David Suzuki Foundation

About David Suzuki Foundation:

Founded in 1990, David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) works to conserve and protect the diversity of Canada’s natural environment. The charity regularly collaborates with other non-profit organizations, governments, businesses and individuals in creating a more sustainable country. The charity focuses on three key issues: environmental rights, climate solutions, and biodiversity. DSF’s head office – and founding location – is in Vancouver. It also has offices in Toronto and Montreal.

DSF believes in establishing the legal right for all Canadians to live in a healthy environment. The charity has several projects that are focused on securing environmental rights from different governments across Canada. The charity partnered with Ecojustice to start the Blue Dot campaign in 2014. This national campaign allows Canadians to call upon their government to increase their rights to clean water and air, safe food, and a stable climate. As of 2017, 163 communities have passed municipal Blue Dot environmental rights declarations. In 2017, DSF also campaigned to support the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation to gain access to safe water. In February, the federal government committed $84 million to restore the Wabigoon River system in the Grassy Narrows.

The charity works in accelerating the country’s transition to a low-carbon future. In partnership with St. Francis Xavier University in 2017, DSF reports to have revealed that methane pollution from well drilling in B.C.’s oil industry is at least 2.5 times higher than previously expected. Through its advocacy efforts, Canadian natural asset projects will have access to national funding for the first time. The federal budget released in March 2017 included a $9.2 billion Green Infrastructure Stream to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

DSF’s third focus area is to improve the way Canadians interact with the environment and animals around them. Activities such as clearcut logging, mining and industrial agriculture put species and their habitats at risk. The charity reports that terrestrial species have declined by 39% since 1970. After DSF campaigned for close to 15 years, the British Colombia government officially banned grizzly bear hunting in the province in 2017.

After leading Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières Canada, Stephen Cornish became the new Executive Director of DSF in November 2017.

Results and Impact: Since the start of DSF’s Blue Dot campaign, the charity reports to have generated more than 21,000 letters to members of Parliament asking for the right to a healthy environment. The charity’s advocacy led to TransCanada cancelling the Energy East pipeline project, which threatened the drinking water of 3.7 million people in Quebec. After DSF’s scientific evidence revealed that hunting for snapping turtles was unsustainable for the species, the Ontario government stopped the hunt in April 2017.

Financial Review:

David Suzuki Foundation is a Large charity with total donations and special events fundraising of $9.0m in F2017, down 22% from F2015. Administrative costs are 6% of revenues and fundraising costs are 20% of donations. Per dollar donated to the charity, $0.74 goes towards its programs, falling within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. David Suzuki Foundation holds funding reserves of $18.9m, including $9.3m in donor-endowed funds. Excluding endowments, the charity’s reserves can cover annual program costs for 1.4 years.

David Suzuki Foundation uses external fundraisers as part of its fundraising activities. In F2017, DSF reported paying $258k to external fundraisers. The charity has not reported the revenue raised by the external fundraisers on behalf of the charity for any of the past 5 years in its T3010 CRA filings.

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, 2018 by Derek Houlberg.