Variety BC is a 3-star charity. It is fully financially transparent and has average results reporting. It has overhead spending outside Ci's reasonable range. 

Founded in 1966, Variety BC (also known as Variety – the Children’s Charity) aims to help children in British Columbia whose medical needs are not covered by the public health system. Variety BC raises funds and provides individual grants for various medical equipment, therapy programs, and supplies. The charity reports that it helped 4,625 children with physical or developmental disabilities in F2021. Variety BC’s spending areas include specialized therapy, mobility supplies, autism assessment, education, medical support, and mental wellness.

Variety BC reports that 34% of the individual grants it dispersed in F2021 supported specialized therapy programs that help children communicate and connect with others. Variety BC offers grants for occupational and physical therapy, speech and language therapy, and music therapy. The charity reports that it funded 3,853 hours of speech therapy for its clients in F2021. Additionally, 117 kids received occupational therapy and physical therapy grants in F2021.

In F2021, 25% of individual grants were allocated to Variety BC’s mobility programs. Variety BC's mobility program aims to help children with mobility challenges move with freedom. The charity provides wheelchairs, standing walkers, and custom orthotics. The charity also offers Sunshine Family Vans and Sunshine Coaches, which are accessible vehicles that help families travel with their children. The charity distributed 38 custom orthotics, 13 wheelchairs, eight adaptive tricycles, and seven vans in F2021.

Variety BC allocated 17% of individual grants to autism assessment in F2021. The charity began funding private autism assessments in June 2021; it provided funding for 136 children to receive an autism assessment in F2021.

The charity’s education program accounts for 11% of its individual grants in F2021. The program supports students through bursaries and tutoring services. The charity reports that it funded 2,229 hours of tutoring for 90 kids in F2021.  

In F2021, 9% of Variety BC’s individual grants were used to buy medical supplies. The charity dispersed 64 grants for medical supplies in F2021, including nine hearing aids and three specialized beds.

The remaining 4% of Variety BC’s individual grants supported mental wellness in F2021. In F2021, Variety BC funded 486 hours of counselling for 42 kids and families.

In addition to providing individual grants to children through its programs, Variety BC dispersed $1.2m to the BC Family Residence Program in F2021. 

Variety BC had donations of $7.5m in F2021. The charity also received $2.5m in government funding, representing 24% of total revenues. Administrative costs are 13% of revenues and fundraising costs are 27% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 40%, compared to 51% in F2020 and 66% in F2019. For every dollar donated, 60 cents go to the cause, which is outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

The charity has $12.3m in funding reserves, of which $752k is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, Variety BC could cover 284% or two years and ten months of its annual program costs with reserves.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Variety BC. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on July 12, 2022, by Sydney Olexa.