacity building.
2. Membership Dues: Member agencies pay membership fees to be part of OCASI's collective voice and access programs, training, and sector coordination services.
3. OCMS Service Fees: OCASI Client Management System (OCMS) charges fees to sustain the system and add new features, as the service is not currently funded by government. Fee-based model for multi-service agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OCASI is a registered charity umbrella organization that supports 250+ immigrant and refugee-serving member agencies across Ontario through policy advocacy, sector coordination, professional development, and shared technology platforms. Its core offerings include the OCMS client management system for agencies, online learning (LearnAtWork.ca), newcomer information portals (Settlement.Org, WelcomeOntario.ca), grant programs (OCASI Support Fund, Equity Stream Fund), and an annual Professional Development Conference.

Product overview

OCASI operates as a membership-based umbrella organization for immigrant and refugee-serving agencies in Ontario, offering a portfolio of technology platforms and programs. The core products include OCMS (Client Management System) for agencies to manage client data, multiple web portals (Settlement.Org, WelcomeOntario.ca, NewYouth.ca) providing information to newcomers, and LearnAtWork.ca for professional development. Additional platforms include CitizenshipCounts.ca for citizenship test preparation, Positive Spaces Initiative for LGBTQ+ newcomers, and the Newcomer Donation Network. Programs support equity, accessibility, mental health, gender-based violence prevention, and professional education. The ecosystem is primarily web-based and government-funded, with OCMS being the primary revenue-generating product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OCASI Client Management System (OCMS) Web-based client management system for multi-service agencies across Canada to record and retrieve client information and generate detailed real-time reports on individual and group activities. Available in English and French, with bulk export support for IRCC iCARE reporting. Offered on a fee-based subscription because it is not government-funded.
• LearnAtWork.ca Online learning platform hosting approximately 30 courses daily with approximately 4,000 active participants yearly, providing professional development for settlement workers in English and French.
• Settlement.Org Comprehensive information and referral website created by OCASI for immigrants and refugees in Ontario, providing trustworthy settlement information.
• WelcomeOntario.ca Refugee Assistance Information website funded by IRCC, created to bring together trustworthy information for those helping refugees settle in Ontario.
• Etablissement.Org French language information and referral website to help French-speaking newcomers and potential newcomers to Ontario.
• NewYouth.ca Online portal for young newcomers to find reliable information, services, programs, and events related to newcomer youth issues.
• CitizenshipCounts.ca Website helping young newcomers learn about Canadian citizenship and study for the citizenship test, available in English and French.
• SettlementAtWork.org Professional development resources and news website for front-line workers, program staff, managers and administrative staff in the settlement sector.
• SecteurEtablissement.Org French language website created to help French-speaking workers prepare to best serve their newcomer clients.
• Positive Spaces Initiative (PSI) Initiative supporting the settlement sector to more effectively serve LGBTQ+ newcomers through training, education, leadership and resource-sharing.
• Newcomer Donation Network (NDN) Centralized tool connecting public donation offers with community agencies and newcomers in need.
• National Online Bilingual Community of Practice (CoP) Collection of communities of practice where staff and leaders in the Canadian immigrant and refugee serving sector can learn, share, connect and collaborate. Available in English and French.
• OCASI Support Fund Member-driven grant providing funds up to $5,000 to smaller OCASI member agencies with budgets below $1 million to increase organizational capacity.
• Equity Stream Fund Fund strengthening capacity of grassroots community organizations led by and serving equity-seeking communities across Ontario, targeting organizations not currently funded by IRCC.
• Professional Education and Training (PET) Program providing financial support to settlement practitioners for professional development opportunities, online e-learning courses, and access to group workshops.
• Allies for Refugee Integration (ARI) IRCC-funded project increasing collaboration between settlement service providers and refugee sponsorship groups in Ontario to improve settlement outcomes of privately sponsored refugees.
• Accessibility Initiative Initiative allowing settlement sector employees to acquire skills and knowledge in service provision to immigrants with disabilities.
• Mental Health Promotion Project Project building capacity of immigrant and refugee serving organizations to promote newcomer mental health and wellbeing through collaboration with health sectors.
• Initiative to End Gender-Based Violence Initiative providing resources, education and leadership on gender-based violence prevention and survivor support in immigrant and refugee communities.
• Annual Professional Development Conference Annual in-person conference for frontline workers, program coordinators, and managers in the settlement sector, training over 600 immigrant service workers each year.
• OCASI Membership Membership program for community-based immigrant and refugee-serving agencies in Ontario, providing access to OCASI's collective voice, programs, training, advocacy, and sector coordination. Over 250 member agencies in 7 Ontario regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 immigrant service workers trained annually at PD conferences and events
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Integration1 record

