About Us

Our Mission

Our mission is to see vulnerable people move toward fullness of life characterized by dignity, justice, hope, and peace.

Our Motivation

We are not okay, until we’re all okay.
Isaiah 58:10 says,
"And if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."
We are not merely altruistic- we work alongside people who are oppressed and hungry because we know that our well-being is connected to their well-being. We cannot be okay until those who are suffering are also okay.

Our Approach

We provide education and the necessities of life by nurturing strategic partnerships between local leaders and Canadian supporters.

But we can't do that alone - nor should we.
If we want the transformation of lives to be long-lasting, it doesn’t happen overnight. That’s why International Teams Canada finds long-term partnerships between churches, supporters in Canada, and local community leaders who work together on projects that will make the greatest impact on helping to end poverty in our lifetime.

How it Works

1.
Local church leader or organization begins providing care and support to people experiencing poverty.
2.
That same local leader partners with us as a way to get connected to a local church here in Canada.
3.
Local teams from churches here in Canada go and witness first-hand the work on ground.
4.
iTeams Canada strengthens that partnership by working with both the local program and Canadian church, providing funding and guidance to accelerate the work.
5.
Programs develop and strengthen with longevity - your donation helps create tuition funds, infrastructure and other support to help transform a community.
6.
Donors give beyond financial donations - you can run a fundraiser, advocate for the program and become a partner for our brothers & sisters overseas.
7.
Learnings from that program are taken to help more people in different places around the world overcome and break out of the cycle of poverty!

Transformation Story

How long-term support can change a life - stories from Shangilia Children’s Home

See Our Work in Action

We partner with established local leaders with visions to end poverty and transform their communities. Our work together focuses on factors proven to break cycles of poverty, often holistically addressing multiple through one program.

Our partners span across ten countries across Africa, Latin America and Europe.

Causes We Address include: Education, Food Security, Refuge from Violence, Clean Water, Women’s Empowerment, and Strengthening Families.
Learn More

Our Story

We’ve been serving through global missions and working to end poverty around the world since 1960, but it’s the help of caring people like you that’s making today's deep impact possible in our communities.

The Beginning of iTeams Canada

Back in 1960, Kevin Dyer, the founder of International Teams, launched this bold vision of transforming lives and communities and rallied a team of young leaders from Canada and the USA who shared an unwavering commitment to meeting the needs of the whole person. Together, they set out to change the world. Motivated by God’s love and generosity, taking the time to plan well and listen to the wise counsel of experienced leaders, that initial team headed to Calcutta, India, one of the highest concentrations of human poverty on the planet.

Initial Growth

The team reached 100,000 people within three months with their energy, innovation, faith and perseverance! Buoyed by this initial success, the fledgling organization expanded to other Southeast Asian countries, then Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Deepening Partnerships

In the next several decades, iTeams Canada built deep relationships with local leaders and partnerships focused on meeting the needs of the vulnerable in each community.  The organization's leaders chose to shift power to local communities, inspiring movements of local leaders who also shared an unwavering commitment to meeting the needs of the whole person and seeing lives and communities transformed by the power of God.

Today

iTeams Canada stands on the firm foundation of over sixty years of experience from compassionate volunteers, churches and staff making a significant impact on people's lives by working hand-in-hand with local leaders to see lives and communities transformed.

Accountability

We take transparency seriously. Click through to learn more about the commitments
and systems we put in place to honour and protect each other.
2023 Annual Report2022 Financial Statements

