BC SPCA
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.
73%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 73 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About BC SPCA:
British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a 5-star rated charity. It has an above average results reporting grade of A-. For every dollar donated, there are 73 cents available to go towards the cause. Its reserve funds can cover two years and nine months of annual program costs.
Founded in 1895, British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) works to protect and improve the quality of life of domestic, farm, and wild animals in British Columbia. It aims to create a world where all animals can access basic needs and live free of suffering. In fiscal 2023 (year ended September), BC SPCA reports helping 135,764 animals. This is a 13% increase compared to F2022. In F2023, British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals spent $36.8m on its four programs. The programs are sheltering, medical care, cruelty investigation, and advocacy and education.
Sheltering was 53% of program spending. BC SPCA provides shelter and emergency care to animals in need. In F2023, it provided 17,729 homeless animals with shelter and care. It also reports giving over 9,600 nights of free emergency pet boarding for owners facing distressing situations. In F2023, the BC SPCA food bank provided 717,621 meals, a 13% increase compared to F2022.
Medical care was 25% of program spending. In F2023 BC SPCA treated 17,964 animals through the charity’s vet services. In F2023, it also rehabilitated 2,132 injured wild animals, and performed 14,914 spay and neuter surgeries.
Cruelty investigation was 14% of program spending. The charity responds to animal cruelty claims and in some cases removes animals from harmful situations. In F2023, BC SPCA received 80,752 calls to the charity’s helpline, and helped 41,175 animals from 7,841 animal cruelty investigations.
Animal advocacy and education was 9% of program spending. In F2023, the charity had 213,702 visits to its “Take Action” advocacy web page. In F2023 it also engaged 16,140 kids in its children programs which include summer camps, school clubs, and presentations. The charity also launched 8 major advocacy campaigns.
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Results and Impact
The following results are from F2023.
British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports 11,138 adoptions, a 14% increase compared to F2022. The charity also reunited 2,165 lost animals with its guardians. In its cruelty investigation program, the charity removed 2,795 animals from dangerous or neglectful situations. Due to BC SPCA’s advocacy campaigns and policies, a ban on canine devocalization procedures came into effect in November, 2023.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of BC SPCA’s results and impact. British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is not yet rated on impact (n/r).
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Finances
In F2023, BC SPCA received $44.1m in donations. In F2023, its fees for service revenue was $5.8m. This comes from kenneling and bylaw enforcement services as well as sheltering, medical, and clinical services. Administrative costs are 10% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 18% of donations. For every dollar donated, 73 cents are available to go towards the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
BC SPCA has $104.0m in funding reserves, of which $2.1m is donor-endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity’s reserve funds can cover two years and nine months of annual program costs.
In F2023, BC SPCA paid $602k to external fundraisers to raise $795k in donations. This means it cost BC SPCA 76 cents to raise a dollar via external fundraisers.
Profile updated on June 24, by Abby Stout.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending September
|
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 9.5% | 9.1% | 7.3% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 17.9% | 17.4% | 12.7% |
| Total overhead spending | 27.4% | 26.5% | 20.0% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 276.9% | 269.6% | 274.5% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 44,089 | 43,007 | 44,685 |
| Government funding | 16,195 | 4,190 | 1,050 |
| Fees for service | 5,755 | 6,209 | 9,760 |
| Lotteries (net) | 4,108 | 4,252 | 2,242 |
| Investment income | 4,429 | (3,617) | 6,570 |
| Total revenues | 74,576 | 54,041 | 64,307 |
| Program costs | 36,829 | 31,363 | 28,681 |
| Grants | 47 | 32 | 25 |
| Administrative costs | 6,676 | 5,258 | 4,218 |
| Fundraising costs | 7,877 | 7,473 | 5,669 |
| Other costs | 718 | 751 | 698 |
| Total spending | 52,147 | 44,877 | 39,291 |
| Cash flow from operations | 22,429 | 9,164 | 25,016 |
| Capital spending | 1,140 | 958 | 1,952 |
| Funding reserves | 103,952 | 86,344 | 80,350 |
Note: DEFERRED DONATIONS: To report on a cash basis, Ci adjusted for deferred donations. This affected total revenues by ($1.1m) in F2023, ($11.8m) in F2022, and $12.7m in F2021. GOVERNMENT FUNDING: Ci reported government funding using the charity’s T3010 filing with the CRA. BANK CHARGES AND INTEREST: Ci included bank charges and interest in other cash expenses. This affected total expenses by $718k in F2023, $751k in F2022, and $698k in F2021. AMORTIZATION: Ci removed amortization from program, administrative, and fundraising costs on a pro-rata basis.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
1 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
4 |
$160k - $200k |
5 |
$120k - $160k |
0 |
$80k - $120k |
0 |
$40k - $80k |
0 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2023
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
The charity left the following comment on July 31, 2018. We hope to receive updated comments, which will be posted below.
The BC SPCA has a broad animal welfare mandate. We help animals in direct need through province-wide cruelty investigations and by sheltering and rehoming abandoned, unwanted, neglected and injured animals – dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and more. We are also proactive in advocating for improved laws and codes of practice for farm animals, companion animals, animals used in research and wildlife.
The Society operates a provincial animal cruelty and injured wildlife call centre which handles thousands of calls each year. We also run five veterinary clinics focused on spay/neuter and helping those animal guardians most in need. We rescue and treat injured and orphaned wildlife through Wild ARC, a wildlife rehabilitation centre near Victoria. We also operate SPCA Certified, a unique program that inspects and certifies farms that meet high welfare standards (beef, chicken, eggs, pork, lamb and turkey).
Through our Drive for Lives transfer program, the BC SPCA utilizes its 36 shelter locations to move animals to locations where cats, dogs and small animals have the best possible chance for adoption. At the same time the SPCA invests proactively in community spay/neuter programs as well as lobbying for improved municipal bylaws which address the root causes of pet overpopulation.
To prevent cruelty to animals, the BC SPCA invests in youth education programs including a provincial Kids Club, school presentations, teacher curriculum units, youth summer camps and workshops, as well as behaviour and animal care information for the general public.
The BC SPCA is almost entirely funded by private donations. The BC SPCA does not receive operational funding from the B.C. government but did receive a $5m capital grant in FY2015 and $5 million in FY2017 to fund replacement of aging facilities. Federal government support is limited to employment grants.
The BC SPCA is one of 237 Canadian charities, and the first animal welfare organization, accredited by Imagine Canada for demonstrated excellence in financial accountability and transparency, board governance, fundraising, staff management and volunteer involvement. We encourage supporters to discover more about the BC SPCA’s work by visiting spca.bc.ca and to sign up for our e-newsletters – Anim@ls, FarmSense, WildSense, e-Teacher and e-Kids – to learn more about the national, provincial and community-based work of the BC SPCA.
Thank you for supporting the BC SPCA!
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 604-681-7271