Note: Ci included changes in fair value of investments in investment income, affecting revenues by $1.7m in F2023, ($3.8m) in F2022, and $2.3m in F2021. Ci reported product sales, events promotions, and fees revenues in business activities. Ci reported income from WWF family in other revenue, affecting it by $834k.

The following comments have been provided by the charity in response to Ci's 2022 report. Updates may be forthcoming.

World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) is the country’s largest international conservation organization. For more than 50 years we have connected the power of a strong global network operating in 100 countries with on-the-ground conservation efforts across Canada. Our long-term vision is simple: a Canada with abundant wildlife, where nature and people thrive.

But without urgent action, that future is at risk.  Every day, we get closer to crossing an invisible line — one that unlocks a future that is four degrees warmer. The next decade is critical. If we don’t set a path for nature’s recovery, we will continue on an irreversible course toward the destruction of complex ecosystems, severe climate disruption driven by greenhouse gas emissions and the extinction of more than one million species worldwide.  

Regenerate Canada is our bold, 10-year plan to fight the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change with one of the best, most effective tools around: nature. We will steward, restore and protect ecosystems that store carbon and provide habitat for wildlife—ensuring at-risk species can recover while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. More specifically, our conservation work will drive towards three goals, designed to get our future back on track:

• Restore at least one million hectares of habitat
• Protect and steward at least 100 hundred million hectares of vital ecosystems
• Reduce carbon emissions by 30 million tonnes

Fiscal year 21 (July 2020 to June 2021) marked the first year of our Regenerate Canada plan in action. WWF-Canada is grateful to our donors, partners and volunteers who, by supporting our conservation work, are helping choose a path to a brighter future.

We were able to invest in our mission while keeping administrative costs fiscally responsible – for every dollar, 70 cents went to the cause. During this period, we invested $17.8 million directly into our conservation work and $5.8 million was spent on fundraising and administration. With a diverse donor base made up of individuals, foundations, government and companies, we have the financial resilience and courage to take the next steps for the future of conservation.

With donors and supporters across the country by our side, we made ambitious plans, set audacious targets and achieved impressive progress. We published crucial reports and funded incredible projects. We took responsibility for reconciliation by supporting Indigenous partners and helping to advance Indigenous-led conservation, where and when requested, with our words, our work and our financial support.

Below are just a few of the ways WWF-Canada’s work—and the incredible support of our donors—helped to Regenerate Canada in the past year:

• Mapped Canada’s carbon stores with scientists from McMaster University. In the Ring of Fire, we’re supporting Mushkegowuk Council efforts to steward this area of carbon-rich peatlands where a square metre contains about five times as much carbon as an equivalent area of Amazon rainforest!
• Granted $1,030,604 to Indigenous partner organizations to support Indigenous-led conservation initiatives.
• Supported the 1,000-person community of Taloyoak, Nunavut, in developing their winning proposal for the $451,000 Arctic Inspiration Prize. Their innovative project addresses food insecurity and is intended to form the management plan for the proposed 85,769 km2 Aviqtuuq Inuit Protected and Conserved Area.
• Protected sea life from shipping impacts by providing mariners in the Atlantic with a toolkit that identifies high-risk areas and best practices to reduce collisions, underwater noise and other threats to endangered whales.
• Worked to secure the recovery of species in the Wolastoq/St. John River watershed by developing a “priority threat management” protocol and directing funds to local watershed groups to rebuild riverbanks, restore habitats by removing invasive plants and planting trees, and address instream barriers to migratory fish by building fish ladders.
• Planted 317,709 native plants through In the Zone and other restoration work, including in southern Ontario and Quebec, and the Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed.
• Collared elusive snow leopards in Nepal to identify critical habitat and wildlife corridors that need protection.
• Advocated for No Dumping of harmful vessel discharges in marine protected areas (MPAs).

In the world of conservation, victories aren’t always swift but rather the culmination of years of work by many people and groups working together. Our donors and partners make finding those long-term solutions to some of nature’s biggest challenges possible. Learn more about our impressive track record here.

Financial stewardship is key to achieving our conservation and fundraising goals and fulfilling donor expectations. To do that, we ensure we have a strong internal control environment, effective governance over all operations, and an annual independent audit of our financial records. In addition to our annual report, we keep our donors informed on their efforts to help nature and people thrive through our Living Planet magazine, webinars, Fieldnotes e-newsletter, blogs, Wildlife Wednesdays and stewardship reports.