Wellspring Alberta
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.
A
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
n/r
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.
75%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 75 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Wellspring Alberta:
Wellspring Alberta is a 4-star charity. It is financially transparent and has an A Results Reporting grade, which is above average. Its overhead spending is 25%, which is within Ci’s reasonable range. Its reserve funds can cover program costs for more than four years, which is not within Ci’s reasonable range.
Founded in 1992, Wellspring Alberta (WSA) offers free programs that aim to provide financial assistance, education, and social support for individuals with cancer. In August 2022, the charity became Wellspring Alberta, which is the union of Wellspring Calgary and Wellspring Edmonton. It offers its programs online and at three locations: Carma House, Randy O’Dell House, and Edmonton House. WSA states that by 2040, the number of new cancer cases in Alberta is projected to be over 33,700 annually, which is a 36% increase over 2019. It also states that more than one in two patients with cancer report they have symptoms causing distress during treatment.
The charity spent $3.4m on its programs in 2024. WSA funds six program areas: Symptom Management; Financial and Workplace Strategies; Therapeutic Arts; Exercise and Movement; Self-Development and Education; and Individual and Group Support. WSA did not provide a spending breakdown on its programs.
Symptom Management: These programs aim to help cancer patients manage their symptoms so they can live more easily. These symptoms are managed through meditation, visualization and other relaxation exercises. As of August 2025, the charity runs five Symptom Management programs.
Financial and Workplace Strategies: These programs aim to help cancer patients overcome financial burdens associated with their disease. The charity provides coordinators who help patients navigate government benefit programs, employer accommodations, and more. As of August 2025, it runs two Financial and Workplace Strategies programs.
Therapeutic Arts: These programs aim to give cancer patients an outlet to express themselves through visual arts, writing, music, and more. As of August 2025, the charity runs three Therapeutic Arts programs.
Exercise and Movement: These programs aim to help cancer patients recover from the physical impacts of cancer. As of August 2025, the charity runs three Exercise and Movement programs.
Self-Development and Education: These programs provide resources and strategies that aim to help cancer patients live with their disease. As of August 2025, the charity runs five Self-Development and Educational programs.
Individual and Group Support: These programs aim to provide a confidential space for patients to express their feelings about cancer one-on-one or in groups. As of August 2025, the charity runs ten Individual and Group Support programs.
In 2024, WSA had over 40,000 visits across all its programs. Its workers provided 24,505 hours of service and it served 164 communities. The charity supported 3,100 people in 2024.
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Results and Impact
Wellspring Alberta conducted a 2025 mission survey that was sent to all Wellspring members. Out of its 839 respondents, 97% stated that WSA helped them gain knowledge and address their needs, 98% stated they felt less isolated, and 98% stated that WSA helped improve their mental health. The charity also reported that 70% of respondents felt that WSA increased their financial wellbeing.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of WSA’s results and impact.
Ci has not calculated WSA’s impact. This shows as n/r and does not affect the star rating.
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Finances
Wellspring Alberta’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.
WSA received $3.1m in donations and special event fundraising in 2024, which is 63% of total revenue. This is a 22% increase from the $2.5m in donations and special event fundraising in 2023. It earned $1.8m in investment income in 2024, which is 37% of total revenue. In 2024, it spent a total of $3.4m on its programs, which is 70% of revenue. WSA recorded a surplus of $698k (14% of revenue) in 2024.
WSA spent $514k on fundraising costs, which is 17% of donations. It spent $250k on administrative costs, which is 8% of revenue. WSA has total overhead spending of 25%. For every dollar donated to WSA, 75 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.
WSA has $14.7m in reserve funds (cash and investments). WSA’s reserve funds can cover 429% or four years and three months of its annual program costs. This is not within Ci’s reasonable range of three years or less.
In 2024, WSA had investment returns of 13%. It is 56% invested in equities. Its investment returns have averaged 6% over the last five years.
This report is an update that has been sent to Wellspring Alberta for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated on August 26, 2025, by Leah DeFrancesco.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending December
|
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 8.1% | 9.2% | 9.8% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 16.7% | 19.7% | 10.9% |
| Total overhead spending | 24.8% | 28.9% | 20.6% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 428.9% | 429.9% | 474.3% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $s |
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 2,366,768 | 2,027,252 | 3,070,131 |
| Government funding | 0 | 0 | 24,509 |
| Special events | 710,150 | 489,166 | 275,146 |
| Investment income | 1,813,572 | 1,510,942 | (1,155,774) |
| Other income | 0 | 0 | 24,309 |
| Total revenues | 4,890,490 | 4,027,360 | 2,238,321 |
| Program costs | 3,427,604 | 3,271,653 | 3,040,489 |
| Administrative costs | 250,050 | 231,331 | 330,963 |
| Fundraising costs | 514,366 | 495,720 | 363,604 |
| Total spending | 4,192,020 | 3,998,704 | 3,735,056 |
| Cash flow from operations | 698,470 | 28,656 | (1,496,735) |
| Capital spending | 112,039 | 151,702 | 66,511 |
| Funding reserves | 14,699,733 | 14,063,647 | 14,420,496 |
Note: 1. Ci adjusted for deferred revenue, affecting revenue by ($830k) in 2024, ($1.4m) in 2023, and ($650k) in 2022. 2. Ci included unrealized and realized gain (loss) on investments reported below the line, affecting revenue by $1.0m in 2024, $896k in 2023, and ($1.8m) in 2022.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
0 |
$80k - $120k |
9 |
$40k - $80k |
1 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2024
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 587-747-0260