Leadership

Board Of Directors
Staff
Stuart Thomson
Stuart Thomson
board chair
Stuart Thomson
board chair
Stuart is an experienced financial planner, and brings fiscal knowledge and a strong business focus to the board.
Karen Toews
Karen Toews
Board Vice-chair
Karen Toews
Board Vice-chair
Karen travels to meet with community members and partners working on iTeams’ international projects. She brings her knowledge of project status, management, and human resources to board discussions.
Oscar Lima
Oscar Lima
Board Member
Oscar Lima
Board Member
Oscar is a filmmaker, the owner at Castaño Media and UX designer, with a background political science from his native Bolivia. He and his wife settled in Calgary, AB in 2010 where they also operate Flowers by Janie.
Nicole Blake
Nicole Blake
Board Member
Nicole Blake
Board Member
Nicole is a Human Resources Leader with over ten years of professional experience. She brings this experience, a love for God and His people, and a commitment to community service to the board.
Christy Macdonald
Christy Macdonald
Board Member
Christy Macdonald
Board Member
Christy is a chartered accountant and holds a PhD in accounting and has taught Taxation II and the tax portion of Introduction to Professional Practice in the School of Accounting and Finance at Waterloo. She is currently a senior tax manager at Deloitte, supporting their development of tax policy.
Aaron Marr
Aaron Marr
Board Member
Aaron Marr
Board Member
Aaron is a CPA and is a Controller for Metro Inc., a food retailer serving Quebec and Ontario. He and his family live in Mississauga where Aaron enjoys coaching sports teams and volunteering at their local church.
Lorraine Pinsent
Lorraine Pinsent
Board Member
Lorraine Pinsent
Board Member
Lorraine has more than 25 years of experience as a trademark agent and brings her knowledge of volunteering with non-profit boards to iTeams. Her goal is to see our transformational development programs fully funded.
Neil Ostrander
Neil Ostrander
Chief Executive Officer
Neil Ostrander
Chief Executive Officer
Neil joined iTeams Canada in 1990 to lead our first short-term team to Hungary and Romania. Neil now focuses his 30+ years of non-profit management experience on creating sustainable transformational development projects.
Kim Loney
Kim Loney
Chief Program Officer
Kim Loney
Chief Program Officer
Kim has lived on several different continents, including North America, South America, and Europe, where she worked to build her leadership skills. She currently resides in Canada and is the Chief Program Officer for iTeams Canada programs around the world.
Danica chamberlain
Danica chamberlain
Finance manager
Danica chamberlain
Finance manager
Danica provides oversight to the finance department of iTeams Canada. With over 10 years of experience with iTeams Canada, she leads the financial duties of the organization through management of financial records, auditing procedures and government compliance.
Adam Faber
Adam Faber
Program Specialist
Adam Faber
Program Specialist
Adam has worked for iTeams supporting program partners since completing the Forge Internship in 2017. He is experienced in community development, financial management, and organizational leadership, helping to manage the 14 projects across 10 countries that iTeams Canada works with.
Sheila Brewster
Sheila Brewster
Volunteer engagement specialist
Sheila Brewster
Volunteer engagement specialist
Sheila has worked for iTeams empowering Canadian volunteers to engage with partners both locally and overseas since she was hired at the end of her Forge internship in 2018. Overseeing Impact Team trips, the annual Advocacy Summit, and volunteer-led fundraising, she is passionate about using her creativity, enthusiasm and administrative skills to rally people around the work God is doing to end poverty alongside our international partners.
Jacob Gaudaur
Jacob Gaudaur
Donor Engagement Specialist
Jacob Gaudaur
Donor Engagement Specialist
Jacob has worked for iTeams in Donor Care and Fundraising since completing the Forge Internship in 2018. He is responsible for engaging with and caring for the incredible donors who make our work possible. He is most passionate about understanding the heart behind what makes each person generous.
Stephanie Burgess
Stephanie Burgess
Program administrator
Stephanie Burgess
Program administrator
Stephanie graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in International Development Studies. She ensures that our organization follows best practices in a variety of areas, including the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and our Human Resource activities.

Career Opportunities

INTERNSHIPS

THE FORGE is a 6 month internship specifically designed for college and university graduates with knowledge and passion for International Development. Forge interns are emerging Christian leaders who want to put their skills to practical use and take the next step in their careers. They also share a strong commitment to seeing communities around the world grow into fullness of life characterized by dignity, hope, justice and peace.

The Forge offers the opportunity to develop a robust work portfolio, integrate faith with vocation, and make a tangible, sustainable contribution to International Teams Canada’s transformational development programs.

INVEST YOUR SKILLS.
BUILD YOUR EXPERIENCE.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

THE FORGE internship is your opportunity to put your skills to work:
  • 6 months of paid intensive international development experience in both international and local contexts
  • Practical coaching and mentoring to help you move from theory to practice
  • Training and experience with program design, monitoring and evaluation
  • Program fundraising and technical grant writing
  • Networking and career development opportunities
Interested?
Reach out to forge@iteams.ca for more information.
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519-669-8844800-465-7601 (toll free)International Teams Canada
1 Union Street Elmira, Canada n3B3J9info@iteams.ca
We acknowledge that we work on the land traditionally used by the Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabe, and Neutral Peoples.  The land we are on was intended to be leased to settlers but instead was sold as land with full title. There are very few legal sales of Indigenous land, most of which were never paid to the Indigenous people of the territory. We acknowledge the enduring presence and deep traditional knowledge, contributions and philosophies of the Indigenous People with whom we share this land today. We are grateful to have the opportunity to be on this land, and by doing so, give our respect to its first inhabitants.