Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is a 4-star rated charity. It has average disclosure with a B grade for results reporting. Its overhead spending and need for funding are both within Ci’s reasonable range. 

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is a large national charity founded in 1963. It works to protect Canada's land, water, and oceans. According to CPAWS, only 14% of Canada's land and fresh water is protected, and only 15.5% of its coastline. Over 30% of Canadian species are at risk. CPAWS’s main goal is to help Canada protect 30% of its land and oceans by 2030, with an ultimate goal of 50%. It has a national office in Ottawa and 13 regional chapters across Canada.  

CPAWS runs two main programs, Conservation and Conservation Awareness. In F2025, CPAWS spent $16.2m on its programs. 

Conservation was CPAWS’s largest program in F2025. It accounted for $15.2m, or 94% of program spending. CPAWS works with governments to protect Canadian land, water, and oceans. It does this by meeting with politicians, publishing research, and working with Indigenous communities and other conservation groups. In F2025, CPAWS published On the Path to 2030, a report that graded each province and territory on its progress toward protecting 30% of Canada's land and water. In November 2024, CPAWS staff and chapter leaders met with 12 Members of Parliament from different parties to push for 30% protection of Canada's land and ocean by 2030 and stronger support for Indigenous-led conservation. 

Conservation Awareness programs accounted for $988k or 6% of program spending. CPAWS runs public campaigns to get more Canadians to support conservation and pressure governments to protect nature. In F2025, CPAWS ran a national advertising campaign called When Nature Thrives, So Do We. CPAWS attended COP 16, the UN Conference on Biological Diversity, where it hosted a side event and a panel discussion. CPAWS also presented at WILD12, the 12th World Wilderness Congress, to over 700 delegates from 36 countries. 

Ci consolidated the financial statements of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and its associated foundation. 

CPAWS had total revenues of $25.7m in F2025. It received $8.4m in Canadian donations equal to 33% of revenue and $6.3m in international donations equal to 25% of revenue. The charity also received $7.1m in government funding representing 28% of revenue. CPAWS spent $16.2m on its programs, which is 63% of revenue, and recorded a surplus of $6.8m. 

CPAWS spent $824k on fundraising, which is 10% of donations, and $2.0m on administration, which is 8% of revenue (excluding investment income). Total overhead spending is 18%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 82 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range. 

CPAWS has $25.4m in reserve funds (cash and investments) of which $3.5m is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity’s reserves can cover annual program costs for 1 year and 5 months. This is within Ci’s reasonable range. 

CPAWS uses external fundraisers. Its T3010 filing with the CRA only reports the amount paid to fundraisers, but not the amount collected. This is a mandatory filing. In F2024, CPAWS paid $36k to external fundraisers. 

Updated on May 25, 2025, by Raihan Firosh.