Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is a 3-star charity. It has average disclosure with a B results reporting grade. It holds reserves outside Ci’s reasonable range. For every dollar donated to Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, 67 cents are available to go to the cause.

Founded in 1982, Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation (PMCF) funds research, education and patient care at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PMCC). PMCC is part of the University Health Network (UHN), a group of Toronto teaching hospitals. PMCC treats a wide range of cancers and draws patients from across Canada and abroad.

The charity reports that cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada, with nearly 42% of Canadians expected to face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. By 2050, the World Health Organization predicts that new cancer cases will rise globally by 77% from 2022 levels, with millennials facing the steepest increase.

In the fiscal year ending March 2026 (F2026), PMCF spent $176.1m on grants. Of which, $175.5m went to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and $616k went to other qualified donees.

Research, Education and Patient Care represented 92% of grants in F2026. In calendar year 2025, PMCC treated 21,050 new patients, of which 14,144 (67%) were cancer cases, 5,165 (25%) were non-neoplastic (not caused by a tumour) cases, and 1,741 (8%) were benign cases. The Centre recorded 306,205 clinic and virtual visits, 59,430 systemic therapy and MHDU (Medical High Dependency Unit) visits, and 87,249 radiation visits. It averaged 504 outpatient clinics per week. The Centre also carried out 5,384 surgical procedures, 497 stem cell transplants, and 82 CAR-T (a cancer treatment that reprograms a patient's own immune cells) treatments. PMCC treated more than 200 types of cancer in 2025. PMCC published 1,276 peer-reviewed publications, and 12,140 patients participated in clinical research studies, representing 17.2% of treated patients. The Centre reports 316,500 square feet of dedicated research space. In education, PMCC reports 823,659 engagements, 642 students and postdocs enrolled, and 23,497 patient library visits.

Equipment represented 5% of grants in F2026. The charity does not provide any breakdown of its equiptment spending. 

Construction of Centres within the Hospital accounted for 3% of grants in F2026. PMCF grants money to PMCC to purchase buildings, improving the quality and capacity of research and care. In F2026, a $50 million gift from the Peter Gilgan Foundation established the Peter Gilgan Centre for Early Cancer Detection Research at PMCC in Toronto.

In F2026, PMCF earned $351.2m in revenue, including $142.5m (41%) from donations and special events.

The charity spent $176.1m on its grants, which is 50% of revenue. In F2026, PMCF recorded a surplus of $123.0m.

Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (less investment income). Fundraising costs are 28% of donations. Total overhead is 33%. For every dollar donated to PMCF, 67 cents are available for programs. This is within Ci's reasonable range.

PMCF has $990.7m in reserve funds (cash and investments), of which, $262.9m is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity’s reserves can cover 447%, or roughly four and a half years of its annual grants spending. This is outside of Ci’s reasonable range.

PMCF’s $990.7m in reserves returned $90.6m in investment income, at a 10% rate of return. Over the past five years, the charity’s reserves average a 7% return.

In F2026, PMCF ran a lottery that raised $129.6m and returned $37.1m, net of expenses. Ci reports the lottery net and on a cash basis for the year, which provided $44.1m in net cash. For every dollar the charity earned through its lottery, 29 cents were available to go to the cause.

Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation has $62.2m in commitments. The charity has committed $4.4m in each of 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031. It has also committed $40.0m thereafter.

This charity update has been sent to PMCF for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. Updated by Nick Reszetnik on July 16, 2026.