Parkinson Canada is a 4-star rated charity with an above-average results reporting score. It is financially transparent and has overhead costs outside Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 1965, Parkinson Canada (formerly Parkinson Society of Canada) aims to transform the lives of people living with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson Canada funds research for a cure, promotes public awareness, and provides patient services. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain disease that affects movement and motor skills. It can cause tremors, mobility issues, muscle stiffness, and poor balance. The charity reports that over 100,000 Canadians are living with Parkinson’s. Parkinson Canada’s main office is in Toronto.

Parkinson Canada runs four programs: Research, Programs and Services, Awareness, and Advocacy.

Research funding represented 36% of program costs in F2022. In F2022, Parkinson Canada awarded 23 grants totalling more than $1.6 million to researchers seeking better treatments, improved patient care, and a greater understanding of the disease.

Programs and Services were 33% of program costs in F2022. Parkinson Canada provides resources for patients, care partners, and health professionals on new research findings and treatment methods. In F2022, Parkinson Canada hosted 80 support groups attended by 8,151 people. The charity also answered 4,005 calls and emails and ran nine fully-funded wellness programs in F2022.

Awareness represented 25% of program costs in F2022. In F2022, Parkinson Canada collaborated with the Davis Phinney Foundation to publish the first-ever Canadian Edition of Every Victory Counts. The resource was downloaded 1,774 times and the charity received 1,756 requests for print copies. Parkinson Canada reports that its digital resources were downloaded 5,560 times in F2022.

Advocacy accounts for the remaining 6% of program costs. Parkinson Canada advocates for policies that support people with Parkinson’s. In F2021, the charity hosted eight regional roundtables to discuss challenges faced by people living with Parkinson's. In F2022, the charity used the data collected to make recommendations to the federal government.

Parkinson Canada received donations and special events revenues of $12.7m in F2022. Administrative costs are 16% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 24% of donations and special events revenue. This results in total overhead spending of 40%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 60 cents go to the cause. This falls outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending and has since the first year of Ci’s analysis in 2013.

Parkinson Canada has reserve funds of $15.6m, of which $230k is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, Parkinson Canada could cover two years and nine months of annual program and grant costs with its existing reserves.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Parkinson Canada for review. Comments and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 11, 2023 by Kiara Andrade.