Founded in 1992, Society for Manitobans with Disabilities Foundation (SMD Foundation) is the provincial arm for Easter Seals Canada and raises money for two associated charities: Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD) and SMD Clearinghouse. The foundation reports that more than 200,000 Manitobans live with a disability. SMD Foundation granted $495k in F2017.

In F2017, SMD Foundation granted $211k to SMD, representing 43% of total grants. SMD supports over 47,000 Manitobans and their families each year through services including counselling, employment support, computer training, travel assistance, and the parking permit program.

SMD Clearinghouse received $204k from SMD Foundation in F2017, representing 41% of foundation grants. Clearinghouse supports 14 independent, self-help organizations that work with Manitobans who have specific disabilities. The organizations include: Autism Society Manitoba, Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Manitoba Inc., Manitoba Brain Injury Association, and Manitoba Down Syndrome Society. Among other benefits, Clearinghouse provides the partner organizations with subsidized rent, shared office equipment, administrative services, assistance with taxes and finances, and advice for grant applications.

The remaining 16% of grants from SMD Foundation were not allocated to other registered Canadian charities. Up to $75,000 of this money may have been used in the Assistive Technology program, subsidizing purchases of equipment such as hearing aids, wheelchair lifts, walkers, stair lifts, and wheelchairs. Clients are eligible to have 50% of a purchase funded, up to a maximum of $2,500.

Charity Intelligence has scored Society for Manitobans with Disabilities Foundation as a zero in financial transparency because the charity failed to provide financial statements when requested. The financial analysis completed by Charity Intelligence uses the most recent financial statements available to Ci, through a request to the CRA, at the time of writing this report.

Society for Manitobans with Disabilities Foundation is a medium-sized charity with donations and special events revenue of $1.3m in F2017. The foundation received $1.4m in investment income, representing 52% of income.

The charity does not separately report expenses related to lotteries so fundraising expenses may be overstated. Administrative and fundraising costs are 122% of revenues less investment income. For every dollar donated, zero cents go to the cause, which is significantly outside of Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.  

SMD Foundation has $10.9m in funding reserves, of which $3.2m is donor-endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the foundation could grant at the F2017 level for 14.4 years using reserves.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Society for Manitobans with Disabilities Foundation for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 12, 2019 by Madison Kerr.