About AAISA

The Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) is a non-profit umbrella organization that represents and strengthens settlement service providers across Alberta. AAISA has been active since 1980 and was incorporated in 1987, and today represents over fifty immigrant serving agencies and organizations that support newcomers across the province.

AAISA serves as a unifying voice and leadership body for organizations supporting newcomers across Alberta. As the province continues to welcome diverse populations, AAISA plays a critical role in facilitating collaboration and leadership within the settlement and integration sector, working toward an inclusive, welcoming, and engaged society for all newcomers.

Our Mission

Facilitate collaboration and leadership within the settlement serving sector.

 

Our Vision

An inclusive, welcoming, and engaged society

Our Values

  • Integrity: AAISA will approach its work with integrity. It will be professional in its approach, ensure education and continued learning are part of its initiatives, set and follow standards, and be respectful in all its interactions.
  • Collaboration: AAISA will follow a collaborative model. It will ensure inclusivity and offer a unified voice for the sector.
  • Proactivity: AAISA will be proactive in all undertakings. It will take initiative and have influence in the areas of policy and advocacy and will aim to have impact in its work.
  • Accountability: AAISA will ensure that it is accountable. Its responsibility to its members, funders, and the larger settlement sector will be the forefront in what it does.

AAISA is a non-profit organization.

 

View Our Annual Reports

Our 2026 to 2030 Strategic Priorities

AAISA’s Strategic Plan for 2026 to 2030 sets five goals. Each goal explains what AAISA hopes to accomplish and the strategies that will guide that work. Detailed actions are carried out through AAISA’s staff through the many projects and efforts we undertake and board strategy and long-term planning.

Goal 1: Strong Member Relationships

AAISA has reciprocal and respectful relationships with its members for a unified, responsive settlement sector.

Our strategies:

  • Grow relationships and engagement with Francophone member organizations.
  • Strengthen relationships and trust with AAISA members.
  • Develop members’ opportunities for engagement and governance.

Goal 2: Sector Sustainability

AAISA leads the sustainability of the settlement sector through training and collaborative capacity building available in both official languages.

Our strategies:

  • Facilitate capacity building that increases organizational and sector health.
  • Develop professional development opportunities that engage, learn from, and support AAISA members in best practices.

Goal 3: Policy Influence

AAISA influences policies at all levels, within organizations and across all levels of government, that promote equal access, opportunities, advancement, and outcomes for newcomers.

Our strategies:

  • Link with other umbrella and external organizations to collaborate on policy advocacy.
  • Strengthen AAISA’s capacity to be a resource and partner to government bodies and institutions.
  • Build AAISA’s capacity and processes to ensure appropriate and effective responses to emerging advocacy needs.
  • Amplify the sector’s collective expertise on the assets and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Goal 4: A Trusted Voice

AAISA is an active, trusted voice for newcomer integration, producing and sharing effective knowledge, practices, and policies with stakeholders outside of the settlement and integration sector.

Our strategies:

  • Produce and amplify rigorous research related to settlement and integration so AAISA, its members, and its partners can engage in effective action.
  • Engage and support AAISA members in relevant action outside of the direct settlement and integration sector.
  • Actively engage in proactive communication and relationship building with partners outside of the sector.

Goal 5: Organizational Health

AAISA invests in its organizational health so it can continue to grow with the settlement and integration sector.

Our strategies:

  • Prioritize AAISA’s business continuity processes.
  • Diversify funding for financial sustainability.
  • Focus on staff retention.

Nos priorites strategiques 2026 a 2030

Le plan strategique 2026 a 2030 de AAISA etablit cinq objectifs. Chaque objectif explique ce que AAISA souhaite accomplir ainsi que les strategies qui guideront ce travail. Les actions detaillees sont mises en oeuvre par l’entremise des plans operationnels du personnel et du conseil d’administration de AAISA.

Objectif 1 : Des liens solides avec nos membres

AAISA a des liens reciproques et respectueux avec ses membres pour un secteur de l’etablissement unifie et adaptable.

Nos strategies :

  • Developper les liens et l’engagement avec les organisations membres francophones.
  • Renforcer les liens et la confiance avec les membres de AAISA.
  • Developper les occasions d’engagement et de gouvernance pour les membres.

Objectif 2 : La durabilite du secteur

AAISA dirige la durabilite du secteur de l’etablissement par la formation et le renforcement collaboratif des capacites, offerts dans les deux langues officielles.

Nos strategies :

  • Faciliter le renforcement des capacites qui ameliore la sante organisationnelle et sectorielle.
  • Developper des occasions de perfectionnement professionnel qui font participer les membres de AAISA, apprennent de leurs pratiques et les appuient dans l’adoption de pratiques exemplaires.

Objectif 3 : L’influence sur les politiques

AAISA influence les politiques a tous les niveaux, au sein des organisations et a tous les niveaux de gouvernement, qui font la promotion d’un acces egal, d’opportunites, d’avancement et de resultats pour les nouveaux arrivants.

Nos strategies :

  • Creer des liens avec d’autres organisations cadres et externes pour collaborer sur les dossiers de plaidoyer politique.
  • Renforcer la capacite de AAISA a etre une ressource et un partenaire pour les entites gouvernementales et les institutions.
  • Developper la capacite et les processus de AAISA pour assurer des reponses appropriees et efficaces aux besoins emergents en matiere de revendication.
  • Amplifier l’expertise collective du secteur sur les actifs et les pratiques en matiere d’EDI (equite, diversite et inclusion).

Objectif 4 : Une voix de confiance

AAISA est une voix active et fiable pour l’integration des nouveaux arrivants, produisant et partageant des connaissances, des pratiques et des politiques efficaces avec des intervenants a l’exterieur du secteur de l’etablissement et de l’integration.

Nos strategies :

  • Produire et amplifier la recherche rigoureuse liee a l’etablissement et a l’integration afin que AAISA, ses membres et ses partenaires puissent s’engager dans une action efficace.
  • Engager et appuyer les membres de AAISA dans des actions pertinentes a l’exterieur du secteur direct de l’etablissement et de l’integration.
  • S’engager activement dans une communication proactive et l’etablissement de liens avec des partenaires a l’exterieur du secteur.

Objectif 5 : La sante organisationnelle

AAISA investit dans sa sante organisationnelle afin de pouvoir continuer a croitre avec le secteur de l’etablissement et de l’integration.

Nos strategies :

  • Prioriser les processus de continuite des activites de AAISA.
  • Diversifier le financement pour assurer la durabilite financiere.
  • Mettre l’accent sur la retention du personnel.