Ecotrust Canada
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.
A-
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
n/r
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.
88%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 88 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Ecotrust Canada:
Ecotrust Canada is a 5-star charity with an above-average results reporting grade. It is financially transparent and its overhead spending is within Ci’s reasonable range. The charity has reserve funds of $4.0m which can cover a year and two months of annual program costs.
Founded in 1995, Ecotrust Canada aims to create a sustainable economy in Canada by funding innovative solutions to environmental and social problems. The charity works with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to develop methods of improving sustainability.
In F2022, Ecotrust Canada had five main programs: Community Fisheries, Food Systems, Community Energy, Climate Innovation, and Indigenous Homelands.
In F2022, Ecotrust Canada spent 36% of program costs on Community Fisheries. The charity aims to build a sustainable and vibrant commercial fishery system in BC by advocating for policy change, managing local fisheries, and stopping illegal fishing. Food Systems represented 17% of program costs in F2022. Through this program, the charity aims to improve food access and security in Prince Rupert and the Pacific Northwest of BC.
In F2022, Community Energy represented 14% of program costs. This program uses clean energy solutions to put an end to energy poverty. Climate Innovation represented 11% of program spending in F2022. Through this program, the charity works with rural and Indigenous communities to mitigate climate change and support biodiversity. In F2022, the charity allocated 8% of program spending to Indigenous Homelands. The program supports Indigenous groups in developing culturally, environmentally, and economically resilient housing and land governance practices.
The remaining 14% of program costs consisted of Strategy and Community Development (8%), and Social Enterprises (6%).
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Results and Impact
In F2022, Ecotrust Canada recorded around 4.3 million sockeye salmon returning to the Skeena River, the highest number in 15 years. The charity reports that the wild salmon industry in British Columbia employs over 6,600 people.
In F2022, Ecotrust Canada installed 191 heat pump retrofits through its Community Energy Program. The charity reports savings of roughly $5.1 million from the installations in 2022, and $11.5 million total saved from the retrofits installed to date. Additionally, the charity estimates that 8,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be eliminated over the lifetime of the equipment installed in 2022, and 21,700 tonnes of total greenhouse gases will be reduced from all its projects to date.
Ecotrust Canada also reports that its recommendations to the government affected policy changes to end incentives for natural gas furnaces and boilers, responsible for approximately 7.6 megatonnes of emissions in BC.
In F2022, on the North Coast of BC, Ecotrust Canada reported that 1,560lb of kelp was harvested, which was distributed to Metlakatla First Nation members and the local community and incorporated into local food products.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Ecotrust Canada’s results and impact. This charity is not yet rated on impact (n/r).
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Finances
Ecotrust Canada received donations of $2.8m in F2022. It also received $1.8m in consulting fees, representing 39% of total revenues.
Administrative costs are 11% of revenues (less investment income) and reported fundraising costs are 1% of donations. This results in overhead spending of 12%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 88 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
Ecotrust Canada has reserve funds of $4.0m. The charity can cover one year and two months of annual program costs with its existing reserves.
Charity Intelligence has sent this update to Ecotrust Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated on July 11, 2023 by Kiara Andrade.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending December
|
2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 11.2% | 14.1% | 17.1% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 0.7% | 2.9% | 1.8% |
| Total overhead spending | 11.9% | 17.0% | 18.9% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 118.2% | 115.9% | 90.1% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $s |
2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 2,779,551 | 1,969,309 | 1,378,378 |
| Government funding | 0 | 90,028 | 454,130 |
| Fees for service | 1,798,187 | 1,786,137 | 1,115,268 |
| Investment income | 58,780 | 7 | 568 |
| Other income | 1,069 | 26,660 | 348,741 |
| Total revenues | 4,637,587 | 3,872,141 | 3,297,085 |
| Program costs | 3,415,052 | 2,620,382 | 2,314,386 |
| Administrative costs | 512,629 | 547,583 | 562,377 |
| Fundraising costs | 19,218 | 56,575 | 25,410 |
| Total spending | 3,946,899 | 3,224,540 | 2,902,173 |
| Cash flow from operations | 690,688 | 647,601 | 394,912 |
| Capital spending | 12,229 | 9,300 | (104,611) |
| Funding reserves | 4,037,425 | 3,037,615 | 2,084,556 |
Note: To report on a cash basis, Ci included deferred contributions and revenues, affecting revenues by $630k in F2022, $625k in F2021, and $68k in F2020. Ci could not break out government vs. non-government deferred contributions. Therefore, these amounts were included in Canadian donations, although a portion of deferred contributions might be from government revenues. Ci reported covid-19 wage subsidies as government funding and removed the amounts from donations. Ci gathered program, administrative, and fundraising costs from the spending breakdown posted on the charity’s website. Ci excluded impairments of loans receivable from social enterprises, affecting program costs by ($410k) in F2020. Ci removed amortization on a pro-rata basis from program and administrative costs.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
1 |
$120k - $160k |
0 |
$80k - $120k |
6 |
$40k - $80k |
3 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2021
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
These comments were provided for a previous version of this profile.
Ecotrust Canada develops innovative economic solutions that promote environmental sustainability and social equity. For more than 25 years, we’ve been proving it’s possible to create healthy localized economies and resilient communities by embracing the connection between social and environmental well-being. Projects in fisheries, nature-based climate solutions, energy security, housing, and food systems have developed replicable economic models with catalytic potential. But much more work must be done. Like others around the world, we’ve witnessed how easily progress can be unraveled when viable alternatives to broken economic models aren’t readily available. We need to ensure that promising innovations become available to all communities.
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 604-682-4141