About Us

Our Impact

Everything that we do is centred on improving the lives of children and adults living with Crohn’s and colitis, and ultimately finding cures.

For more than 48 years, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada has led the way in giving Canadians affected by these diseases hope for a cure, support and education, and a community that understands. Read our Annual Report to learn more about our recent achievements. Watch our video to see how we've changed the future for so many Canadians through past efforts.

We are focused on delivering impact as we aspire to fulfill our Promise: to find the cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and to improve the quality of life of everyone affected by these diseases.

• Accelerating research
• Supporting people affected by IBD
• Driving system change
• Increasing awareness

Research: advancing discovery, treatments and care 

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have invested over $150 million in research to date, making us the largest non-governmental funder of inflammatory bowel disease research in Canada and the second largest in the world. Our rigorous and unbiased research grant review process ensures that we invest in the best researchers and most promising studies in Canada. This is the reason why Canada has become a global powerhouse for Crohn’s and colitis research. Our impact has been profound: 

• Investments that have led to new treatments and lower rates of surgery
• Funding researchers like Dr. Alexio Muise (The Hospital for Sick Children), who used bone marrow transplant to successfully treat inflammatory bowel disease in a young girl
• Establishing Canadian research centres as worldwide centres of excellence
• Provided operational funding for the GEM Project from 2008-2024 – a landmark study to identify the triggers of Crohn’s disease. We continue to support GEM through our Grants-In-Aid and Innovations in IBD research grants.

Patient programs to provide support today 

From nationally-supported programs to grassroots events, we offer an unmatched range of programs to improve life for children and adults living with Crohn’s and colitis. Here are just some of the ways we are making a difference today: 

• Camp Got2Go is giving kids with Crohn’s and colitis a place where they belong
• Gutsy Peer Support is an online mentoring program that provides the newly diagnosed with a shoulder to lean on
• Online and live educational events reach thousands each year
• Our website provides comprehensive information that helps patients understand and manage their disease

Advocating for change

The 300,000 Canadians living with Crohn’s and colitis deserve a strong voice on the issues that matter most to them. We advocate for policy and legislative changes that will ease the burden of these chronic diseases. Our advocacy priorities focus on access to treatments and care, increased washroom access and more. Our efforts are having real impact:

• Our free GoHere^® app, available for iPhone and Android devices makes it easier for people with Crohn’s or colitis to find a nearby, available washroom when they need one by showing the location of nearby washrooms or washrooms along a selected route. 
• Canadian compassionate care benefits have expanded from 6 to 26 weeks, thanks in part to our advocacy efforts
• Our No Forced Switch campaign is helping Canadians living with inflammatory bowel disease influence their legislators to continue to provide access treatments based on patient needs and their doctors's advice.

Building awareness to end the silence

One of the most challenging things about living with Crohn’s and colitis is the silence and stigma that can cause many people feel that they are facing these diseases on their own.

We are playing a lead role in bringing Crohn’s and colitis out from behind closed doors:

• Programs like Camp Got2Go, Gutsy Walk and GoHere are attracting the attention of national, regional and local media outlets.
• Our social media community is growing at an incredible pace and playing a key role in spreading the word.