MakeWay is a 4-star charity with a slightly above average results reporting grade. It is one of Canada's largest charities in terms of donations and is financially transparent. 

Founded in 2000, MakeWay aims to support projects that help people and nature thrive together. MakeWay consists of two separately registered charities: MakeWay Charitable Society and MakeWay Foundation. Before June 2020, MakeWay was known as Tides Canada. Based on the model of Tides Foundations in the US, MakeWay sets up partnerships with local groups, leaders, foundations, and governments to protect nature. In F2021, MakeWay spent $30.6m on programs and grants to 265 partners.

MakeWay’s three largest spending areas are Shared Platform programs, Pacific programs, and Northern Canada programs. 

The charity’s Shared Platform projects made up 70% of programs and grants in F2021. MakeWay’s Shared Platform is a granting model where many local initiatives all receive shared governance, human resources support, financial management, and administrative services from MakeWay. The charity states that this shared model helps organizations focus mainly on providing their services, rather than on management and administration. In F2021, MakeWay added five new shared projects, bringing its total active projects to 67. One of these projects, Not Far From the Tree, collected 30,000 pounds of fruit from trees in downtown Toronto to share with local food banks and community kitchens.  

Pacific projects made up 15% of programs and grants in F2021. MakeWay’s Pacific projects aim to help people and nature on the coast of British Columbia. For the past 20 years, MakeWay has helped to fund the conservation of BC's Great Bear Rainforest, in collaboration with Coast Funds and Indigenous groups. In F2021, MakeWay deployed over $643k in emergency covid-19 response funds to more than 35 First Nations across the west coast. 

Northern Canada programs represented 9% of programs and grants in F2021. These programs support land stewardship efforts and Indigenous-led projects in the northern territories. The Northern program team has staff located in all three territories. In F2021, MakeWay released the Hunter/Harvester/Guardian Evaluation Toolkit with assistance and input from experts in the field. MakeWay also supported the NWT On the Land Collaborative to disburse $840k to 48 organizations and initiatives to facilitate land-based education programs, especially for youth.  

The remaining 6% of programs included Northern Manitoba Indigenous Food Sovereignty programs (4%) and National Programs and Advisory Services (2%). 

MakeWay also allows donors to set up donor advised funds for specific causes of their choice. MakeWay offers an online portal that helps contributors to donor advised funds easily donate, select causes, and track the use of funds. 

MakeWay consolidates its financial statements, including both MakeWay Charitable Society and MakeWay Foundation. Ci has used the consolidated statements in the analysis below.

MakeWay received $31.7m in donations in F2021, an increase of 31% from the year before. MakeWay also received $2.7m in government funding (6% of revenues) and $4.8m in fees for service (10% of revenues). MakeWay does not report administrative and fundraising costs separately in its audited financial statements. Combined overhead costs are 17% of revenues (less investment income). This means that for every dollar donated, 83 cents go towards the charity’s programs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.  

MakeWay has $57.7m in net funding reserves, which can cover just over 2 years of annual program and grant costs.  

According to its annual filing with the Charities Directorate, MakeWay used external fundraisers in F2021. It paid $2k to external fundraisers during the year, and does not report any money raised by fundraisers. 

This charity report is an update that was sent for review to MakeWay. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.  

Updated on June 17, 2022 by Emma Saganowich.