David Suzuki Foundation

About David Suzuki Foundation:

Founded in 1990, David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) works to protect Canada’s natural environment. The charity has headquarters in Vancouver, with offices in Toronto and Montreal. DSF’s work focuses on three main areas: environmental rights, climate solutions, and biodiversity.

David Suzuki Foundation’s goal for environmental rights is to establish the legal right for all Canadians to live in a healthy environment. DSF says that more than 90% of Canadians believe we should have the legal right to a healthy environment. DSF launched its Blue Dot movement for environmental rights in 2014. Blue Dot is a movement to recognize the right to live in a healthy environment. Since then, more than 111,000 people have joined, and 173 communities have passed environmental rights declarations. DSF has worked with the federal government to improve access to safe drinking water for First Nations communities on public systems. More than 7,000 people have used DSF’s online platform to demand from decision-makers clean water for everyone in Canada.

David Suzuki Foundation’s goal for climate solutions is to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future. DSF advocates and campaigns for methane regulations, carbon pricing, and more transit- and pedestrian-friendly cities to reduce pollution from transportation. In F2018, the federal government announced a $25 billion investment to modernize transportation networks in Canada’s major cities. DSF’s climate program, Charged Up, enables Canadians to take part in the conversation about climate change, and act. In F2018, 40,000 people joined the program. DSF also awarded annual fellowships to three Canadian scholars to fund their research on complex environmental problems.

David Suzuki Foundation’s goal for biodiversity is to protect and restore nature. DSF advocates for various endangered and fragile species, including marine life, caribou, bees, and more. In F2018, more than 12,400 people used DSF’s online platform to contact government in support of DSF’s emergency order to save Salish Sea orcas. About 3,400 people have since signed its online pledge to protect the orcas.

Results and Impact:

David Suzuki reports that its campaigns for healthier transportation have encouraged the federal government to announce a $25 billion investment to modernize transportation networks in Canada’s major cities. DSF also reports that 40 schools planted butterfly gardens in F2018 due to its advocacy for biodiversity.

While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of David Suzuki Foundation’s results and impact.

Financial Review:

David Suzuki Foundation is a ­­­­large charity, with total donations of $10.3m in F2018. Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 18% of donations. For every dollar donated, 77 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. Funding reserves of $19.9m can cover 2.5 years of annual program costs.

­This charity report is an update that has been sent to David Suzuki Foundation for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 4, 2019 by Lauren Chin.