Youth Fusion/Fusion Jeunesse

About Youth Fusion/Fusion Jeunesse:

Founded in 2009 in Montreal, Youth Fusion aims to lower high school dropout rates and create closer links between school and employment through experiential learning programs. The charity works closely with schools, businesses and university graduates to implement and run projects that motivate high school students in 11 different areas including Arts and Culture, Environmental Design, and Robotics.

Youth Fusion’s largest program areas in terms of spending are the Robotics Program (39%), Inuit and First Nations Communities (35%) and the Media and Cinema program (5%). Youth Fusion’s robotics program provides students ages 9 to 14 the opportunity to design, build and program a robot. The program is offered in 34 schools across Quebec and the charity reports that it reaches 2,500 at-risk youth through the project. Youth Fusion offers the program at the high school level through its partner, First Robotics Quebec, and in Inuit and First Nations communities in James Bay and Nunavik.

Youth Fusion’s programs are designed and run by recently-graduated university students. The students work with at-risk students between 10 and 30 hours a week for the entirety of the school year in projects which match their educational background. The charity states that it works with businesses operating in industries tied to the projects, bringing in employees as mentors and presenting opportunities in the industry to students.

Charity Intelligence has reviewed Youth Fusion since 2011 and found it to be a consistently high-rated charity delivering high charity impact. Youth Fusion is included in Ci's Canadian Charity Impact Fund of 10 high impact charities in the social service area. Youth Fusion is of interest to donors looking to support at-risk youth graduating from high school and education for Canada's First Nation youth.

Financial Review:

Youth Fusion is considered a medium-cap charity with donations of $3.8m in F2016. The charity does not disclose fundraising costs and administrative costs separately. Its fundraising and administrative costs together represent 14% of revenues (or 18% of donations). For every dollar donated to the charity, between 82 and 86 cents goes towards the charity’s programs, falling within Ci’s reasonable range. Youth Fusion has funding reserves of $1.1m which can cover a little over 3 months of program costs.

This report is an update and is currently being reviewed by Youth Fusion. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated August 21, 2017 by Josh Lam.