Salvation Army is a 2-star charity with Low demonstrated impact. It has a B- grade for results reporting, which is below average. Its funding reserves are within Ci’s reasonable range and can cover two years and four months of annual program costs. For every dollar donated to Salvation Army, 77 cents are available to go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Operating in Canada since 1882, Salvation Army is the Canadian branch of The Salvation Army International – an international Christian charity. In Canada, there are approximately 400 social services locations, more than 260 community churches, and one university/college.

Through its programs and grants to local chapters, the charity aims to support vulnerable communities in Canada. The charity reports 3.4 million Canadians, or one in eleven people, live in poverty and that nearly 21% of Canadians will experience addiction at some point in their lives. Salvation Army runs seven main programs: Addictions, Corrections, and Residential, Healthcare, Community and Family Services, Congregational Ministries, Children and Youth, Education, and Oversees Development. In F2025, Salvation Army spent $696.8m on its programs and grants.

Addiction, Corrections, and Residential represented 33% of program spending in F2025. The charity runs specialized shelters that offer detox support, mental health counselling, and meals to those in need. The charity reported 6,000 interactions through drop-in day programs that deal with mental health and recovery, and 8,350 shelter, addictions, detox, healthcare, and corrections beds provided each night in F2025. Salvation Army’s Celebrate Recovery program also recorded 3,000 interactions.

Healthcare received 25% of F2025 program spending. It includes the charity’s portfolio of hospitals, nursing homes, and daycares. Salvation Army did not provide any quantified outputs for this program in F2025.

Community and Family Services accounted for 12% of program costs in F2025. The charity operates around 400 community centres where it provides basic needs support to families in need. The charity reported 4.8 million community and shelter meals distributed, 345,000 visits for Christmas assistance (including food hampers and toys), and 10,500 interactions with people attending language training, settlement and refugee services in F2025.

Congregational Ministries represented 5% of F2025 program spending. The charity operates over 260 churches across Canada.

Children and Youth received 2% of program spending in F2025. The charity reports 5,600 children were helped through its Brighter Futures sponsorship program, and 2,900 youths attended its summer camps in F2025.

Education represented 1% of F2025 program spending. Salvation Army distributed 195,000 school meals in F2025.

Oversees Development accounted for 1% of program costs in F2025. In the past two years, the charity has supported 95 projects across 35 countries, leading to the drilling of 4 new boreholes in Rwanda, and 3 new classrooms in Indonesia.

Salvation Army granted $125.7m, or 18% of program spending to local chapters to address the day-to-day needs in their specific communities.

The remaining 2% of F2025 program spending was allocated to “Other programs and services”. The charity does not provide further detail on this program.

Salvation Army’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing, which is a best practice. This means its expenses are clearly defined between program, administrative, and fundraising categories.

The charity had total revenues of $971.2m in F2025. It received $249.4m in donations, representing 26% of revenue and $487.4m in government funding, equal to 50% of revenue. Investment income was $136.8m in F2025, or 14% of revenue.

Salvation Army collects and sells donated goods. The net proceeds are shown as business activities. In F2025, sales of donated goods were $187.6m, with thrift shop operations costing $168.2m, for a net revenue of $19.5m.

The charity spent $571.1m on its programs and granted $125.7m to qualified donees, for a total of $696.8m, which is 72% of its revenue. As reported on the charity’s T3010 filing with the CRA, $125.5m of its grants were to its local Salvation Army chapters. The charity recorded a surplus of $140.9m in F2025.

Administrative costs were $97.2m, representing 12% of revenue (excluding investment income). The charity spent $27.2m on fundraising, equal to 11% of donations. Total overhead spending was 23%. For every dollar donated to Salvation Army, 77 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Salvation Army held $1.7 billion in reserve funds (cash and investments) in F2025, $32.0m of which was donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, these reserves can cover two years and four months of annual program costs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

This is a charity update that has been sent to Salvation Army by Neela Jalilian on July 21, 2026.