CoSA Canada

What CoSA Canada does

CoSA Canada (legal name CoSA Canada Inc.) is a federally incorporated Canadian non-profit that operates as the national coordinating office for Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) programs. The CoSA model is a community-based restorative justice intervention in which trained volunteer circles provide practical support, accountability, and long-term reintegration assistance to individuals who have committed sexual offences (referred to as core members), with the stated objective of reducing sexual recidivism. Peer-reviewed studies cited by the organization report a 78-88% reduction in recidivism among participants compared with control subjects. The first circle was established in Hamilton, Ontario in 1994; CoSA Canada was incorporated in 2015 to serve as the national umbrella, and today supports 15 local sites across Canada (including Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Surrey, Fraser Valley, Winnipeg, Moncton, Halifax, Hamilton, Waterloo Region, Ottawa, Peterborough, Montreal, Prince Albert, Regina, and Saskatoon). Local sites are typically hosted by community organizations such as John Howard Society branches, Mennonite Central Committee offices, and Initiatives for Just Communities. The organization also references a global community of practice with Circles UK, Circles Europe, US sites, Circles Spain, Australia, and South Korea.

The organization has no proprietary technology product; its core "technology" is the circle facilitation model, the national good-practice framework, the volunteer training and mentorship curriculum, and the supporting research and evaluation infrastructure. A two-year Virtual Circles project (2023-2025), funded by Public Safety Canada, explored remote circle delivery to broaden geographic reach and shorten wait-lists, but is currently closed due to lack of funding. CoSA Canada markets through its website, documentary and training videos, academic publications, press releases, and social media, and produces educational content including a feature-length documentary ("Facing Our Messy Lives") and ongoing video series.

CoSA Canada is a registered charity whose services are provided free of charge to core members. Revenue is derived primarily from government grants (Public Safety Canada funded the network from 2005-2010 and 2017-2022) and individual donations accepted through the CanadaHelps platform at both the national and site level. The organization also actively advocates for sustained legislative and government support under the Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism. Following the March 2022 end of federal funding, several sites have closed outright and most others have limited operations; CoSA Canada reports it remains in active negotiations with federal and provincial governments for renewed support.

Name

CoSA Canada

Legal name

CoSA Canada Inc.

Website

https://cosacanada.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CoSA Canada is a non-profit organization operating a national network of 15 Circles of Support and Accountability sites that deliver community-based restorative justice reintegration support to individuals who have committed sexual offences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: CoSA Canada received federal government funding for operating costs of CoSA sites across the country from 2005 to 2010 and from 2017 to 2022. Since March 2022, there has been no federal funding despite multiple proposals. The organization is in negotiations with federal and provincial governments for ongoing support.
2. Donations: CoSA Canada accepts donations through its website via CanadaHelps platform. Individual donors can contribute to either the national organization or local CoSA sites.
3. Public Funding Advocacy: The organization actively advocates for legislative reform and government support for its evidence-based programs, seeking sustained public funding for CoSA sites nationwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CoSA Canada is a national non-profit organization that delivers Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) programs across Canada. These are community-based restorative justice circles that pair trained volunteers with individuals who have committed sexual offences (core members) to provide reintegration support, practical needs assistance, and accountability. The organization coordinates 15 local sites across Canada and also operated a Virtual Circles project to extend reach to underserved geographies.

Product overview

CoSA Canada operates as a national non-profit organization overseeing Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) programs across Canada. The core offering consists of Circles of Support and Accountability circles—support and accountability networks that assist core members (people who have committed sexual offences) in their reintegration process. Circles are facilitated by trained volunteers and CoSA staff, supported by a network of service providers. The organization also operated Virtual Circles, a project exploring remote circle delivery to broaden accessibility and reduce wait-lists, though this initiative is currently closed due to lack of funding. CoSA Canada provides a national framework and supports 15 local sites across Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) A restorative justice program that forms support and accountability circles of trained volunteers around core members (people who have committed sexual offences) to assist them in reintegration into their communities, reduce sexual recidivism, and keep communities safe. Delivered through 15 local CoSA sites across Canada, with national coordination from CoSA Canada.
• Virtual Circles A two-year funded project that explored virtual delivery of Circles of Support and Accountability to expand reach to core members in areas without in-person circles, reduce wait-lists, and recruit nationally. Currently closed due to lack of ongoing funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% to 88% reduction in sexual recidivism
• +3 more outcomes

