Union Gospel Mission is a two-star financially transparent charity with a Low demonstrated impact score. It has a B results reporting grade, which is average. For every dollar donated to the charity, 69 cents are available to go to the cause.

Founded in 1989 and operating in Vancouver, Union Gospel Mission (UGM) is a Christian charity that provides clothing, meals, and shelter to those in need. The charity also runs addiction recovery support, job training services, and youth education programs. According to the charity, 80% of people living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood live below the poverty line. UGM also reports that 4,821 Vancouverites experienced homelessness in 2023. The charity runs three main programs: Outreach & Recovery, Housing, and Education & Engagement. UGM spent $22.0m on its programs in the fiscal year ending June 2023 (F2023).

Union Gospel Mission receives funding from the Union Gospel Mission Foundation, a separately registered charity established in 2002. The foundation provided $3.3m to the UGM in F2023. The foundation relies on interest income and donations to finance its grants.

Outreach & Recovery was 58% of the charity’s program spending. The charity provides clothing, meals, and addiction recovery counselling through this program. In F2023, UGM distributed 272,304 meals (773 daily), 3,305 food hampers, and 11,201 clothing items valued at $356,663 to its clients. The charity also helped 52 people (33 men and 19 women) with addiction recovery.

Housing was 15% of the charity’s program spending. The charity's emergency housing provided 33,967 nights of safe shelter. UGM also provided long-term housing to 51 people in their Sanctuary Supportive Housing community.

Education & Engagement was 10% of the charity’s program spending. The charity provides after school classes, summer camp programs, tuition grants, and career coaching through this program. In F2023, the charity completed 265 career development appointments and provided 39 tuition grants. 60 children attended UGM’s Space Weekly and Eastsider after-school programs. The charity also helped 688 children attend summer camp programs.

Union Gospel Mission reported 17% of program spending on other programs. It did not specify what activities these programs involved.

This analysis consolidates Union Gospel Mission (operating charity) and Union Gospel Mission Foundation’s audited financial statements.

Union Gospel Mission received $28.7m in donations in F2023, an 8% decrease compared to $31.3m in F2022. The charity also received $1.6m of government funding which is 5% of total revenues excluding investment income and gifts in kind. Administrative costs are 9% of revenues and fundraising costs are 22% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 31%. This means that for every dollar donated, 69 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

In F2023, the charity spent $22.0m on its programs, a 42% increase from $15.5m in F2022. UGM also had a $4.2m cash surplus.

At the end of F2023, the charity had $35.3m of funding reserves (cash and investments) which covers 161% or slightly over 19 months of its annual program costs/spending.

Both the operating charity and the foundation paid external fundraisers a combined total of $1.3m in F2023. The charity failed to report how much revenue was collected by these external fundraisers. This reporting is required by the CRA.