True North Aid is a 3-star charity. The charity has a A- Results Reporting grade, which is above average. Its overhead spending is 7%, within Charity Intelligence’s reasonable range. Its reserve funds can cover just under seven months of annual program costs, which is within Charity Intelligence’s reasonable range.

Founded in 2009, True North Aid (TNA) provides essential aid to remote Indigenous communities. Its programs are established on eight foundational stones of support: self-determination, reconciliation, water, food, health, housing, culture, and education.

The Donor Restricted Community Programs received 59% of program spending. TNA reported that the Moon Time Connection program delivered up to 4 million pounds of menstrual products in 2024. True North Aid ran Work2Give in partnership with Correctional Services Canada, which recruits Indigenous offenders to use their carpentry skills to give back to remote communities. In 2024, the charity reported that it delivered twenty picnic tables, four end tables, two bookshelves, ten cedar garden beds, and four hand drums. The charity also stated that it gave out four small houses, which are compact wooden houses for people experiencing homelessness. In 2024, TNA also ran its Hockey Cares program, which is a cultural exchange between youth from Oakville, Ontario and Constance Lake First Nation.

The Community Initiatives Program received 24% of program spending. It funds Indigenous-led projects that aim to create positive community-centred change. In 2024, True North Aid funded 24 initiatives. These initiatives included the Kisilignik sealskin cleaning workshop, Haida Gwaii Cultural Exchange, and music lessons in Green Lake, Saskatchewan.

The Community Supplies Program received 13% of program spending. It provides necessities to communities where access to vital supplies is challenging. The charity reported that its Good Night’s Sleep program delivered 201 beds to eight communities in partnership with Silk and Snow in 2024. These sets included a bed frame, mattress, mattress protector, blankets, sheets, and pillows. In 2024, the Back-to-School program gave out 1,989 backpacks, 1,162 elementary kits, and 627 high school kits. The charity also reported that it shipped 700 boxes of Lego and delivered over 3,000 books. True North Aid’s One Pallet, One Community program shipped over 3,400 pounds of baby supplies, school supplies, bedding, and more.

TNA’s Education and Outreach program received 4% of program spending. The charity ran reconciliation programs and events to raise awareness and connect communities. In 2024, the charity held Reconciliation Day walks and reported that it had 1,165 participants with approximately 80 volunteers. TNA also held online Settler Discussions, with 124 people joining in 2024.

Although True North Aid’s audited financial statements provide some disclosure on how much it spent on program and administrative costs, it did not properly separate out fundraising expenses on its statement of operations.  

In 2024, the charity received $2.8m in donations and special events revenue. It reported $9k in government funding in 2024.

True North Aid spent $2.2m on its program. The charity spent $197k on administration, which is 7% of revenue (less investment income) in 2024. It did not report any fundraising costs. This results in total overhead spending of 7%. For every dollar donated, 93 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

True North Aid reported a surplus of $101k and recorded reserve funds of $1.4m in 2024. The charity can cover just under 7 months of its annual program costs.

Profile updated by Leah Holmes on July 2, 2024. This charity report is an update that has been sent to the charity for review. Comments and corrections may be forthcoming.