Founded in 1996, SKETCH allows homeless and at-risk youth in Toronto to engage in the arts. Of the 35,000 Canadian youth who experience homelessness each year, 54% are chronically homeless, 29% identify as LGBTQ, and 31% are First Nations, Metis, or Inuit. Almost a third of Canada’s homeless youth are located in Toronto, with 10,000 youth experiencing homelessness in the city each year. In F2017, 1,318 youth (aged 16-29) visited SKETCH 10,405 times to participate in over 50 activities.

SKETCH offers free, 10-week, drop-in activities with a meal before each session. Activities involve a variety of art types including: visual, fabric, digital, dance, music and recording, culinary, and spoken word. Studio space, materials, and instruction are available to all youth who participate in programming.

SKETCH partners with art groups and other charities working with homeless youth to provide inclusive opportunities. A new partnership this year, with CUE, displayed art by 35 SKETCH youth in a gallery dedicated to struggling artists. Every week, a representative from Central Toronto Youth Services is available to offer counselling referrals and guidance in accessing other community resources.

SKETCH is a medium-sized charity, with donations and special events revenue of $1.5m in F2017. The charity received $1.4m in government funding, representing 43% of total revenue. Administrative costs are 9% of revenues and fundraising costs are 1% of donations. For every $1 donated, 90 cents go to the cause, falling within Ci’s reasonable range. SKETCH has $560k in funding reserves, which could cover program costs for less than 3 months. This indicates a need for funding.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to SKETCH for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 14, 2018 by Madison Kerr