What 211 nova scotia does

211 Nova Scotia is a regional non-profit service provider operating as part of the national 211 Canada network coordinated by United Way Centraide Canada. It provides free, confidential, 24/7 community navigation services connecting Nova Scotia residents to government, health, and community-based non-clinical social services via phone (dial 211 or 1-855-466-4994), text, chat, email, and a national mobile app launched in October 2025. The service supports over 150 languages and serves vulnerable populations across use cases including housing, food security, mental health, financial assistance, crisis intervention, and employment services.

The underlying technology platform centers on a national directory of 150,000+ community programs accessed by trained human navigators, supplemented by a Power BI data dashboard for partner insights, an NLP-based chatbot prototype (launched October 2025) for routine conversational searches, and an AI training sandbox for navigator development. Real-time contact data is anonymized and shared with government, academia, and non-profit partners through a Data Sharing Portal supporting APIs, Excel exports, and map-ready formats. The platform also integrates with specialized crisis systems, including Calgary's Coordinated Access and Assessment system and the First Nations Jordan's Principle Claims Helper portal.

Revenue is derived entirely from government grants and United Way Centraide Canada funding; the service is free to end users. Customer acquisition is purely inbound and community-led, with awareness driven by the annual United Glow campaign (February 11), partner referrals from healthcare and social service organizations, and institutional partnerships with provincial ministries (Saskatchewan Re:CONNECT Helpline, BC Racist Incident Helpline) and federal bodies (Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada). Headcount, budget figures, and detailed operational metrics for the Nova Scotia regional entity specifically are not publicly disclosed.

Name

211 nova scotia

Legal name

United Way Centraide Canada

Website

https://211.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

211 Nova Scotia is a non-profit regional service of United Way Centraide Canada that provides free, confidential, 24/7 navigation to community, health, and government social services via phone, text, chat, web, and mobile app, serving all Nova Scotia residents in over 150 languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government and Non-profit Funding: 211 is provided across Canada by United Way Centraide Canada and a national network of 211 Service Providers, with funding from various levels of government. The service is free to end users.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

211 Nova Scotia is a free, confidential community navigation service that connects individuals in Nova Scotia to government, health, and community-based non-clinical social services through phone (dial 211), text, chat, web, and a national mobile app, available 24/7 in over 150 languages. Trained navigators use a comprehensive directory of 150,000+ programs to assess needs and provide personalized referrals, while anonymized data informs government and partner decision-making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 211 Community Navigation Service Free, confidential 24/7 community navigation service connecting individuals in Nova Scotia and across Canada to government, health, and community-based non-clinical social services via phone (dial 211), text, chat, and web, available in 150+ languages. Trained navigators assess needs and provide personalized referrals using a directory of 150,000+ programs.
• National 211 Mobile App Mobile-first application for searching community supports across Canada, available on iOS and Android, with push notification capabilities for real-time emergency updates during disasters.
• 211 Chatbot Prototype NLP-powered conversational chatbot acting as a virtual front door that allows users to search the 211 dataset in natural language, designed to handle less complex routine inquiries while freeing human navigators for complex cases.
• 211 Data Dashboard and Sharing Portal Power BI dashboard and data sharing portal providing real-time insights into community needs, challenges, and service gaps across Canada, with anonymized data delivered via APIs, map-ready formats, and Excel files to government, academic, and non-profit partners.
• Specialized Crisis Helplines (Re:CONNECT, Racist Incident, First Nations Portal) Specialized crisis and referral helplines operated in partnership with government and community organizations, including the Re:CONNECT Helpline for interpersonal violence prevention (Saskatchewan), the Racist Incident Helpline (British Columbia), and the First Nations Child and Family Services Claims Helper Portal providing trauma-informed, culturally safe assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600,000+ contacts per year helping Canadians access essential services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022211 coordinates annual updates of the National Service Provider List (NSPL) for HICC, providing comprehensive data on every homeless shelter in the country. This data allows the federal government to analyze shelter capacity and national chronic homelessness estimates.
• United Way Centraide CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way Centraide Canada is the founding partner and primary organization providing 211 service across Canada through a national network of 211 Service Providers. The organization coordinates the 211 network, advocates for at-risk populations, and uses anonymized data to inform policy and funding decisions.
• First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan's Principle SettlementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner211 developed a specialized portal to assist Claims Helpers in finding essential community supports for claimants. The portal includes First Nations resources, ensuring trauma-informed, culturally safe assistance.
• Saskatchewan Ministry of JusticeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the Re:CONNECT Helpline, a vital intervention for those at risk of using interpersonal violence in relationships. Provides immediate brief therapy sessions with a counsellor 24/7 to prevent incidents before they occur.
• British Columbia Ministry of Attorney GeneralflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to operate the Racist Incident Helpline using a closed-loop referral system with automatic partner notification to ensure follow-up for victims of racism.
• Calgary Homeless FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner211 Calgary integrated into the Coordinated Access and Assessment (CAA) system, providing enhanced system navigation for complex housing situations alongside the Calgary Homeless Foundation.
• Inform USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the development of Frontline Ready, an intensive three-day disaster response training program for 211 Northern Ontario teams.
• Alberta Community Engagement and Resource Specialists (CERS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRural outreach model with specialists embedded within rural communities, attending interagency meetings and building relationships to improve accuracy and relevance of 211 database information.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 211 (United Way / US): The US counterpart of 211 Canada, providing the same dial-211 information and referral service for community, health, and social services across the United States. Most directly comparable in mission, operating model, and branding.
• Findhelp (formerly Aunt Bertha): US-based social care network connecting people to community resources via a searchable database, with closed-loop referral tracking. Highly comparable in product (directory + referral) and user segments (social assistance seekers) though operates on a B2B SaaS model.
• Kids Help Phone: Canada's 24/7 e-mental health service for young people, offering phone, text, and live chat support. Comparable in 24/7 multilingual support, crisis navigation, and Canadian non-profit funding model, though narrower in target population.

Regional players

• HealthLink BC: British Columbia's provincial health information and navigation service staffed by nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists. Comparable in 24/7 health/social service navigation and government partnership, but focused on clinical health information rather than social services.
• 211 Ontario: Ontario's regional 211 service within the same 211 Canada network. Direct peer in operating model, technology stack, and service offering, differing only in geographic coverage.

Emerging players

• Crisis Services Canada: National network of suicide prevention and crisis support services in Canada. Comparable in 24/7 multilingual crisis support and Canadian non-profit model, but narrower in scope (crisis-only vs. broad social services).
• ConnexOntario: Ontario's central access point for mental health, addiction, and problem gambling services, providing information and referrals. Comparable in service navigation and Canadian non-profit context, but narrower in service scope.
• Front Door Newcomer Services: Multi-service newcomer access point providing navigation and referral to settlement, language, employment, and social services. Comparable in single-entry-point navigation design, though narrower in target population (newcomers).

Broad incumbents

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): US federally funded 24/7 crisis line providing mental health crisis support via call, text, and chat. Comparable in universal access design and crisis navigation, but specialized in mental health rather than full-social-services navigation.
• Service Canada: Federal government one-stop service providing Canadians with access to government benefits and services online and by phone. Comparable in universal access and navigation-to-services model, but focused on federal government programs rather than community-based services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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