Autism Ontario is a 3-star charity with a below average results reporting grade. Its funding reserves are within Ci’s reasonable range and can cover seven and a half months of program costs. For every dollar donated to Autism Ontario, 75 cents are available to go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Autism Ontario is a charity that aims to support people with autism and their families across Ontario. Founded in 1973, it works to improve understanding and acceptance of autism while helping people access services, funding, and community-based supports.

Autism affects how a person communicates and interacts with others, and support needs vary widely from person to person, ranging from high levels of daily care to needing only limited supports in specific settings. In 2019, Autism Ontario reports about 1 in 50 children and youths are diagnosed with autism in Canada, or approximately 2% of children aged 1-17.

Autism Ontario’s services are organized into two main areas: Grants, and Autism Support & Community Services. In F2025, Autism Ontario spent $24.8m on its programs. 

Grants includes two main components: AccessOAP through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP), and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) funding supports. Autism Ontario granted $22.9m to these causes, or 93% of its program spending.

AccessOAP is an intake organization for the OAP and serves as the central hub for families to register, access grants, and navigate autism services across Ontario. The OAP is a provincial program that provides funding to families so children and youths with autism can access behavioural therapy, skill-building programs, and other developmental supports. Through AccessOAP, Autism Ontario helps families understand the program, complete registration and connect with appropriate services and resources. In F2025, Autism Ontario staff had 178,648 conversations with families, helping them to understand and register for the OAP.

MCCSS funding supports provides reimbursements to families to help reduce financial barriers and increase access to community programs for autistic children and youths during school breaks. In F2025, through MCCSS grants, Autism Ontario reimbursed 454 children through its summer funding program, and 970 children through its March Break funding program.

Autism Support & Community Services is focused on delivering education, awareness, and community-based supports for autistic individuals, families, and professionals. It provides workshops, webinars, information sessions, support groups, transition-to-adulthood guidance, and training programs designed to improve understating of autism and strengthen access to supports across different life stages. In F2025, Autism Ontario ran 1,176 events, programs and workshops, with 56,000 total attendees.

Autism Ontario uses line-item costing, which is not a best practice. This means it does not properly disclose which expenses relate to programming, administrative, and fundraising activities.

Autism Ontario had total revenues of $27.3m in F2025. It received $1.1m in donations, equal to 4% of its revenue, and $25.1m in government funding, amounting to 92% of total revenue.

The charity spent $24.8m on its programs, which is 91% of its revenue. Autism Ontario recorded a surplus of $1.7m in F2025.

Administrative costs were $560k, representing 2% of revenue (excluding investment income). Autism Ontario reported $263k in fundraising costs in F2025 on its T3010 filing with the CRA, equal to 23% of donations. Total overhead spending was 25%. For every dollar donated to Autism Ontario, 75 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Autism Ontario uses external fundraisers, as reported on its T3010. In F2025, the charity paid the fundraisers $18k to collect $76k in donations. This equates to a cost of 24 cents to raise one dollar using external fundraisers.

The charity held $15.5m in reserve funds (cash and investments) in F2025. These reserves can cover seven and a half months of annual program costs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

This is a charity update that has been sent Autism Ontario by Neela Jalilian on June 2, 2026.