Powering entrepreneurs
to end poverty.

iDE Canada creates income and livelihood opportunities in developing countries around the world. We invest in local entrepreneurship, building businesses with a focus on agriculture and sanitation. With access to the right products, services and advice, farmers can transform their small farms into small businesses. With access to research and development, sanitation business owners can produce the life-saving products their customers want.

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Read about how the seeds of your generosity are growing around the world!

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Join the Activators Circle

Join our community of caring monthly donors, called the Activators Circle, and provide reliable support to entrepreneurs and innovators each month.

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2024 Gala!

Join us for a reception-style fundraiser gala on the evening of Wednesday, October 23rd 2024. Gathering at the awe-inspiring CMHR building, we’ll celebrate the work you’ve made possible, and share how you can support even more people on their journey to prosperity.

Come celebrate!

Our Initiatives

Innovate for Impact

iDE’s founder, Paul Polak, practiced and preached the importance of starting with people. With your support, local iDE teams use Human Centered Design to engage deeply with the people and communities we serve.

Innovation Fund Projects

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Cambodia

| The Paul Polak Innovation Fund

Transform Smallholder Farming

Small-scale farmers grow 80% of the food available in rural areas but often live in poverty. Your support helps farmers increase their incomes by ensuring they have  access to markets, high-quality seed and affordable irrigation.

Agricultural Projects

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ETHIOPIA

| Agriculture resilience and dignity

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NEPAL

| Dealing with new pests

Three women's standing side-by-side in a farm field.
A women is making toilet seats in a rural area using clay and mud.

Stop Diarrhea

Diarrhea kills over half a million under-5 children every year – more than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV combined. Diarrhea deprives many millions of children of the nutrients they need to reach their full physical and mental potential.

Sanitation Projects

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GHANA

| Selling toilets to poor household


Recent News

  • David Froese, a legacy of making life better

    David Froese, a legacy of making life better

    David Froese, born in Winkler, Manitoba in 1926, lived a long and full life of 96 years. He was passionate about work, travel, family & friends — and committed to doing what he could to make life better. This included being a dedicated donor to iDE Canada. As an entrepreneur himself, David was drawn to…

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  • Collecting and sharing local knowledge in Mozambique

    Collecting and sharing local knowledge in Mozambique

    People who have lived and worked on the land for generations have a wealth of knowledge about the benefits of local plants. This is true in Canada, as well as in Mozambique, where an iDE-led team is creating a library of natural pesticides. This Polak Fund award winning team is working with communities around Mozambique…

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  • Polak Fund winners are taking out the trash

    Polak Fund winners are taking out the trash

    We’re very excited to announce the first ever Polak Fund Ignite awardee! This award ($340k) was given to a Cambodian team working toward improving garbage collection and disposal solutions in rural Cambodia. It is thanks to your generous donations that Polak Fund awards like this are available to innovators around the world. Approximately 75% of…

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  • You did it!

    You did it!

    Thanks to the enthusiastic support of our iDE Canada community, WE’VE REACHED OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL OF $780k FOR ‘HER TIME TO GROW!‘ We needed your help to leverage a $7.8 million dollar grant from the Government of Canada, and donors like you came through in record time. The ‘Her Time to Grow’ project is well…

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Our Partners

iDE Canada creates income and livelihood opportunities in developing countries around the world. We invest in local entrepreneurship, building businesses with a focus on agriculture and sanitation.

We would like to thank the Government of Canada and Manitoba Council for International Cooperation for their generous financial support.


Your support reaches to all corners of the world.