Veterans Transition Network in a 5-star rated, financially transparent charity. It has a strong results reporting grade and its overhead costs are within Ci’s reasonable range. The charity has $1.1m in reserve funds, which can cover four months of annual program costs.

Founded in 2012, Veterans Transition Network (VTN) delivers Canada’s only evidence-based reintegration and recovery program. VTN reports that one third of Canadian veterans have difficulty transitioning to civilian life. The charity explains that the period after veterans leave service is critical in determining how they will readapt to society. Veterans often struggle with finding jobs, reconnecting with family, and managing symptoms of operational stress injuries, which can lead to substance abuse issues. The charity provides counselling designed specially for veterans to tackle trauma, mental health issues and ease their transition from soldier to civilian.

A Charity Intelligence 2023 Top 100 Rated Charity

In F2022, Veterans Transition Network served 160 veterans, including 70 women, through 31 counselling programs. This is the most veterans VTN has served in a year since its inception. The programs are delivered in an in-person, group-based retreat format. The programs help veterans connect to thier peers, practice communication skills, and develop productive plans for their future. Whereas the programs used to be ten days long, in F2022, the charity divided this into two five-day courses to provide more flexibility for veterans. The first course focuses on building transitional skills. The second requires the completion of the first and aims to heal traumatic memories through Therapeutic Enactment, a form of exposure therapy. 26 clinicians and over 50 peer supporters help operate these programs. In F2022, the charity offered 7,600 hours of counselling and skills development for veterans. Some program graduates choose to join VTN’s National Peer Support Team (NPST) to continue providing support to Canadian veterans. In F2022, 22 graduates joined the NPST, for a total of 56 peer supporters.

In August 2021, following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Veterans Transition Network began a 30-day fundraising initiative to support the evacuation of Afghani people who helped the Canadian Armed Forces from 2001-2014. The charity worked to relocate these Afghans and their families to places where they can be safely extracted by the Canadian government. This 30-day Afghan Interpreters campaign turned into a complex operation that is still ongoing. The charity spent as much on the Afghan campaign as it did on its counselling programs in F2022, making it a key area of focus. As of December 2022, the charity reports that it supported 1,700 Afghans in safehouses, helped 120 Afghans with vital immigration support and supported the evacuation of 2,613 Afghans. In May 2022, the charity stopped accepting donations relating to this initiative, explaining that delays in government immigration processing were limiting their ability to use donor funds effectively.

Veterans Transition Network is financially transparent. Its audited financial statements are publicly available on its website.

Veterans Transition Network received donations and grants of $1.9m in F2022. It also received $120k in government funding in F2022 making up 3% of total revenues. Administrative costs are 15% of revenues and fundraising costs are 16% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 30%. For every dollar donated, 70 cents are available for programs.

VTN has reserve funds of $1.1m which could cover four months of annual program costs, demonstrating a need for funding. 

At the time of this profile update, Veterans Transition Network’s T3010 filing with the CRA is not publicly available. Hence, the most recent staff salary information is from F2021.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Veterans Transition Network for review. Comments and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated August 14, 2023 by Victoria Allder.