BC Children’s Hospital Foundation is a 2-star, financially transparent charity. Its results reporting score is C, which is below average. Its overhead spending is within Ci’s reasonable range. Its reserve funds can cover seven years and five months of annual program costs.

Founded in 1982, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation (BCCHF) raises funds for BC Children's Hospital (the Hospital), BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children. It aims to improve children’s health by funding new equipment purchases, research on pediatric diseases, and patient care programs. BC Children’s Hospital is the province’s only hospital that works exclusively with children. 

In F2024, BCCHF distributed $63.9m in grants. These went towards four main areas: Research, Programs, Equipment, and Care Enhancement & Education. 

Research was 85% of grants ($54.2m) in F2024. Of this, 33% ($21.1m) went towards appointing five new research chairs. BCCHF reports that as a result of the Hospital's research, it was the first Canadian hospital to implant a new pacemaker into a newborn, the first in Canada to test cancer drugs targeted to a child's unique tumour in chicken egg cells, and first in the world to create organoids with microglia-like cells.

Equipment was 5% of grants ($3.2m) in F2024. BCCHF reports the Hospital performing nine orthopedic surgeries, three general surgeries, six cardiac surgeries, and five maxillofacial surgeries.

Care Enhancement & Education was 5% of grants ($3.2m) in F2024. The Hospital’s outpatient therapy allowed caregivers to administer antibiotics to kids from their homes. In F2024, BCCHF reported benefitting 55 patients.   

Programs were 5% of grants ($3.2m) in F2024. The charity did not provide any information about the results of these grants.  

In F2024, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation received $76.4m in donations. Administrative costs were 12% of revenues, less investment income. Fundraising costs were 18% of donations. Total overhead spending was 31%. For every dollar donated, 69 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

BCCHF distributed $63.9m in grants in F2024. These represent 43% of total revenue. BCCHF had $600.9m in funding reserves. Included in these is $204.5m in donor-endowed funds. Excluding these funds, its reserves can cover seven years and five months of annual program costs. The charity has accounts payable of $285.0m due to the BC Children's Hospital. This amount has been increasing since 2018.

According to its most recent CRA filing in F2023, BCCHF uses external fundraisers. In F2023, it reported paying these fundraisers $1.3m to raise $6.4m. This puts the cost of raising a dollar via external fundraisers at 21 cents.  

The charity’s reserve funds earned $46.3m in investment income in F2023, at an estimated rate of return of 9%. Over the past five years, Ci estimates the BCCHF’s investment returns have averaged 8%.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.  

Updated on August 19, 2024 by Stellar Zhang.