Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of British Columbia (ALS BC) is a 3-star charity. It has a B- Results Reporting grade which is below average. Its reserves can cover program costs for three years and four months which is outside of Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 1981, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of British Columbia (ALS BC) supports people living with ALS in BC and the Yukon. The charity funds research and raises awareness about the disease. Seven people out of 100,000 have ALS. ALS BC runs three programs: Patient Services, Research, and Outreach and Public Awareness. In 2024, it spent $2.5m on its programs.

Patient Services got 62% ($1.5m) of program spending in 2024. It has multiple subprograms that support people with ALS physically and emotionally. The Shari Carrat Memorial Transportation Assistance Program assists those who cannot afford to travel to Vancouver. The program fulfilled 76 transportation requests. ALS BC offers support groups for patients and caregivers. Here, people can share their experiences and challenges with ALS. In 2024, the program held 82 meetings. Psychological Treatment Services has professional volunteers who provide therapy to ALS patients. The program served 48 clients with a total of 470 sessions in 2024. The Equipment Loan Program offers free assistive devices, such as mobility aids and communication tools to ALS patients. In 2024, the program delivered 2,015 pieces of equipment.

Research received 32% ($787k) of program spending in 2024. Project Hope, the research branch of ALS BC, opened a new ALS and Related Disorders Clinic in June 2024. The clinic is located at UBC’s Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and its services include assessment, intervention, and consultations.

Outreach and Public Awareness got 6% ($144k) of program spending in 2024. While the charity provides information on fundraising events, there was no mention of outreach and public awareness programs.

ALS BC’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing, which is a best practice. In 2024, the charity received $3.2m in donations and special events, which is 67% of revenue. It received $724k in government funding and $806k in investment income.

ALS BC spent $2.5m on its programs which is 52% of revenue. The charity ran a surplus of $1.3m (27% of revenue). It spent $467k on fundraising (15% of donations) and spent $494k on administrative costs which is 13% of revenue (less investment income). For every dollar donated to ALS BC, 72 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

ALS BC has $11.5m in its reserves (cash and investments). $3.8m are donor endowed which Ci does not include in program cost coverage calculations. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity’s reserves can fund its programs for three years and four months, which is outside Ci’s reasonable range.

Updated on June 4, 2025 by Joshua Leduc.