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. DSF’s work focuses on three main areas: climate solutions, biodiversity, and environmental rights.

David Suzuki Foundation’s goal for climate solutions is to speed up the transition to a low-carbon future. DSF advocates for methane regulations, carbon pricing, and sustainable transportation in cities. In F2019, DSF initiated its Get Out the Vote campaign to make climate change a top election issue. Members of the campaign sent more than 1,000 letters and 43,000 online messages to party leaders demanding action on climate change. In F2019, DSF also paid for legal costs of 15 young Canadians in a lawsuit against the federal government for its role in climate change. DSF’s uses legal action to pressure the Canadian government to urgently respond to climate change.

David Suzuki Foundation’s goal for biodiversity is to protect and restore nature. 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 F2019, DSF's Butterflyway Project planted pesticide-free flowers to help millions of monarch butterflies in their yearly migration.

David Suzuki Foundation’s goal for environmental rights is to establish a legal right for all Canadians to live in a healthy environment. DSF states that more than 90% of Canadians support this right. Launched in 2014, DSF’s Blue Dot movement pushes for the recognition of environmental rights across Canada. More than 100,000 people joined the movement and 174 municipal governments now recognize certain environmental rights. In Canada’s 2019 federal election, DSF reported that over 200 MPs from all major parties pledged to recognize environmental rights.

David Suzuki Foundation is a ­­­­large charity, with total donations of $12.1m in F2019. Administrative costs are 6% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 15% of donations. DSF’s overhead costs are 22%. For every dollar donated, 78 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

DSF has $21.1m in total funding reserves, of which $9.3m is donor-endowed. Excluding these donor-endowed funds, DSF could cover 144% or 1.4 years of its annual program costs.

According to DSF’s annual filing with the Charities Directorate, it paid external fundraisers $349k in F2019. It does not report how much these external fundraisers raised. 

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

Updated on May 22, 2020 by Eric Zhao.