Nature 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.
C
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.
81%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 81 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Nature Canada:
Nature Canada is a 3-star charity with a lower than average results reporting score. Its overhead costs are within Ci’s reasonable range, and it has reserve funds to cover program costs for almost a year.
Founded in 1939, Nature Canada aims to encourage Canadians to connect with, protect and conserve nature. The charity states that there are more than 600 species at risk in Canada. In addition, only around 10% of Canada’s boreal forest, which helps to store 186 billion tonnes of carbon, is under protection.
Nature Canada runs Conservation and Education programs and Communications programs. The charity does not give a spending breakdown by program.
Conservation Programs
In F2022, Nature Canada coordinated signatures from individuals and partners to send a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau. The letter asked the federal government how it would spend its $4.1 billion commitment to protecting nature. The charity also published a report exposing the industrial logging industry for its high greenhouse gas emissions.
Education and Communication
In F2022, Nature Canada and its partners hosted school, community, and public events.
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Results and Impact
In 2019, Nature Canada and other environmental groups helped change important federal environmental laws. The Canadian Energy Regulator Act replaced the National Energy Board. The Impact Assessment Act has a new focus on public participation, climate, sustainability, and the rights of Indigenous communities to review industrial developments. Amendments to the Fisheries Act protect and restore fish habitats. Lastly, the Canadian Navigable Waters Act makes it easier to see waterways protected.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Nature Canada’s results and impact. This charity is not yet rated on impact (n/r).
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Finances
Nature Canada received $4.1m in Canadian donations and special events fundraising in F2022. It also received $2.8m in government funding, which was 40% of revenues. This funding was mainly from the federal government.
Administrative costs are 4% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 15% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 19%. For every dollar donated, 81 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
Nature Canada has reserve funds of $5.5m, including an endowment of $104k. It is unclear whether the endowment is donor endowed. The charity can cover a year of its program costs with its existing reserves.
According to its filing with the Charities Directorate, Nature Canada used external fundraisers in F2022. The charity reports that it received $32k from external fundraisers and paid $4k to external fundraisers for a cost of 12.5 cents to raise a dollar.
In addition to its salaries, Nature Canada paid $1.3m in professional and consulting fees in F2022 ($734k in F2021 and $760k in F2020).
Charity Intelligence has sent this update to Nature Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated on May 19, 2023 by Kiara Andrade.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending March
|
2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 4.0% | 5.4% | 6.2% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 15.4% | 9.9% | 15.4% |
| Total overhead spending | 19.4% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 99.3% | 167.8% | 85.9% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 3,799 | 4,346 | 2,322 |
| International donations | 0 | 0 | 911 |
| Goods in kind | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Government funding | 2,793 | 964 | 643 |
| Special events | 164 | (8) | 0 |
| Investment income | 116 | 219 | (26) |
| Other income | 6 | 7 | 58 |
| Total revenues | 6,891 | 5,530 | 3,912 |
| Program costs - International | 0 | 76 | 0 |
| Program costs - Canada | 3,676 | 2,509 | 2,541 |
| Grants | 1,905 | 549 | 471 |
| Administrative costs | 268 | 288 | 244 |
| Fundraising costs | 610 | 429 | 357 |
| Total spending | 6,459 | 3,852 | 3,613 |
| Cash flow from operations | 432 | 1,679 | 299 |
| Capital spending | 9 | 19 | 44 |
| Funding reserves | 5,542 | 5,261 | 2,586 |
Note: Ci included endowment contributions in donations, affecting total revenues by $2k in F2022, $2k in F2021, and $1.5k in F2020. Ci reported international donations and government funding from the charity’s T3010 filings, which reconciled with its financial statements, and removed the amounts from donations. Ci included gifts in kind received by the charity from its T3010, affecting total revenues by $12k in F2022, $2k in F2021 and $3k in F2020. The charity reported deferred donations of $137k in F2022, $943k in F2021, and ($113k) in F2020. Ci could not adjust for the deferred donations as there was no disclosure between government and non-government deferred revenues.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
2 |
$80k - $120k |
8 |
$40k - $80k |
0 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2022
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
Charity Contact
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