Founded in 1990, David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) works to protect Canada’s natural environment. The charity is based in Vancouver, with offices in Toronto and Montreal. Of its total program spending, DSF allocated 30% to communications, education, and public engagement, 22% to science and policy, 20% to British Columbia and Western Canada, 17% to Quebec and Atlantic Canada, and 11% to Ontario and Northern Canada in F2020. DSF focuses its work on three main areas: climate solutions, thriving nature, and sustainable communities. The charity does not provide a breakdown of spending on these programs.

DSF’s goal for climate solutions is to end carbon pollution and use 100% renewable energy by 2050. DSF uses legal action to pressure the Canadian government to respond to climate change. In 2020, DSF paid for legal costs of 15 Canadian youth in a lawsuit against the federal government for its role in climate change. DSF also hosted the Nature-Based Climate Solutions Summit, which had more than 400 participants.

DSF’s goal for thriving nature is to protect and restore Canada’s land and oceans. DSF advocates for endangered and at-risk species, including marine life, butterflies, and caribou. In F2019, Canada announced new laws to protect at-risk orcas and salmon. These included whale-watching restrictions, no-vessel zones, and limits to salmon harvests. In F2020, DSF's Butterflyway Project planted pesticide-free flowers across 134 communities to help monarch butterflies in their yearly migration.

DSF’s goal for sustainable communities is to reduce Canada’s ecological footprint by a third by 2030. DSF states that 8.8 million people die early from air pollution each year. Launched in 2014, DSF’s Blue Dot movement pushes for the recognition of environmental rights across Canada. In F2020, two Blue Dot volunteers created an e-petition to urge the federal government to update the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). CEPA has not been updated in over 20 years. DSF reports that the petition received over 8,000 signatures and was submitted to the house of commons.

David Suzuki Foundation had total donations and special event revenue of $12.7m in F2020. Administrative costs are 7% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 17% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 24%. For every dollar donated, 76 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

DSF has $22.5m in total funding reserves, of which $9.3m is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, DSF could cover 152% or roughly one and a half years of its annual program costs with reserves.

According to DSF’s annual filing with the Charities Directorate, it paid external fundraisers $330k in F2020. It does not report how much these external fundraisers raised. 

Charity Intelligence sent an update of this report to David Suzuki Foundation for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 25, 2021 by Sydney Olexa.