Liberty For Youth is a 1-star charity. It is not fully financially transparent but provides its financial statements upon request. It has overhead spending within Ci’s reasonable range but a low results reporting grade due to not providing an annual report. Before you give, read Charity Intelligence's report.

Founded in 2004, Liberty For Youth (LFY) creates mentoring relationships with youth at risk or youth involved in the justice system. The charity gears its programs to youth aged 12-25 who are currently involved or likely to be involved in criminal activity and live in the Ontario Golden Horseshoe area. The charity stated that low education, poor health, and unsafe environments typically affect these youth. It is located in Hamilton, ON.

LFY runs five main programs: Bright Choices, Prodigal Sonz, Character Development, LEAD, and LeadingWELL. The charity does not provide a breakdown of spending on its programs. 

LFY’s Bright Choices program assists youth with challenges related to school. Some key activities include school registration, court expulsion hearings, tutoring, school transportation, scholarships, counseling, and more. In F2023, LFY offered two sessions for its new program, Bridging the Gap Summer Tutoring.  

Prodigal Sonz is a basketball team made up of at-risk youth, youth who are positive role models, and youth mentors. The program aims to help youth direct their energy to a positive team sport. In F2022, LFY completed construction on its new outdoor basketball court.

Through its Character Development program, LFY challenges youth to develop character, leadership, and responsibility. The charity provides chapel services and partners with local churches where youth assist their community and attend mission trips. 

LFY’s LEAD (Liberty Equine Assisted Development) program helps at-risk youth expand their skill sets. Youth attend the charity’s ranch, where they partner with a horse and participate in fun activities. There are also farm internship opportunities, so youth can develop employability skills and build their resume to help them find a job. 

LeadingWELL is a mental wellness initiative that provides young individuals with a rural retreat away from their regular lives. In July 2023, the charity hosted its first Mental Wellness Day, where youth and their families went to 7Rs Ranch (its location in Brant County, ON) for a relaxing day.

Liberty For Youth does not post its audited financial statements on its website. Ci obtained the financial statements upon request from the charity. 

In F2023, LFY received $1.1m in donations and special events revenue. Administrative costs are 4% of revenues, and fundraising costs are 7% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 11%. For every dollar donated, 89 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

LFY does not break down salaries expense into program, administrative, and fundraising costs. In F2022 and F2021, Ci reported administrative and fundraising costs from the charity’s T3010 filings with the CRA. The F2023 T3010 filing is not available at the time of this report. As a result, F2023 overhead spending may be understated. 

LFY has $1.3m in interest-bearing debt, compared to $176k in gross funding reserves. This results in negative net funding reserves and a negative program cost coverage ratio. Excluding debt, the charity could cover 24% or three months of its annual program costs with its reserves, indicating a need for funding. 

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Liberty For Youth for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated on August 1, 2023 by Krystie Nguyen.