Unity Charity
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
B+
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
Low
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.
55%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 55 cents are available for programs.
My anchor
OVERVIEW
About Unity Charity:
Unity Charity is a 2-star rated charity with above average results reporting. It has Low demonstrated impact. For every dollar donated, 55 cents are available for programs, which is outside Ci’s reasonable range. With its current reserve funds, the charity can cover around five months of annual program costs.
Founded in 2008, Unity Charity uses Hip Hop art forms to promote resilience, mental health, and well-being among underserved youth. It works with youth ages 13-29, in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba. It is expanding across the country.
Unity Charity has three main programs: Inspire, Engage and Empower. The charity does not provide a breakdown of its spending on its programs.
Inspire programs include performances, school visits, and a Hip-Hop art festival. These are outreach programs which promote Hip-Hop art as a form of expression. In F2023, Unity Charity held workshops in 31 schools in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba. It reached over 5,700 youth through its in-school workshops. In July 2023 the charity held its annual Unity Festival. It engaged over 2,500 youth, artists, and audience members across Canada. Youth at Inspire events sometimes want to learn more about Hip-Hop art and might take part in an Engage program.
Engage programs are weekly workshops with focus on Hip-Hop culture. They come in many levels. Some focus on one Hip-Hop art form, like breakdance, spoken word, or songwriting. Other workshops are multidisciplinary and incorporate many different types of Hip-Hop art. In F2023, Unity Charity held 22 community programs across Canada. It also hosted 10 community showcase events. It engaged 1,420 youths.
Empower programs aims to help young artists by providing employment, professional development, volunteer and leadership opportunities. It allows youth to explore career opportunities in the creative sector. Between 2019 and 2022, over 60 artists annually participated in development programs.
My anchor
Results and Impact
Unity Charity reports that of the youth in its in-school programs, 77% learned how Hip-Hop can help people respond to stressful situations, better understand their emotions, and resolve conflict. It also reports that of the people that participated in the Unity Festival, 93% gained a greater awareness of Hip-Hop culture, felt more connected to the community, and learnt more about Unity Charity.
Unity Charity states that of the youth in the community programs, 94% reported building resilience and social capital.
The charity also reports that for its Unity’s Artist Training and Development program, 88% of artists gained skills and access to opportunities that helped them advance their careers.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Unity Charity’s results and impact.
Charity Intelligence has rated Unity Charity as Low for its demonstrated impact.
Impact Rating: Low
•
My anchor
Finances
Unity Charity is a small charity with donations of $820k in F2023. Donations increased by 61% from F2022. The charity received $522k in government funding, representing 29% of total revenues.
Administrative costs are 25% of revenues (excluding investment income), and its fundraising costs are 21% of donations (fundraising costs increased by 179% from F2022). This results in total overhead costs of 45%. For every dollar donated, 55 are available for programs, which is outside Ci’s reasonable range. Unity Charity’s overhead costs have been outside Ci’s reasonable range for the past three years.
In F2023, Unity Charity spent $1.0m on its programs, which is 55% of total revenues. The charity had a surplus of $182k, which is 10% of total revenues.
The charity has reserve funds of $447k which could cover five months of its annual program costs. These are the charity’s cash and investments.
This charity report is an update that has been sent to Unity Charity for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated May 27, 2024 by Alessandra Castino.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending August
|
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 24.6% | 46.7% | 26.1% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 20.9% | 12.0% | 9.2% |
| Total overhead spending | 45.4% | 58.8% | 35.3% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 44.4% | 14.2% | 70.1% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $s |
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 819,958 | 509,545 | 542,236 |
| Government funding | 522,443 | 725,777 | 761,678 |
| Business activities (net) | 63,829 | 29,111 | 46,606 |
| Other income | 424,029 | (336,743) | 142,799 |
| Total revenues | 1,830,259 | 927,690 | 1,493,319 |
| Program costs | 1,007,407 | 1,055,321 | 907,825 |
| Administrative costs | 449,476 | 433,610 | 389,048 |
| Fundraising costs | 171,000 | 61,346 | 50,075 |
| Other costs | 20,391 | 0 | 0 |
| Total spending | 1,648,274 | 1,550,277 | 1,346,948 |
| Cash flow from operations | 181,985 | (622,587) | 146,371 |
| Capital spending | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Funding reserves | 447,010 | 150,113 | 635,973 |
Note: DEFERRED REVENUES: Ci adjusted for deferred revenues, affecting total revenues by $424k in F2023, ($337k) in F2022, and $143k in F2021. This was included in other revenue, as the charity did not disclose government vs non-government deferred revenues. BUSINESS ACTIVITIES: Business activities are reported gross because related expenses are not disclosed. OTHER COSTS: Ci included the CEBA loan forgiveness reversal in other costs, affecting total revenues by $20k in F2023, $nil in F2022 and F2021.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
0 |
$80k - $120k |
2 |
$40k - $80k |
8 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2023
My anchor
Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
Learn More:
Unity Charity 2023 Annual Report
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: 647-317-3127