Toronto Foundation for Student Success is a 5-star, 2021 Top 100 charity, with good demonstrated impact in helping kids from Toronto's priority neighbourhoods. The charity has a high results reporting grade and low overhead spending. 

Founded in 1998, Toronto Foundation for Student Success (TFSS) works with the Toronto District School Board to provide food and after-school programs for students to succeed in school. According to TFSS, as many as 68% of children go to school hungry every day, and 95% of children and youth do not have access to after-school programs. TFSS runs many of its programs in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (as identified by the City of Toronto) to reach youth who are most in need. The charity runs two programs: Student Nutrition Programs (SNPs) and Beyond 3:30.

A Charity Intelligence 2022 Top 10 Canadian Youth Impact Charity

Student Nutrition Programs accounted for 95% of program spending in F2021. TFSS is under contract with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to run breakfast programs across Toronto. The charity served an average 212,500 meals per school day and 21,755,916 meals in total in F2021.

In response to the covid-19 pandemic, TFSS pivoted its SNPs. In F2021, TFSS distributed over 86,000 grocery cards to students, each valued at $50 ($4.3m in grocery cards). According to the charity, one card supplies approximately 30 days of breakfast for each child. In F2021, TFSS distributed over 2,580,000 meals through grocery cards.

In addition, Toronto Foundation for Student Success introduced a Nutrition Pantry Program. The program stocks pantries in secondary schools with shelf-stable lunch foods such as tuna, soup, canned fruit, and cereal. The Nutrition Pantry Program supplied 431,720 meals and supported 35,000 students in F2021.

Beyond 3:30 represents the other 5% of program costs in F2021. Beyond 3:30 is the charity's after-school program for at-risk youth living in Toronto. As of F2021, the program runs in 18 schools and has 1,200 enrolled students. Beyond 3:30 is for middle school students (aged 11 to 14 years) and runs from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM each day. In addition to providing food, students have access to homework help, cooking lessons, one-hour fitness training sessions, a financial literacy program, and a rotating schedule of arts programs. Due to covid-19, the program has transitioned online. In F2021, TFSS mailed 700 food cards representing 21,000 meals to student homes.

Toronto Foundation for Student Success received $3.8m in donations in F2021. The charity also received $25.8m in government funding, representing 85% of total revenues. Administrative costs are 3% of revenues (excluding investment income), and fundraising costs are 3% of donations. This means that TFSS spent 6% on overhead in F2021. For every dollar donated to the charity, 94 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci's reasonable range for overhead spending.

TFSS has funding reserves of $10.0m which can cover four months of annual program costs, indicating a need for funding.

In addition to reported salary information, TFSS spent $430k in F2021 (up from $273k in F2020) on professional and consulting fees. Compensation figures for staff do not include these consulting fees.

Charity Intelligence has sent an update of this report to Toronto Foundation for Student Success for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on May 26, 2022 by Ann Lei.