Toronto, September 3, 2025 — Imagine Canada and Canada Life are proud to announce the first cohort of organizations selected for the inaugural Canada Life Capacity Building Program, a transformative initiative created to support nonprofits and charities across the country in achieving accreditation and advancing excellence in governance and operations.

Launched in a time of unprecedented global complexity, this program reflects Canada Life’s leadership and long-standing commitment to strengthening community-serving organizations. By providing financial support to achieve accreditation, more Canadian organizations can now benefit from the Standards, which are designed to foster confidence, transparency, build capacity and resilience, and empower mission-driven organizations to thrive.

“At a time when nonprofit organizations are responding to increased demands for services with more limited resources, pursuing accreditation is a powerful act of leadership,” said Bruce MacDonald, President & CEO of Imagine Canada. “The Canada Life Capacity Building Program is more than a funding initiative—it’s a catalyst for transformation. We are deeply grateful to Canada Life for championing capacity building in the nonprofit sector and for their decade-long support of the Standards program. Their belief in the importance of transparency, and operational and governance excellence, is helping build a strong and resilient nonprofit landscape, which will serve communities across the country.”

These organizations will join a national network of over 280 accredited nonprofits and charities dedicated to upholding standards of excellence in five key areas: board governance, financial accountability and transparency, fundraising, staff management, and volunteer involvement.

“Canada Life is proud to support these organizations doing vital work in their communities” said Stephanie Halligan, Director, Community Relations at Canada Life. “Their pursuit of accreditation demonstrates a strong commitment to accountability, continuous improvement, and lasting impact”. 

The selected organizations will receive dedicated support from Imagine Canada’s Standards team and benefit from a collaborative network of peer organizations, gaining tailored guidance and resources.

Congratulations to the recipients!

• Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
• ArtStarts (Art Starts In Schools Society)
• Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario
• Asthma Canada
• Bladder Cancer Canada
• Breast Cancer Canada
• Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids
• Cambridge Food Bank
• CancerCare Manitoba Foundation
• Centre en sécurité alimentaire de Gatineau
• Children First Canada
• Christie Refugee Welcome Centre
• CityKidz Ministry
• Droplets of Mercy
• Easter Seals BC/Yukon (British Columbia Lions Society for Children with Disabilities)
• Evermore Gather Grow Lead Inc.
• Fondation de la Maison du Père
• Forests Canada
• Fort St. James Public Library Association
• Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation
• Girl Guides of Canada
• Go Green Youth Centre
• Go For It Youth Organization
• Graffiti Art Programming
• Great Lakes Networking Society of BC
• Hands for Charity
• Hospice Society of Greater Halifax (Hospice Halifax)
• Indigenous Youth Roots (previously known as Canadian Roots Exchange)
• International Center For Family Welfare
• Kabir Cultural Centre
• Kinbridge Community Association
• Living with Pride Foundation
• Lumenus Foundation
• Maternal Infant Child & Youth Research Network (MICYRN)
• Moisson Rive-Sud
• Nunavut Association of Non-Profit Organizations
• Oakville Meals on Wheels
• Oshawa-Durham Rape Crisis Centre
• Parkdale Community Food Bank
• Pride at Work Canada
• Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre
• Rayjon Share Care
• SAAAC Autism Centre (South Asian Autism Awareness Centre)
• Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation
• Saskatchewan Archaeological Society
• Saskatoon Food Bank
• Shining L.I.G.H.T.E Youth Charity (Leaders in Generational Healing Through Empowerment and Education)
• Surrey Place
• Voice Found
• Wavemakers (operated by the Canadian Institute for Exponential Growth)
• Women’s Centre Grey Bruce

ABOUT IMAGINE CANADA STANDARDS ACCREDITATION

Since 2012, the Imagine Canada Standards have served as the only national accreditation designed for all Canadian charities and nonprofits.

Through a rigorous accreditation process, independent peer reviewers evaluate organizations against 73 standards developed by the nonprofit sector, for the nonprofit sector. Organizations participating in the accreditation get access to a spectrum of resources at all stages of the process, such as self-assessment tools, volunteer peer advisors from accredited organizations, and online tools to strengthen practices. The peer reviewers’ assessment of policies and practices, as well as constructive feedback, contribute to elevating accountability, transparency, and sound governance in Canadian charities and nonprofits.

The Imagine Canada Accreditation Trustmark is a recognized symbol of trust and excellence within the sector. It lets donors and volunteers know that when supporting an organization, their goodwill is in good hands.

 

About Canada Life

Canada Life is a leading insurance, wealth management and benefits provider focused on improving the financial, physical, and mental well-being of Canadians. For over 175 years, individuals, families and business owners across Canada have trusted us to provide sound guidance and deliver on the promises we’ve made. We proudly serve more than 14 million customer relationships from coast to coast to coast. Canada Life is a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc. and a member of the Power Corporation of Canada group of companies.

For media inquiries, contact:

Cristina Andoni
Manager, Accreditation, Communications & Partnerships
Imagine Canada
candoni@imaginecanada.ca