What CCOF does

CCOF (Canadian Children's Optimist Foundation), legally registered as Canadian Children's Optimist Foundation and also operating in French as Fondation Optimiste des Enfants Canadiens (FOEC), is a federally registered Canadian charity (CRA registration 8747 18950 RR 0001) headquartered at 1310 Greene Ave, Suite 700, Westmount, Quebec. Founded in March 1988 as the Optimist International Foundation of Canada and rebranded to CCOF in 2010, the organization operates as the Canadian arm of the worldwide Optimist International network and serves as the exclusive fiscal vehicle that issues official charitable tax receipts on behalf of Canadian Optimist Clubs, which are not themselves registered charities.

The foundation's product suite consists of four core programs: an Outsourcing Program through which CCOF executes agency agreements with clubs to issue tax receipts against their fundraising; a Single-Donor Outsourcing Program for designated club grants and restricted funds with administrative fees; a Club Grant Program offering up to $1,000 per club per year for community projects promoting youth education, health, social, artistic, or physical development; and a Spread Relief Program offering up to $3,000 per club per year for childhood mental and physical health projects launched in 2017. CCOF also channels funds into four scholarship contests administered by Optimist International — the Oratorical Contest (club-level prizes of $2,500/$1,500/$1,000, world-championship prizes up to $15,000), the Essay Contest (up to twelve $2,500 Canadian scholarships annually), the Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing ($2,500 district-level), and the Blake Pierce Memorial Trade Scholarship. More than $150,000 in Oratorical scholarships is awarded annually.

The business model is exclusively donation- and fee-driven: revenue comprises individual and corporate donations, planned giving/legacy gifts, and administrative fees from outsourcing services. The organization runs on a community-led go-to-market motion through 12 District Foundation Representatives (Districts 13, 32, 35, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55) embedded in a network of more than 500 Optimist Clubs and 14,000+ members across Canada. CCOF is governed by an entirely Canadian volunteer Board of Directors, currently led by President Denise Nacev and Executive Director André Michelet-Figueroa, and operates with only two paid employees.

Name

CCOF

Legal name

Canadian Children's Optimist Foundation

Website

https://ccof-foec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CCOF is a registered Canadian charity serving as the fiscal and grant-making arm of Canadian Optimist Clubs, issuing tax receipts, awarding scholarships, and distributing club grants (up to $1,000) and Spread Relief grants (up to $3,000) to support Canadian youth programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Youth Charity Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Youth charity foundation
• Charitable fundraising services
• Grant and scholarship programs
• Tax receipt services
• Community youth development

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: CCOF raises funds through donations from individuals, corporations, and Optimist Club members. The foundation receives contributions that are used to fund scholarships, club grants, and youth programs across Canada.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CCOF is a registered Canadian charity that provides fundraising support, tax receipt services, scholarships, and grant programs to Canadian Optimist Clubs in support of Canadian youth. It administers the Outsourcing Program, Spread Relief Program, Club Grant Program, Single Donor Outsourcing Program, and funds multiple scholarship contests (Oratorical, Essay, Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) and the Blake Pierce Memorial Trade Scholarship.

Product overview

CCOF (Canadian Children's Optimist Foundation) is a registered Canadian charity that serves as a fundraising and grant-making organization for Canadian Optimist Clubs. Rather than a technology platform, CCOF offers a suite of programs including the Outsourcing Program (tax receipt services for Optimist Club fundraising), the Spread Relief Program (health and wellness grants up to $3,000), the Club Grant Program (community project grants up to $1,000), and Designated Club Grants (single-donor tax receipt services). Additionally, CCOF funds three scholarship contests administered by Optimist International: the Oratorical Contest, Essay Contest, and Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, plus the Blake Pierce Memorial Trade Scholarship. The organization connects Canadian youth with funding for educational opportunities and community development projects across Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outsourcing Program Program that assists Canadian Optimist Clubs with their fundraising efforts by providing official tax receipts to donors. Clubs execute an Outsourcing Agreement establishing an agency relationship between the club and CCOF, which manages the donations.
• Spread Relief Program Program that provides grants of up to $3,000 per club per year for projects related to childhood health and wellness, including mental and physical health initiatives, to inspire entire communities.
• Club Grant Program Program providing grants of up to $1,000 per club per year for community projects that promote and encourage the education, health, social, artistic or physical development and growth of Canadian youth.
• Single Donor Outsourcing Program (Designated Club Grants and Restricted Funds) Program enabling clubs to carry out projects supported by a single donor who would like a tax receipt, helping clubs whose major donor requires official donation documentation.
• Oratorical Contest Scholarship contest for students under 19 years old to compete in public speaking. Three winners receive scholarships of $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000 respectively; regional winners compete for World Championship scholarships of $15,000, $10,000, or $5,000.
• Essay Contest Essay contest giving young people the opportunity to write about their own opinions regarding the world in which they live. Each year up to twelve scholarships of $2,500 each are won by qualifying Canadian students.
• Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH) Contest offering deaf or hard of hearing youth the chance to present their thoughts through speech or sign language, patterned after the Optimist Oratorical Contest. The Optimist International Foundations fund a $2,500 scholarship for the first-place winner of each district.
• Blake Pierce Memorial Trade Scholarship Trade scholarship distributed to help students pursue their dreams at universities and trade schools, funded through community fundraising campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $150,000 in college scholarships awarded annually through Optimist International Foundations Oratorical program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Optimist InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Parent organization headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1919, Optimist International is a worldwide service organization dedicated to bringing out the best in youth, communities, and individuals through Optimism. CCOF was established under Optimist International's presidency in 1988 when Canadian Ken Loach was OI President.
• Optimist International Foundation (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Sister foundation in the United States. If donors wish to receive a donation receipt in accordance with American law or give to a club in the United States, this foundation can receive donations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 CCOF