The Alex
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
✔+
FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
Audited financial statements for current and previous years available on the charity’s website.
C-
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
Fair
DEMONSTRATED IMPACT
The demonstrated impact per dollar Ci calculates from available program information.
NEED FOR FUNDING
Charity's cash and investments (funding reserves) relative to how much it spends on programs in most recent year.
88%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 88 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About The Alex:
The Alex is a 2-star charity that is financially transparent. It has a Fair demonstrated impact and a below-average results reporting grade of C-. For every dollar donated, 88 cents are available to go towards the cause. Its reserve funds can cover just over three months of annual program costs.
Founded in 1973, The Alex (Alexandra Community Health Centre) provides health and social support to address the needs of people in Calgary. The charity states that it serves a community that faces complex health challenges. This includes poverty, trauma, housing instability, and food insecurity. In fiscal 2025 (year ended March), The Alex spent $27.1m on its programs and grants. The charity did not provide a program breakdown for its spending.
The Alex provides services that address a variety of health-related issues. The charity runs a Seniors Health Centre which serves people aged 60 or older who are low-income and without a family doctor. The charity reports this centre received over 11,400 visits in F2025. The Alex also runs a Youth Health Centre that received over 26,000 visits in F2025.
The Alex runs support services and community programs. Its Community Food Centre offers weekly meals and biweekly affordable produce markets. It also runs cooking, nutrition, and gardening classes. The Alex reports it served over 83,000 meals and snacks at the Centre.
The Alex also provides housing services that support people who are chronically homeless. The charity follows a housing first model. It supports people by finding them a home first, then provides care to work on the issues that have led to homelessness.
In F2025, The Alex purchased a new building. They expect this building will meet the growing needs of more than 15,000 Calgarians annually.
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Results and Impact
Ci found that The Alex reported many stories but no quantified data on its impact. This may not be a complete representation of The Alex’s results and impact.
This charity has been given a Fair rating for its demonstrated impact per dollar.
Impact Rating: Fair
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Finances
The Alex’s financial statements use line-item costing, meaning it does not properly disclose which expenses relate to programming, administrative, and fundraising activities. This is not a best practice.
In F2025, The Alex received $16.6m in donations, up 6% from the $15.6m received in F2024. In F2025, the charity received $13.6m in government funding, which represents 34% of total revenues. Administrative costs are 10% of total revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 2% of total donations. For every dollar donated, 88 cents are available to go towards the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. In F2025, The Alex spent $27.1m on its programs and grants which represents 68% of total revenues.
In F2025, The Alex had $8.0m in its reserve funds, of which $585k were donor endowed. Excluding the donor-endowed funds, the charity can cover just over three months of annual program costs.
At the time of this update, the charity’s F2025 T3010 filing with the CRA was not available. The compensation information reflects the F2024 period. Ci will update this information when the F2025 T3010 filing is available.
Profile updated on July 11, 2025 by Abby Stout.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending March
|
2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 10.3% | 11.8% | 13.2% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 2.2% | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Total overhead spending | 12.5% | 13.8% | 15.2% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 27.4% | 36.5% | 47.6% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 16,643 | 15,643 | 15,578 |
| Government funding | 13,610 | 14,407 | 13,478 |
| Investment income | 1,271 | 948 | 759 |
| Other income | 8,256 | (817) | 2,129 |
| Total revenues | 39,780 | 30,181 | 31,944 |
| Program costs | 25,925 | 26,063 | 24,552 |
| Grants | 1,210 | 1,224 | 1,250 |
| Administrative costs | 3,959 | 3,445 | 4,129 |
| Fundraising costs | 365 | 319 | 301 |
| Other costs | 105 | 0 | 0 |
| Total spending | 31,563 | 31,050 | 30,232 |
| Cash flow from operations | 8,216 | (869) | 1,712 |
| Capital spending | 10,623 | 278 | 533 |
| Funding reserves | 8,009 | 10,542 | 12,850 |
Note: DEFERRED CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Ci adjusted for the amortization of deferred capital contributions, affecting total revenues by ($209k) in F2025, ($186k) in F2024, and ($61k) in F2023. DEFERRED OTHER REVENUE: Ci adjusted for the change in deferred donations affecting total revenues by $8.2m in F2025, ($1.0m) in F2024, and $1.9m in F2023. ENDOWMEND CONTRIBUTION: Ci included the endowment contribution received, increasing total revenues by $650k in F2025, and $nil in F2024 and F2023. FUNDRAISING COSTS: The Alex did not include fundraising costs as a line-item expense. Ci included them and removed them from program costs. This reduced program costs by $365k in F2025, $319k in F2024, and $301k in F2023. LOSS ON DISPOSAL OF CAPITAL ASSETS: The Alex included the loss on disposal of capital assets as a line-item expense. Ci reconciled for this which affected total expenses by ($179k) in F2025.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
1 |
$160k - $200k |
2 |
$120k - $160k |
6 |
$80k - $120k |
1 |
$40k - $80k |
0 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2024
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
This comment has been previously added by the charity and may not reflect the current profile:
Since 1973, The Alex has provided thoughtful, comprehensive care to vulnerable Calgarians. With clinical and social components included in almost all of our programs, The Alex tackles tough health and social issues head-on, and our preventative, cost-effective approach saves taxpayer dollars by moving people from poverty to stability and from crisis to wellness. The Alex serves a community with complex health needs, often the result of issues such as poverty, trauma, homelessness, or addiction. At The Alex whole health is the goal – and you can’t be healthy if you are hungry, or isolated, or experiencing mental health struggles.
Navigating a complex system of service-providers can be challenging for those who need the help the most. This is why we offer an extensive scope of services all under one roof reducing the need for our community members to have to find the time and resources to go elsewhere. We also know effective care means being in the right place at the right time, so programs like our Community Food Centre and Seniors Health Centre are nestled in the heart of their communities, and our mobile units travel across the city to identified areas of need.
At the heart of every Alex program is a rigorous evaluation process, ensuring that our services are meeting the needs of our community, and moving the needle on their health and wellness. We know our approach works, because we have seen the transformation of thousands of lives. Building community, treating people with dignity, and supporting their paths to wellness – these are all fundamental values of The Alex. Together, we are changing health, and changing lives.
To learn more or to find out how you can support, visit www.thealex.ca.
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 403-520-6453