Junior Achievement of Central Ontario is a 3-star charity with an above-average results reporting score and Fair demonstrated impact, which is below average. It is financially transparent and has overhead costs outside Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 2003, Junior Achievement Central Ontario (JACO) is a member of Junior Achievement Canada. JACO is the result of the amalgamation of Junior Achievement of Toronto & York Region (founded in 1968) and Junior Achievement of Peel (founded in 1981). The charity works with students in Toronto, York Region, Peel, and Simcoe. JACO partners with businesses, educators, and policymakers across Central Ontario to prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. In F2022, JACO ran programs for 43,726 students from grades three to 12 in 508 schools. The charity does not provide a breakdown of program spending.

Junior Achievement Central Ontario runs five programs for students in grades three to eight: More Than Money, Our Business World, Dollars with Sense, Economics for Success, and Money Matters. More Than Money teaches students about earning, spending, sharing, and saving money. Our Business World allows students to explore innovation and how businesses run. Dollars with Sense and Economics for Success teach students how to budget and plan their finances. Money Matters provides each of the other four programs in smaller, 30-minute modules that can be accessed through a virtual platform.

Junior Achievement Central Ontario also runs five programs for students in grades nine to 12: Pitch Your Vision, Personal Finance, Investment Strategies, Titan, and Career Accelerator. Pitch Your Vision is a six-week program that teaches students how to evaluate and build new businesses, with an opportunity to pitch their ideas at the end of the program. Personal Finance is a 75-minute program that teaches students how to save and make good financial decisions. Investment Strategies introduces students to the stock market and allows them to build a portfolio and trade over five weeks with a mock $100,000. Titan is a ten-day competition where students have to create their own business strategies. Career Accelerator is a two-year program where students can network, shadow professionals, and build soft skills. In F2022, the first year of Career Accelerator, 100 students participated in the program.

JACO’s Company Program is a four-month project where students launch and run a small enterprise with the help of mentors from the local business community. In F2022, 480 students participated in the program.

In F2022, Junior Achievement Central Ontario received $2.2m in donations and special events revenue.

Administrative costs are 8% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 32% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 40%. For every dollar donated, 60 cents go to the cause. This is outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

JACO has reserve funds of $2.5m, of which $500k is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, JACO could cover almost one year and three months of annual program costs with its reserves.

­­Charity Intelligence sent an update of this report to Junior Achievement Central Ontario for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 29, 2023 by Kiara Andrade.