Alzheimer Society of Ontario

About Alzheimer Society of Ontario:

Founded in 1983, Alzheimer Society of Ontario (ALZO) is one of ten provincial Societies working with Alzheimer Society of Canada. The charities work together towards a common goal of a world without dementia. It works closely with 29 local Societies across Ontario to offer care and education programs to people affected by dementia. ALZO also funds research projects and looks to increase awareness of dementia across Ontario to citizens and policy makers.

Dementia is the umbrella term for a set of chronic diseases affecting the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. 564,000 Canadians are currently living with dementia and ALZO expects this number to grow 66% in the next 15 years. The charity estimates a total cost of $10.4 billion a year to care for those with dementia in Canada.

ALZO offers many resources to people with dementia, including First Link, Finding Your Way, and Minds in Motion. First Link is a program that connects people affected by dementia to support, information, and resources in their communities. Minds in Motion is a community-based program that encourages physical activity and mental stimulation for people with early signs of dementia.

Dementia research is done through the Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP). The program receives funding from provincial Alzheimer Societies, Alzheimer Society of Canada and outside donors. ASRP gives grants for research projects with most researchers looking to improve the quality of life for those affected by dementia. In 2017, ASRP gave out 35 grants across Canada worth $3.3 million. ALZO’s website provides background information on 7 researchers at Universities in Ontario that received funding.

ALZO works with the provincial government and advocates for better support services and policies for people living with dementia and their families. Together, the Ontario Government and ALZO are currently working towards developing and implementing a Dementia Strategy in Ontario. This province-wide plan will aim to tackle the personal, social and economic impacts of dementia.

Results and Impact: The charity’s advocacy efforts resulted in the Ontario government including in its 2017 budget $100 million over three years for the implementation of an Ontario dementia strategy. ALZO also reported that participants in the Minds in Motion program improved their endurance by 20% and strength by 15%.

Financial Review:

Alzheimer Society of Ontario is a large charity that collected $8.0m in donations in F2017. Administrative costs are 19% of revenues and fundraising costs are 36% of donations. Administrative costs increased by $0.8m in F2017 due to the merging of financial operations between multiple Alzheimer Societies. For every dollar donated to the charity, $0.45 goes towards the cause. This falls outside of Charity Intelligence’s reasonable range of overhead costs.

Funding reserves of $5.1m can cover 97% of annual program costs. This means that ALZO has enough funding to cover 12 months of program costs. This indicates a need for donations.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Alzheimer Society of Ontario for review. Comments and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 4, 2018 by Derek Houlberg.