Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (Quebec Division)

1188 Union Avenue, Suite 520
Montréal, QC H3B 0E5
President: Martin Legault
Executive Director: Diego Mena Martinez

Charitable Reg. #:10490 2523 RR0001

STAR RATING

Ci's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics:

[Charity Rating: 2/5]

✔+

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.

52%

CENTS TO THE CAUSE

For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 52 cents are available for programs.



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OVERVIEW

About Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (Quebec Division):

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada - Quebec Division is a 2-star charity. It is financially transparent but has a below-average results reporting grade and overhead spending outside of Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 1948, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada - Quebec Division (MS Society Quebec) aims to improve patients’ quality of life and find a cure for multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. MS can cause vision problems, mobility issues, pain, and fatigue. There is currently no known cure. MS Society Quebec funds client services, public advocacy, and research to help people with MS.

Client services and chapter support - 48% of total program spending: MS Society Quebec offers client services through its 18 local chapters across the province. These programs ensure that people affected by MS have access to information, support groups, training sessions, referrals, and consultation services. The charity also runs an MS Knowledge Network in three regions to provide easily accessible information for those with MS.

Research - 33% of total program spending: MS Society Quebec provides research grants towards multiple sclerosis research. It provides operating grants to scientists working in universities and healthcare institutions and funding to doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. In F2022, the charity funded $1.2m to research. It also stated that 33% of the funds that MS Society of Canada devotes to research are invested in Quebec.

Education and Advocacy - 20% of total program spending: MS Society Quebec advocates for people affected by multiple sclerosis. It aims to improve laws, government policies, and workplace practices to help reduce barriers for people living with MS. In F2022, the charity ran eight free webinars covering many topics about living with MS. During the same year, it also conducted 14 meetings with members of Parliament in an effort to improve the life quality of people living with MS.

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Results and Impact

Ci could not find any publicly available quantifiable outcomes for MS Society Quebec. The charity is not yet rated on impact (n/r).

 

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Finances

In F2022, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (Quebec Division) received donations and special events revenue of $4.7m. MS Society Quebec receives a substantial amount of its revenue from community fundraising and partnership events and campaigns. At $2.9m, its special events fundraising made up 45% of total revenues. The charity also received government funding of $1.6m, representing 24% of revenues.

Administrative costs are 9% of revenues (less investment income), and fundraising costs are 40% of donations and special events revenue. This results in total overhead spending of 48%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 52 cents go to the cause, which is outside of Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. Due to high fundraising costs, MS Society Quebec has been outside of this range since Ci’s first analysis in 2013.

MS Society Quebec has $4.5m in reserve funds. The charity can cover 124% or 14 months of its annual program and grant costs with its reserves.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (Quebec Division) for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on July 27, 2023 by Krystie Nguyen.

 

Financial Review


Financial Ratios

Fiscal year ending December
202220212020
Administrative costs as % of revenues 8.5%9.2%10.0%
Fundraising costs as % of donations 39.6%38.1%46.2%
Total overhead spending 48.1%47.2%56.2%
Program cost coverage (%) 124.0%137.4%108.2%

Summary Financial Statements

All figures in $000s
202220212020
Donations 1,8091,3191,444
Government funding 1,5602,0752,127
Fees for service 403654
Lotteries (net) 995441
Business activities (net) 131522
Special events 2,9162,5411,743
Investment income 91615
Other income 0151
Total revenues 6,4466,0705,447
Program costs 2,4422,2492,366
Grants 1,2001,000264
Administrative costs 545554543
Fundraising costs 1,8721,4701,472
Total spending 6,0585,2744,645
Cash flow from operations 388796803
Capital spending 122144263
Funding reserves 4,5174,4642,845

Note: Ci adjusted for deferred revenues, affecting government funding by $215k in F2022, ($24k) in F2021, and $5k in F2020. Ci adjusted for deferred capital contributions, affecting revenues by $nil in F2022, ($130k) in F2021, and $126k in F2020. Ci removed amortization of deferred lease inducement from donations, fees for service, and special event fundraising on a pro-rata basis. Ci reported business activities net of expenses, affecting total revenues and expenses by ($34k) in F2022, ($47k) in F2021, and ($31k) in F2020. Ci removed amortization of capital assets from program, administrative and fundraising costs on a pro-rata basis.

Salary Information

Full-time staff: 17

Avg. compensation: $52,286

Top 10 staff salary range:

$350k +
0
$300k - $350k
0
$250k - $300k
0
$200k - $250k
0
$160k - $200k
0
$120k - $160k
0
$80k - $120k
4
$40k - $80k
6
< $40k
0

Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2021

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Comments & Contact

Comments added by the Charity:

The following comments were added to a previous profile:

The Quebec Division of the Multiple Sclerosis Society is part of the National organization. In order to have a global picture of the activities of our National organization, I invite you to consult the following web site: http://mssociety.ca/en/community/mssc/governance.htm

Please note that the MS Society of Canada is 95 per cent self-funded meaning that the vast majority of our funding comes from our donors, not government grants or pharmaceutical support. The limited amount of government funding we do receive means we need to raise funds ourselves to meet our mission. Statistics Canada notes that the average health charity receives 70 percent of its revenues from the government. By comparison, the MS Society of Canada is only less than 3 percent government funded. Funds received through government grants have little or no costs which allow other charities to boast a very low cost of fundraising.

Charity Contact

Website: www.mssociety.ca/division/quebec-division
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 514-849-7591

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Charitable Registration Number: 80340 7956 RR0001