Founded in 1996, Ve'ahavta is a Jewish charity that works to improve the lives of people who are poor or homeless. The charity reports that in Toronto, home to the 2nd highest homeless population in Canada, an average of 5,000 people are homeless on a given night. The homeless population in Toronto has increased 15% since 2018. Ve'ahavta aims to break the cycle of poverty by providing supplies, referrals, personal connections, and skill programs to people struggling to survive.

Ve'ahavta’s Mobile Jewish Response to Homelessness (MJRH) outreach van received 31% of program funding in F2020. For six nights each week, the van drives to places where homeless people congregate in Toronto. Workers and volunteers distribute coffee, food, clothing, hygiene supplies, and sleeping bags. In F2020, MJRH outreach had 31,279 client interactions. The program also distributed 475 harm reduction kits, 160 blankets, and 6,000 pairs of underwear in F2020. 

In F2020, Ve'ahavta allocated 24% of program spending to Work and Life Skills Training. Ve'ahavta Street Academy is a free course offered in partnership with George Brown College. Students are guided on how to meet their own physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs.

Building Foundations for Women, another training program, also accounted for 24% of program spending in F2020. The program runs for nine weeks, 18 hours per week. Women are supported in building stable lives and moving toward employment or education goals.

Both training courses give participants digital devices with internet access to keep. In F2020, 135 devices were distributed. The training programs had 81 graduates in F2020, up 145% from F2018.

Ve'ahavta’s MYTORONTO photography contest received 9% of program spending in F2020. People who are currently or previously homeless are encouraged to participate by submitting photos that reflect the public’s perspective on homelessness.

Meal Box accounted for the final 12% of program spending in F2020. The program works with MJRH to help give healthy meals to homeless people. In F2020, 4,000 muffins were given out and 390 soups were cooked. 

Ve'ahavta has donations of $2.4m in F2020. The charity received $762k in government funding, representing 24% of total revenues. Administrative costs are 9% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 16% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 25%. For every dollar donated, 75 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

Ve'ahavta has $1.2m in funding reserves. The charity could cover 61% or around 8 months of annual program costs with current reserves.

The staff salary and compensation information is taken from Ve'ahavta's annual filing with the CRA Charities Directorate. It looks like Ve'ahavta has made an error in this filing that shows the average full-time compensation in F2020 was $409,353. The average compensation Ve'ahavta pays its full-time staff was $59,550 for 2019-2017. We are seeking more information about this filing.

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

Updated on January 8 2022, by Brenleigh Jebb.