Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada is a 2-star charity. It is financially transparent and has a C results reporting grade, which is below average. Its overhead spending is 17%, which is within Ci’s reasonable range. Its reserve funds can cover program costs for nearly two years and five months, which is also within Ci's reasonable range.

Founded in 1952, Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada (SSFC), located in Stratford, Ontario, is North America’s largest classical theatre company in Stratford, Ontario. It showcases classical productions, contemporary dramas, and musicals.

In 2024, SSFC spent a total of $63.1m on its programs. The charity funds two main areas: Production and Education. The charity did not provide a spending breakdown on its programs.

Production hosts SSFC’s theatre performances, with an emphasis on Shakespearean plays. It also includes the Meighen Forum, which is a series of events that complement the mainstage season, such as panel discussions, live performances, backstage tours, and Q&As. In 2024, SSFC hosted 12 theatre productions and offered about 200 Meighen Forum events. In 2024, 430,000 people attended its plays. Its Meighen Forum events had 19,500 people attend.

Education aims to increase students’ exposure to theatre. The program includes many activities, such as pre-show workshops, youth mentorship for BIPOC individuals, theatre arts camp, and post secondary courses. SSFC also provides a digital education program called Classroom Connect, which gives university students access to plays and educational activities without attending in person. In 2024, 45,000 students attended Classroom Connect across 40 universities.

Charity Intelligence consolidated the financial statements for Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada and Stratford Shakespearean Festival Endowment Foundation.

SSFC’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing, a financial reporting best practice. This means its expenses are clearly defined between program, administrative and fundraising costs.

SSFC received $26.0m in donations in 2024, which is 26% of total revenue. This is a 115% increase from the $12.1m in 2023. In 2024, it got $30.0m from fees for its services, which is 30% of total revenue. It earned $24.7m in investment income, which is 25% of total revenue. The charity spent $63.1m on its programs in 2024, which is 64% of revenue. SSFC recorded a surplus of $27.1m in 2024 (27% of revenue).

SSFC spent $2.0m on fundraising costs, which is 8% of donations. It spent $6.7m on administrative costs, which is 9% of revenue. SSFC has total overhead spending of 17%. For every dollar donated to SSFC, 83 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

SSFC has $152.2m in reserve funds (cash and investments). Its reserve funds can cover 241% or two years and nearly five months of its annual program costs, which is within Ci's reasonable range. 

This report is an update that has been sent to Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 25, 2025, by Leah DeFrancesco.