Save the Children
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
✔+
FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
Audited financial statements for current and previous years available on the charity’s website.
B+
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
Good
DEMONSTRATED IMPACT
The demonstrated impact per dollar Ci calculates from available program information.
NEED FOR FUNDING
Charity's cash and investments (funding reserves) relative to how much it spends on programs in most recent year.
56%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 56 cents are available for programs.
My anchor
OVERVIEW
About Save the Children:
Save the Children Canada is a 4-star rated charity with Good demonstrated impact on its international development programs. The charity has high fundraising costs, leading to overhead spending outside Charity Intelligence's reasonable range.
Founded in 1921, Save the Children Canada (Save the Children) works toward a world where every child has the right to survival and protection. As a part of the global Save the Children network of 29 national charities, it works to improve children’s rights in 117 countries. The charity aims to meet immediate needs by providing food and health services, and improving lives in the long term through education and advocacy for gender equality. The charity reports that the covid-19 pandemic exacerbates existing challenges for children. Save the Children reports that 1.6 billion children and young people were out of school at the height of the pandemic.
Charity Intelligence's report covers Save the Children for the year ending 2022. This report will be updated shortly.
Ci's Special report on Ukraine: How to help
In F2021, Save the Children Canada spent $39.7m on international programs (96% of total program costs). It spent 54% of program costs in West Africa, 13% in the Middle East, 12% in East Africa, 11% in South America, 7% on undisclosed international partners and 3% in Asia, Southern Africa, and Central America. The remaining 4% of program costs went to programs in Canada.
International Programs: In 2020, Save the Children Canada reached 44.9 million children. Through its covid-19 emergency response program during the year, it reached 29.5 million children in 87 countries. In F2020, the charity responded to emergencies in Syria, where more than one million individuals were forced to leave their homes due to the ongoing civil war. In Syria, Save the Children provided support through child protection interventions to 42,000 children, half girls.
In 2020, Save the Children Canada also reached 28.0 million children through health and nutrition projects, 12.0 million children through education programs, and 3.1 million children through child protection services. Its health projects train local health workers, fund maternal and reproductive health services, and send food for newborn children. Through its education programs, the charity provides safe learning facilities and advocates for gender equality in education. Save the Children Canada’s child protection programs create Child-Friendly Spaces where children can play, socialize, and receive psychosocial support.
Canadian Programs: Save the Children Canada’s main domestic program is its National Reconciliation Program. The charity reports that the child poverty rate among Indigenous children is 40%. Through the program, it works with local communities and child rights experts to improve Indigenous education and health outcomes. Save the Children Canada distributes books to raise literacy among Indigenous children and funds culturally-sensitive maternal, newborn, and child health clinics. In 2020, Save the Children Canada reached 15,132 Indigenous children, families, and caregivers across 79 communities.
Recent News: In April 2019, Sir Alan Parker resigned as the international organization’s chairman after allegations that the UK charity failed to investigate the alleged sexual abuse and inappropriate behaviour of former executives, Justin Forsyth and Brendan Cox toward a Canadian working with senior management.
My anchor
Results and Impact
Save the Children Canada has not yet posted its 2021 annual report at the time of this update. These results refer to information published in 2020 and 2019.
Save the Children's Reaching and Empowering Adolescents to make an informed Choice for their Health (REACH) is a three-and-a-half-year program working with communities in Nigeria to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The charity reports that since the program began, the proportion of girls married before the age of 15 had fallen to 41% (54% initially). Additionally, 84% of health workers are now trained to deliver gender-responsive adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services (31% initially).
Along with World Vision Canada and Plan International Canada, Save the Children Canada designed the Born on Time (BOT) program in 2015 to reduce preterm births and promote healthy, full-term pregnancies. The BOT program addresses risk factors that lead to preterm pregnancies, such as unhealthy lifestyles, maternal infections, low nutrition, and limited access to contraceptives. The BOT program reached 1,031,071 women and 275,614 girls in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Mali. Save the Children Canada reports that since the program began, the proportion of women aged 20 to 49 using a modern method of contraception has risen to 69% in Bangladesh (63% initially), 52% in Ethiopia (41% initially), and 34% in Mali (13% initially).
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Save the Children Canada’s results and impact.
Charity Intelligence has given Save the Children a Good impact rating based on demonstrated impact per dollar spent.
Impact Rating: Good

My anchor
Finances
Save the Children Canada received donations of $12.6m in F2021. It also received $35.9m in government funding (72% of revenues) and $927k in donated goods (2%). Administrative costs are 6% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 38% of Canadian donations. This results in total overhead spending of 44%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 56 cents go to the cause. The charity's fundraising costs increased by 11% since F2020. This is outside Charity Intelligence's reasonable range for overhead spending.
Save the Children Canada has $27.5m in total funding reserves. The charity can cover 66% or just under eight months of annual program costs with its existing reserves.
According to its annual filing with the Charities Directorate, Save the Children Canada used external fundraisers in F2021. It does not disclose how much it paid to these external fundraisers or how much revenue was generated. This is mandatory filing required by the CRA.
Charity Intelligence has sent this update to Save the Children Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated on July 29, 2022 by Ann Lei.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending December
|
2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
---|---|---|---|
Administrative costs as % of revenues | 5.6% | 5.8% | 5.9% |
Fundraising costs as % of donations | 38.3% | 27.1% | 39.2% |
Total overhead spending | 43.9% | 32.9% | 45.1% |
Program cost coverage (%) | 66.4% | 65.0% | 26.4% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
---|---|---|---|
Donations | 12,614 | 15,967 | 12,157 |
International donations | 239 | 262 | 3,448 |
Goods in kind | 927 | 625 | 278 |
Government funding | 35,865 | 25,790 | 30,104 |
Investment income | (43) | 117 | 112 |
Total revenues | 49,602 | 42,761 | 46,100 |
Program costs - International | 39,672 | 29,699 | 38,004 |
Program costs - Canada | 1,681 | 1,478 | 1,012 |
Donated goods exp | 927 | 625 | 278 |
Administrative costs | 2,802 | 2,473 | 2,724 |
Fundraising costs | 4,824 | 4,323 | 4,765 |
Other costs | (10) | (40) | 23 |
Total spending | 49,897 | 38,559 | 46,807 |
Cash flow from operations | (294) | 4,202 | (707) |
Capital spending | 35 | 43 | 28 |
Funding reserves | 27,457 | 20,270 | 10,285 |
Note: Ci adjusted donations by changes in deferred donations and foundation contributions. This affected revenues by ($1.7m) in F2021, $2.1m in F2020, and $451k in F2019. Ci reported unrealized gains (losses) as investment income in all three years, affecting revenues and expenses by ($85k) in F2021, $63k in F2020, and $nil in F2019. Ci removed donations in kind from donations and international program costs to report them separately. Ci reported foreign exchange losses (gains) as other costs, affecting total expenses by ($10k) in F2021, ($40k) in F2020, and $23k in F2019. Ci did not adjust for amortization of deferred lease inducement.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
4 |
$120k - $160k |
2 |
$80k - $120k |
4 |
$40k - $80k |
0 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2021
My anchor
Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
The following report was added as a comment in 2018. New comments may be forthcoming.
Save the Children International - Trustees' Report
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 1-800-668-5036