Canadian Feed the Children

About Canadian Feed the Children:

Canadian Feed The Children (CFTC) is an international development organization with a vision of “a world where children thrive, free from poverty.” Its mission is to “work with local partners internationally and in Canada to enhance the well-being of children and the self-sufficiency of their families and communities.” CFTC's programs focus on food security, education and capacity building in Bolivia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, and with Aboriginal communities in Canada.

In 2012, Canadian Feed The Children adopted a new Theory of Change model, shifting its focus to long-term, community-based, sustainable development. In line with this change, CFTC no longer ships gift-in-kind medicines, which historically made up a large portion of the charity’s revenues.

Canadian Feed The Children’s food security programs focus on community-based agricultural, income-generating, feeding and nutrition programs, implemented by local partners. In F2014, 6,445 farmers received agricultural training, and 1,439 farmers received agricultural inputs such as seeds, tools, plants and livestock. Also in F2014, CFTC’s school nutrition program provided 3.85 million meals and snacks to children. In a 2014 survey, 81% of CFTC’s food security program beneficiaries rated their knowledge of good nutrition from medium to high.

Canadian Feed The Children’s education programs focus on early childhood care, improving school attendance and graduation rates, agricultural training for adults, and improving education policies, especially for girls. In F2014, CFTC supported 44,818 students in 54 primary schools. Further, its education programs trained 225 teachers, built 5 new classrooms and installed 9 water and sanitation facilities. CFTC works with local partners in Ethiopia to improve teacher training and infrastructure. It reports that CFTC-affiliated primary schools have seen completion rates of 83%, up from 77% in F2013.

Finally, Canadian Feed The Children’s capacity building programs support strong, sustainable organizations, such as village savings and loan associations. In F2014, CFTC supported 362 Village Savings and Loan Associations and micro-finance groups.

Financial Review:

Canadian Feed the Children is a large charity, with donations of $8.5m in F2015. Its administrative costs are 6% of revenues and its fundraising costs are 19% of donations. For every $1 donated to the charity, 75 cents is put towards its programs, falling within Ci’s reasonable range. The charity’s funding reserves are $3.8m, resulting in a program cost coverage ratio of 67%. This means that it can cover 8 months of its annual programs using its existing reserves.

This charity report is an update that is being reviewed by Canadian Feed the Children. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on July 11, 2016 by Lynn Tay.