Founded in 1896, Yonge Street Mission (YSM) aims to end chronic poverty in Toronto, Ontario in one generation. YSM states that 500,000 people in Toronto face poverty. The charity believes this problem is rising due to the pandemic, as most covid-19 related job losses affected people who make less than $14 an hour. Yonge Street Mission provides programs and services to three groups: street-involved youth, families in need, and adults experiencing chronic poverty. YSM also provides community development services to vulnerable neighbourhoods.

YSM supports youth through its Evergreen Centre. In F2020, YSM allocated 35% of total program spending to Evergreen. Evergreen offers drop-in services, meal programs, health and dental care, nursery care, housing assistance, counselling, job support, and schooling programs. The charity reports serving from 1,709 to 2,467 meals a week at Evergreen in F2020. Additionally, 87 youth enrolled in Evergreen’s Helping Offenders on Probation Excel (HOPE) program, which promotes rehabilitation and reintegration.

YSM’s Cornerstone Family Services accounted for 22% of total program costs in F2020. Cornerstone offers Daycare, after school programs, a computer lab, a foodbank, mentoring, parenting workshops, job support, and housing services. While the Daycare originally shut down due to covid-19, it re-opened in July 2020, welcoming 30 children. Additionally, 31 male caregivers enrolled in Cornerstone’s Man2Man support group.

YSM’s Bridges services support adults aged 18-60 through holistic care, courses, warm meals, and community connection. In F2020, YSM allocated 14% of total program spending to Bridges. YSM reports that the food bank at Bridges had between 600 and 2,000 visitors each week in F2020, serving anywhere from 1,624 to 5,194 meals.

In F2020, YSM allocated 6% of total program spending to Community Development. YSM’s Community Development Team works with residents to help create changes in their neighbourhoods. YSM reports that 99 community members participated in 15 Community Development groups in F2020.

The rest of program spending (24%) went towards combined program support services for the programs mentioned above. These services include housing support, mental health counselling, job support, and food.

Yonge Street Mission had total donations of $9.8m in F2020. YSM also collected $177k in goods in kind and $776k in housing revenue. Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 27% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 32%. For every dollar donated, 68 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range of overhead spending. 

The charity has funding reserves of $5.4m, once $2.0m in current and long-term debt is accounted for. Excluding $3.9m in donor-endowed funds, YSM could cover 17% or roughly two months of program costs with reserves, indicating a need for funding.

Charity Intelligence sent an update of this report to Yonge Street Mission for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 15, 2021 by Sydney Olexa.