Compassion Canada

About Compassion Canada:

Compassion International has affiliated chapters around the world. Its Canadian affiliate, Compassion Canada, was founded in 1963. Compassion aims to help children and families break the poverty cycle and has 6,783 church partners in 25 countries. Compassion’s programs are child development, complementary interventions, maternal and poverty care, and leadership development.

In F2017, Compassion Canada spent 89% of program costs on child development toward 106,546 sponsored children. This program provides children with education, medical care, food, religious support and education, and life skills. In F2017, there was a 10.8% sponsorship cancellation rate in Canada.  

Compassion Canada spent 8% of program costs on complementary interventions in F2017. These funds support one-time supplies to poor people in communities so they can access basic necessities like food and safe water. The funding also supports lasting solutions to break the poverty cycle, including training in income-generating skills, business management skills, alternative agricultural methods, crop storage and preservation, saving and borrowing money, and water harvesting. In F2017, Compassion funded 80 initiatives in 20 countries, including projects on home reconstruction, university education, teen pregnancy prevention, and providing safe water, dental care, and mosquito nets.

In F2017, Compassion Canada spent 2% on its Child Survival Program, which helps poor mothers and their babies. Through the 727 churches that offer this program, Compassion helped 30,396 mothers and their babies by providing food and childcare training. The funding also provided food to 10,157 children with chronic malnutrition.

Leadership development was 1% of Compassion Canada’s program costs in F2017. Compassion reports training 734 young men and women who have academic talent and leadership potential to become future leaders. The charity also reports over 19,000 youth in school and over 25,000 youth in vocational training or formal education.

Results and Impact:  Relative to unsponsored children, Compassion Canada reports that Compassion children are 27% - 40% more likely to finish secondary education. Compassion children are also 35% more likely to have professional careers and are 40% - 70% more likely to become church leaders.

Financial Review:

Compassion Canada is a Major 100 charity, with donations of $63.8m in F2017. Its administrative costs are 6% of revenues and its fundraising costs are 10% of donations. For every dollar donated to the charity, 84 cents go to the cause, falling within Ci's reasonable range for overhead spending. Compassion Canada’s funding reserves of $11.7m can only cover 22% of its annual program costs, showing a need for donations.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Compassion Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 8, 2018 by Joeyanne Cheung.