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Circles UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoSA Canada works extensively with Circles UK, benefiting from their extensive research and contributing to shared knowledge on circles of support and accountability approaches to reducing sexual reoffending.
• Circles EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoSA Canada participates in the Circles Europe Association, contributing to a global dialogue and exchange of insights on improving CoSA programs and expanding their impact across jurisdictions.
• Circles SpainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoSA Canada collaborates with Circles Spain through the Fiadys organization, sharing practices and learnings from implementation experiences.
• Vermont Department of CorrectionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoSA Canada and its sites benefit from research conducted in partnership with the Vermont Department of Corrections, including evaluability assessments of the CoSA model.
• Minnesota Department of CorrectionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoSA Canada maintains a relationship with the Minnesota Department of Corrections, sharing research and evaluation findings on circle effectiveness for sex offender management.
• Academic Research PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoSA Canada contributes to research through academic partnerships including studies with researchers from multiple institutions, contributing to the evidence base for circles of support and accountability.
• John Howard Society of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoSA sites in Moncton operate through the John Howard Society of Southeastern New Brunswick Inc. The organization provides hosting and support for local CoSA programming.
• Initiatives For Just CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoSA Winnipeg operates through Initiatives for Just Communities, a community organization that hosts the local CoSA site at 201-1335 Erin Street, Winnipeg.
• Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCC has been instrumental in supporting CoSA development in Canada, with multiple sites operating through MCC offices and staff historically coordinating CoSA programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Civil Liberties Association: Canadian non-profit advocating for civil liberties and criminal justice reform, including reintegration policy. Adjacent peer in advocacy and public-policy engagement on offender reintegration issues.
• Mennonite Central Committee Canada: Long-standing CoSA Canada host organization that has historically coordinated multiple local CoSA sites and provides restorative-justice programming more broadly. A partner and partial peer in community-based restorative justice work.
• Safer Society Foundation: U.S. non-profit focused on management and treatment of sexual offenders, including resources for community reintegration. Comparable domain (sexual offender reintegration) with a broader research/training remit.
• John Howard Society of Canada: A national Canadian criminal justice non-profit that hosts several local CoSA sites and runs broader programs in offender reintegration, crime prevention, and reform advocacy. Operates in the same domain but across a much wider portfolio of services.

Direct peers

• Restorative Justice Council: UK independent membership body setting standards in restorative practice, including for sexual offence cases. Comparable to CoSA Canada's role as a national coordinating body maintaining standards and advocating for restorative justice.
• Circles UK: The UK national body for Circles of Support and Accountability, operating the same model as CoSA Canada for sexual offender reintegration. Closest international peer and active knowledge-exchange partner.
• Circles USA: U.S. implementation of the Circles of Support and Accountability model, providing community-based reintegration circles for people who have committed sexual offences. Direct peer in mission and operating model.

Emerging players

• Center for Community Alternatives: U.S. non-profit supporting community-based alternatives to incarceration, including reintegration programming for justice-involved individuals. Comparable community-driven reintegration model with overlapping mission.
• National Association of Community and Restorative Justice: North American membership organization promoting restorative-justice practices, including in cases of serious harm. Peer in advancing restorative-justice standards and convening practitioners in the same field.
• The Forgiveness Project: U.K./international non-profit using real stories of forgiveness and restorative justice to reduce crime and support rehabilitation. Operates adjacent to CoSA Canada's public-education and storytelling work on restorative justice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cosacanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cosacanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CoSA Canada