Founded in 2013, Jack.org works to engage young people in mental health advocacy, encouraging youth to take care of themselves and their peers. By working with young people, the charity hopes that future generations will not be affected by a negative stigma associated with mental illness. Jack.org reports that suicide is the number one cause of non-accidental death among youth and that 90% of youth who commit suicide have a mental illness.

In F2017, Jack.org allocated 37% of program spending to operating Jack Summit. For three days, Canadian youth engage with speakers, participate in workshops, and collaborate on strategies to better advocate for mental health. In F2017, Jack Summit cost the charity $2,040 per attendee, an increase of 29% from $1,580 per attendee in F2015.

Jack.org allocated 27% of program spending to campus-based activities. The charity has Jack Chapters on 116 campuses in Canada, including 31 new chapters for F2017. Youth volunteers who lead the chapters receive training on identifying and breaking down barriers to accessing mental health resources. The chapter model is adjusted based on a community’s needs.

Jack Talks received 16% of program spending in F2017. Speakers delivered 166 presentations to 52,000 youth, using stories of personal experiences with mental health to communicate Jack.org’s mission.  

Jack.org allocated 11% of spending to collaborations and 9% to marketing. In F2017, Jack Summit was the number one topic trending on Twitter in Canada.

Results and Impact: Jack.org reports that 80% of Jack Summit delegates say they were given the necessary skills to take action for mental health and 98% say they will use their learning to drive mental health change. Of Jack Chapter respondents, 61% say their chapter has positively impacted attitudes surrounding mental health at their school and 85% say that training from Jack.org prepared them for chapter leadership. Of audience members at Jack Talks, 64% felt more open to talking about mental health and 87% say they think more positively about mental health.

Jack.org is a medium-sized charity with donations and goods-in-kind contributions of $2.1m in F2017. Administrative costs are 9% of revenues and fundraising costs are 19% of donations. For every $1 donated, 72 cents go to the cause, falling within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. Jack.org has $1.6m in funding reserves, representing a 78% increase from reserves of $900k in F2015. The charity could cover program costs for 1.5 years with reserves.

This charity report has been sent to Jack.org for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Created on August 3, 2018 by Madison Kerr.