Over the past two years, WWOOF Canada has undergone a series of exciting transitions.
In fall 2023, we appointed our first-ever Board of Directors—made up of both WWOOFers and hosts from within our community. (You can meet some of our Board Members, like Laila Zalesack and Louise Hanavan, on our blog!)
Then, in winter 2024, WWOOF Canada officially became a non-profit organization. Around the same time, our longtime Executive Director, Becky Young, retired after many dedicated years of service and was succeeded by Robin Young (no relation).
And this past June, we reached another important milestone: WWOOF Canada is now a registered charity!
What does this mean for our members?
Practically speaking, not much will change. Your WWOOF stays and member experiences will continue just as before. But for the organization, this change is a meaningful step forward.
Becoming a registered charity allows us to diversify our funding sources. While member support has sustained us for many years, we can now also seek donations, issue charitable tax receipts, and apply for government grants to fund special projects and initiatives.
It also opens the door for us to broaden our impact—supporting organic farming in Canada in new and creative ways, beyond our traditional WWOOFing activities.
For now, we’re simply celebrating this milestone. Our organizational structure now fully reflects our mission: to build a community connected through and conscious of ecological farming practices.