Canadian Women's Foundation

About Canadian Women's Foundation:

Founded in 1991, Canadian Women’s Foundation (CWF) works toward gender equality by providing physical, financial, and emotional support to women. The charity funds organizations that work within 4 program areas: Out of Violence, Empowering Girls, End Sex Trafficking and Out of Poverty.

Programs to end violence against women received 52% ($2.1m) of available funding in F2017. Half of all women in Canada have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once in adulthood, and a woman is killed by her spouse every 6 days. Treating survivors of spousal violence costs Canadians $7.4b every year. In F2017, Canadian Women’s Foundation funds organizations such as emergency shelters and provides counselling services which treat the effects of violence.  Communities receive educational programs with the intention of preventing violence. 

Canadian Women’s Foundation allocated 27% ($1.1m) of F2017 funding to programs which empower girls and help them grow as leaders. These programs encourage skill development through participation in science, technology, and sports. Girls develop self-confidence through celebrating culture in indigenous communities, thinking critically about negative messages in media, and accessing mentors.

In F2017, Canadian Women’s Foundation provided 15% ($617k) of funding to end trafficking of women in Canada, and 6% ($229k) to economically empower women.

Results and Impact: Of the youth who completed girls’ programs, 92% felt more confident, and 80% felt better about themselves. Of the same group, 72% reported strengthened friendships, 72% felt safer at school, and 69% had greater pride in their cultural group.

In teen relationship educational programs, 90% of participants said they learned how to identify an abusive relationship.

Financial Review:

Canadian Women’s Foundation is large, with donations and special events fundraising totaling $4.8m in F2017. Administrative costs are 24% of revenues and fundraising costs are 29% of donations. Per dollar donated, $0.48 goes to the cause. This falls outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

Over the past 2 years, annual donations have fallen by 52%. During the same period, program costs were reduced by 37%. 

The charity’s funding reserves of $19.9m include a $222k endowment fund. Excluding endowed funds, the charity's reserves can cover annual program costs for just under 5 years.

Based on the ending value of investments from F2016 and F2017 investment income less unrealized losses, Canadian Women’s Foundation reported a return on investments of less than 3%.

Updated on May 24, 2018 by Madison Kerr.