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Building Migrant Resilience in Cities (BMRC-IRMU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCASI is part of the Board of BMRC-IRMU along with academic, nonprofit, and government partners. The partnership creates multidisciplinary collaboration to deepen links among partners across Quebec and Ontario, creating synergies that benefit from each sector's distinct knowledge and expertise. Goal is to create and disseminate original knowledge about migration and settlement to researchers, policymakers, and decision-makers throughout Canada and globally.
• Data Policy CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCASI is part of the Data Policy Coalition composed of more than 30 nonprofit organizations representing service providers, advocacy groups, and funders. Goal is to enhance nonprofit sector's access to government-held administrative data for improving social service delivery, impact evaluation, and evidence-based planning for public benefit.
• Youth Sexual Health needs in Middle Eastern and North African (YSMENA) Research PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCASI is a community partner in YSMENA research study addressing barriers in HIV prevention for young people from MENA region living in Canada. Aims to raise visibility of sexual needs and barriers to care faced by this population.
• Canadian Syrian Lived Experience Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCASI is a community partner in research generating insights into lived experience of Syrian refugees who arrived in Canada in 2015-16. Purpose is to guide policy and settlement programming, build research capacity, and improve public narrative around Syrian refugees.
• Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change (COP-COC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCASI collaborates with COP-COC and Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice to establish the Canadian Racial Equity Network (CNERJ). Network composed of civil society leaders from community, business, media, academia, education, philanthropic, labour, arts, sport, and health sectors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS): Major Toronto-based immigrant and refugee-serving agency and current OCASI board chair organization. Operates settlement and integration programs across the GTA, sharing OCASI's service population and funding ecosystem.
• COSTI Immigrant Services: One of the largest immigrant-serving agencies in Ontario, providing settlement, language, employment, and refugee services. Comparable to OCASI's member agencies and operates in the same funding and policy environment, including use of similar digital tools like OCMS.
• Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA): Provincial umbrella for immigrant-serving agencies in British Columbia. Directly comparable to OCASI as a membership-based coordinating body that delivers training, policy advocacy, and capacity-building for newcomer-serving organizations, though serving BC rather than Ontario.
• Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC): Toronto-region council focused on immigrant employment integration, bringing together employers, immigrant-serving agencies, and government. Comparable to OCASI as a coordinating intermediary addressing immigrant outcomes in Ontario.
• JVS Toronto: Large Toronto-based nonprofit providing employment, settlement, and language services for immigrants and refugees. Comparable to OCASI's member agencies in operational scope and funding model.
• Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO): Provincial umbrella for newcomer-serving organizations in Manitoba. Directly comparable to OCASI in coordinating, advocating for, and building capacity among member agencies serving immigrants and refugees.
• Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA): Provincial umbrella organization representing immigrant-serving agencies in Alberta. Closely mirrors OCASI's membership, training, and advocacy model for a different province, making it a strong structural peer.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Greater Toronto: Large charitable umbrella funding settlement and immigrant-serving programs in the GTA, including co-funding OCASI's Leaders' Forum. Comparable as a broader funder/coordinator in the same ecosystem rather than a direct service peer.
• Maytree Foundation: Major Canadian foundation focused on poverty reduction and immigrant integration policy. Comparable as a larger, well-funded organization operating in the same immigrant-outcomes space, often partnering with or funding OCASI's sector.

Regional players

• Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC): BC-based immigrant-serving agency delivering settlement, language, and employment services. Comparable in mission and program mix to OCASI's member agencies, but operating primarily in British Columbia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/OCASI_Policy
• Facebookfacebook.com/Settlement.Org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocasi-ontario-council-of-agencies-serving-immigrants

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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