Breast Cancer Canada

420 East Street
North Sarnia, ON N7T 6Y5
CEO: Kimberly Carson
Board Chair: Shaniah Leduc

Charitable Reg. #:13796 9861 RR0001

STAR RATING

Ci's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics:

[Charity Rating: 1/5]

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY

Audited financial statements available only through official request for information from Charities Directorate.

C-

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.

23%

CENTS TO THE CAUSE

For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 23 cents are available for programs.



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OVERVIEW

About Breast Cancer Canada:

Breast Cancer Canada is a 1-star rated charity with no financial transparency and little reporting on its programs and its results. The charity has persistently high fundraising costs leading to overhead spending outside of Charity Intelligence’s reasonable range. In F2023, fundraising costs were 69% of donations.

Founded in 1991, Breast Cancer Canada (BCC), formerly Breast Cancer Society of Canada, fundraises and provides grants for breast cancer research in Canada. The charity also advocates and raises awareness of breast cancer. BCC states that 13% of Canadian women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. It also states that around 28,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Charity Intelligence calculates that the charity spent $2.6m on its programs and grants in F2023.

Breast Cancer Canada grants money used for breast cancer research. In F2023 its largest grants went to University Health Network ($1.0m), London Health Sciences Foundation ($250k), and McPeak-Sirois Group ($200k). In F2023 BCC granted $400k total to six breast cancer researchers.

Breast Cancer Canada also advocates for those affected by breast cancer. It is unclear how much the charity spends on advocacy.

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Results and Impact

Breast Cancer Canada provides funding to the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR). Dr. Jane Bayani and her team at OICR developed a test that analyzes 95 genetic markers. This test provides insights into recurrence risk.

Breast Cancer Canada advocates for the Canadian government to lower the recommended age for breast cancer screenings from 50 to 40. In F2023 Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, and Saskatchewan committed to lowering the age to 40.

While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Breast Cancer Canada’s results and impact.

The charity is not yet rated on impact (n/r).

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Finances

In F2023 BCC received $17.2m in cash donations and special event fundraising. Administrative costs are 8% of revenues (excluding investment income). Fundraising costs are 69% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 77%. For every dollar donated, 23 cents are available to go to the cause. This falls well outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. BCC has been outside Ci’s reasonable range in each of the last nine years of Ci analysis.

Breast Cancer Canada had a large rise in fundraising revenues and expenses in F2022. In F2022 BCC’s fundraising events raised $18.2 million, four times the $4.5 million raised in 2021. Its fiscal 2022 fundraising costs similarly increased to $13.9 million from $4.0 million in fiscal 2021.

In F2023 BCC spent $2.6m on its programs and grants, which is 15% of its revenue. In F2023 it had a surplus of $1.3m.

Breast Cancer Canada reports zero fundraising costs on its T3010. This is a material reporting error. BCC's audited financial statements report fundraising costs of $11.8m in F2023, $13.9m in F2022, and $4.0m in F2021.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Breast Cancer Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated June 27, 2024, by Grady Simpson.

Financial Review


Financial Ratios

Fiscal year ending June
202320222021
Administrative costs as % of revenues 8.2%6.1%8.7%
Fundraising costs as % of donations 68.9%73.4%78.0%
Total overhead spending 77.2%79.5%86.7%
Program cost coverage (%) 194.9%636.5%285.3%

Summary Financial Statements

All figures in $000s
202320222021
Donations 848642526
Government funding 0042
Special events 16,33518,2364,540
Investment income 11(60)95
Total revenues 17,19418,8185,203
Program costs 7559992
Grants 1,878535306
Administrative costs 1,4131,154443
Fundraising costs 11,84413,8543,952
Total spending 15,89015,6434,793
Cash flow from operations 1,3043,175410
Capital spending 390
Funding reserves 5,1304,0341,135

Salary Information

Full-time staff: 6

Avg. compensation: $116,227

Top 10 staff salary range:

$350k +
0
$300k - $350k
0
$250k - $300k
0
$200k - $250k
0
$160k - $200k
1
$120k - $160k
0
$80k - $120k
4
$40k - $80k
1
< $40k
0

Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2023

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Comments & Contact

Comments added by the Charity:

The following comment is from a previous profile (2014). Additional comments may be forthcoming. 

Inspired by one family’s search for a cure, the Breast Cancer Society of Canada’s mission is to engage in grassroots fundraising that supports patient focused research for diagnosis, treatment and prevention.  We are not the only organization funding cancer research, however, our focus and method is quite unique.  Rather than looking for specific research projects and researchers, we seek out high calibre research teams that are located in cancer treatment centers, close to the patients. We offer them managed grants to advance research projects into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of breast cancer.  Each team has the same dream –  working together to improve the quality of life for all breast cancer patients. This team approach fosters creativity and collaboration between institutions and medical experts.   As these teams are located in cancer treatment centers there is a closer connection to the needs of the patients; researchers and clinicians work hand in hand. After all, if research does not help the patient what is the point? Our research grants are used in a variety of ways, customized by the individual team for maximum impact at their center.   The Breast Cancer Society of Canada has been doing this type of research funding since 1993. It is our hope we will be able to continue this work until breast cancer is eliminated entirely.

 

For more information please visit www.bcsc.ca.

 

Sources: 

Karen Greve-Yonge, Greg Thomson Cancer in Canada, Charity Intelligence report, April 2011: in 2006, non-pharma/non-corporate research funding to cancer research was $400 - $600 million. 

Charity Contact

Website: https://breastcancerprogress.ca/
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 519-336-0746

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Charity Intelligence researches Canadian charities for donors to be informed and give intelligently. Our website posts free reports on more than 800 Canadian charities, as well as in-depth primers on philanthropic sectors like Canada’s environment, cancer, and homelessness. Today over 500,000 Canadians use our website as a go-to source for information on Canadian charities reading over 1.6 million charity reports. Through rigorous and independent research, Charity Intelligence aims to assist Canada’s dynamic charitable sector in being more transparent, accountable and focused on results.

 

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Charitable Registration Number: 80340 7956 RR0001