Our Sponsored Partners

CIRO is proud to support community partners who work to empower Canadians and residents of Canada with financial knowledge, skills and awareness. Our partners provide much needed support to Canadian investors looking for advice, tools and education. These initiatives, supported through CIRO’s Restricted Fund, further our mission to protect investors so that they feel confident investing for their futures.

Current Funding Recipients

For more than 30 years, CIRANO has combined knowledge and decision-making for the development of social and economic innovations. The Centre’s mission is to contribute to the strategic decision-making of our governmental, parapublic and private partners by producing and transferring high value-added university knowledge.

CIRO supports the Bourstad Program, an engaging initiative that introduces participants to the world of economics and finance through stock market simulations. These simulations leverage a highly innovative technological platform with features such as real-time trading, daily dividend payments, and mobile device compatibility. CIRANO deeply appreciates the invaluable support provided by CIRO-OCRI over the years.

To learn more about our partnership with CIRANO and Bourstad, read the release.

The Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that works to improve economic, financial and enterprising capability. CFEE collaborates with funding partners to develop and provide free programs and resources for teachers and students, developed and reviewed by educators. CFEE also has a range of programs to assist newcomers to Canada as they look to settle and integrate into their new country.

CIRO supports the Help! Managing Your Money on Campus program, a series of workshops designed to increase the financial knowledge and confidence of post-secondary school students across Canada.

Code F develops and offers innovative and independent financial education and financial support solutions to help citizens improve their financial health with the aim of promoting personal financial well-being. Passionate about financial education and the financial health of citizens and upholding the belief that everyone should feel financially free, Code F aims to continually deliver unique solutions and offer extraordinary solutions. To this end, they aim to educate, support and financially equip citizens through financial coaching services, financial education workshops, as well as various guides and tools to help them manage their money.

FAIR Canada champions the rights of individual investors in Canada. We advance our mission through public policy submissions to governments and regulators, proactive identification of emerging issues, and outreach through public conferences. We also conduct research to hear directly from investors and financial consumers about their experiences and concerns. FAIR Canada has a reputation for independence, thoughtful commentary on public policy issues, and repeatedly advancing the interests of retail investors and financial consumers.

*Fair Canada does not establish a partnership or joint venture of any kind between the donor and FAIR Canada, nor will the donation result in any portion of FAIR Canada’s work being branded as a project sponsored by the donor.

The Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic & Living Lab at York University, the first of its kind in Canada, provides pro-bono legal services and supports to investors in filing complaints and seeking redress for financial harms suffered; collects real-time data to inform research and regulatory and policy initiatives; and engages in financial education to investors.

JA Canada inspires the next generation to realize their potential, delivering over 500,000 student learning experiences annually through programs focused on financial health, entrepreneurship, and work readiness. Learn more at www.jacanada.org.

Launch Okanagan is a registered charity based in Kelowna, British Columbia, dedicated to improving financial well-being for individuals and families facing financial barriers. Through a range of accessible and supportive programs, we help people build foundational money management skills, gain confidence, and take control of their financial future.

Our programs include financial literacy workshops, matched savings programs, one-on-one coaching, and tax filing support. We serve a diverse range of individuals, including single parents, people in recovery, newcomers to Canada, and those living with low income or unstable housing. We focus not just on building financial knowledge, but on fostering a sense of hope, dignity, and inclusion. Since 2010, we’ve supported thousands of participants across the Okanagan and beyond. We believe that when individuals are equipped with the right tools and support, they are better able to manage life’s challenges and create a more secure future for themselves and their families. At Launch Okanagan, we’re proud to partner with community organizations, funders, and volunteers who share our vision of a financially empowered and inclusive community.

The Legal Clinic at the Université de Montréal is a pioneer in the democratization of the law and access to justice. For more than 50 years, the Clinic has offered free legal services to the population of the province of Quebec, given by law students supervised by experienced lawyers and notaries.

CIRO is proud to sponsor the Protection of Investors division of the Legal Clinic, ensuring access to free legal information for Quebec-based investors who believe they have been the victims of misconduct by their financial advisor or representative. The division will also offer workshops on the rights of investors.

Learn more about CIRO’s partnership with the Legal Clinic.

MEDAC (formerly APÉIQ) is an organization dedicated to shareholder education and defence. It was founded by Yves Michaud on December 7, 1995, to give small shareholders an opportunity to be heard and offer them a space for conversation, information, and representation. MÉDAC emerged at a time when the world of finance was characterized by frenetic activity and an insatiable appetite for wealth. Stock market abuses hit thousands of small shareholders hard, leaving them powerless and isolated. Following a cascade of scandals that provoked disorientation and outrage, MÉDAC quickly took on the task of informing, alerting, and taking preventive action for its members and, more broadly, the general public.

At their annual and special meeting on May 29, 2005, the members of APÉIQ (Association de protection des épargnants et investisseurs du Québec) unanimously approved the adoption of a new name, and the organization became MÉDAC (Mouvement d’éducation et de défense des actionnaires). With this move, the not-for-profit organization fully embraced its pioneering role in the fight to defend savers and investors. The meeting marked a turning point for the organization, which began deploying information and training tools aimed at shareholders, all while monitoring the business activities of public Quebec and Canadian companies with renewed vigilance. From educating would-be investors to preparing shareholder proposals, MÉDAC has vowed to defend “shareholder democracy” in every company where the savings of private individuals fuels growth.

Momentum is a Calgary-based organization that blends social and economic strategies to reduce poverty, partnering with people living on lower incomes to increase earnings, build assets, and achieve long-term financial stability. Through programs in employment training, small business development, and financial literacy, Momentum equips thousands annually with the tools to thrive, while its community partnerships extend support to over 15,000 more people each year.

Beyond direct service delivery, Momentum works to dismantle systemic barriers that perpetuate poverty. Its policy efforts – grounded in lived experience and research – have led to reforms in payday lending, private career college oversight, and access to financial supports like the Canada Learning Bond. CIRO is proud to partner with Momentum to expand access to Disability Tax Credits and Registered Disability Savings Plans for low-income Canadians with disabilities.

The National Institute on Ageing (NIA) at Toronto Metropolitan University improves the lives of older adults and the systems that support them by conducting research, sharing information, convening stakeholders and advancing policy solutions. We envision a Canada where older adults feel valued, included, supported, and better prepared to age with confidence.

Prosper Canada is a national charity dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for Canadians living in poverty through program and policy innovation. Prosper aims to ensure that all financially vulnerable Canadians have access to the financial policies, programs, products and advice they need to build their financial well-being.

CIRO is proud to support two of Prosper Canada’s workstreams. The funds will help to build capacity of community service providers to deliver financial education and consumer protection services to financially vulnerable Canadians. They will also help Prosper to develop and disseminate tailored consumer protection resources for Indigenous audiences with an emphasis on supporting settlement recipients harmed by discrimination.

SEED Winnipeg Inc. works with its partner organizations to deliver a range of financial empowerment programs for Manitobans living on a low income facing multiple barriers to income security. With a lens of Community Economic Development and a commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, SEED offers financial literacy training including savings and investing topics, as well as matched savings programs. Additional services include access to ID and benefits, services navigation, tax filing, loans for foreign credentials recognition and small business management training and coaching.