Breast Cancer Canada is a 1-star rated charity with no financial transparency and little reporting on its programs and their results. The charity has persistently high fundraising costs leading to overhead spending outside of Charity Intelligence’s reasonable range. In 2022, fundraising costs were 75% of donations. 

Founded in 1991, Breast Cancer Canada, formerly Breast Cancer Society of Canada, fundraises and provides grants for breast cancer research in Canada. BCSC aims to save lives through education and research. The charity reports that 28,000 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and 5,100 will die from the disease. 

In F2022, Breast Cancer Canada spent $774k (55% of program spending) on Breast Cancer Awareness. It is unclear how the charity spent this money. 

Breast Cancer Canada also spent $634k on research (45% of program spending). In F2022, its largest grants went to London Health Sciences Foundation ($250k), Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation ($84), and Ontario Institute for Cancer ($51k). Breast Cancer Canada's grant to London Health Sciences Foundation funded nine projects by researchers in training in F2022. The funding was awarded to masters, Ph.D., and post-doctoral students from Western University.

Financial Transparency: X. Breast Cancer Canada is not financially transparent. Its 2022 audited financial statements were received from the CRA Charities Directorate through access to information. 

In fiscal 2022, the year ending March, Breast Cancer Canada's fundraising events raised $18.2 million, four times the $4.5 million raised in 2021. Its fiscal 2022 fundraising costs similarly increased to $13.6 million from $4.0 million in fiscal 2021. This is a fundraising cost of 73.4% that far exceeds the CRA's guidance spending cap of 35%. 

With fundraising costs of 73% and administratives costs of 2%, Breast Cancer Canada's total overhead costs are 75%. For every dollar donated, 25 cents is available to the cause. This is well outside reasonable limits. The CRA rules require that the majority of a charity's spending be charitable. Fundraising is not charity work.

Of the $18.9 million Breast Cancer Canada received in fiscal 2022, less than 1% was spent on grants to cancer research. Breast Cancer Canada gave $534,000 to cancer research and spent an additional $873,000 on its inhouse programs that raise public awareness of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Canada has made a material reporting error in its T3010 annual filing. It reports spending $14.8 million on its charity programs and $0 on fundraising costs. Breast Cancer Canada's audited financial statement report that its fundraising costs are $13.8 million. 

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

Updated February 21, 2024 by Kate Bahen and Emily Downing.