International Conservation Fund of Canada is a 5-star charity with an above-average results reporting score. Its overhead costs are within Ci’s reasonable range, and it has reserve funds to cover program costs for a year and one month.

Founded in 2007, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC) strives for the long-term preservation of nature and biodiversity across the world. ICFC focuses on projects in tropical regions, where it reports that nature is most at risk and conservation is least funded. International Conservation Fund of Canada works with local partners and Indigenous groups to protect vital land and species across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. In F2022, the charity spent $8.2m on conservation projects (up 34% from $6.1m in F2021). ICFC's headquarters are in Chester, Nova Scotia. 

A Charity Intelligence 2023 Top 100 Rated Charity 

International Conservation Fund of Canada has projects in Latin America including Brazil, Peru, and Costa Rica. In F2022, ICFC launched a Field Training Fellowship in Peru. The first two cohorts of Fellows (ten women and six men) have been trained in the skills to foster biodiversity conservation. In F2022, the charity’s MAAP project documented 983 major fires in the Amazon and deforestation of 4,800 hectares. In Costa Rica, ICFC’s partner, Osa Conservation, planted 40,000 mangrove trees in the Térraba Sierpe wetlands and 81,062 native and threatened tree species over the Osa peninsula in F2022.

ICFC’s work in Africa includes projects in Kenya, Mali, and Madagascar. In F2022, scouts carried out 1,642 patrols in Kenya recording 40 elephant sightings. Four community sensitization meetings were held to protect elephant habitats. In Mali, 432 people were trained in human-elephant conflict avoidance and 3,917 km of firebreaks were created.

In Asia and Oceania, ICFC had 5 projects, including in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Nepal. In F2022, five tree nurseries were established in the Indonesian portion of New Guinea. In Cambodia, 270 conservation and anti-trawling structures have been deployed.

International Conservation Fund of Canada received $10.4m in donations in F2022. Administrative costs are 4% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 1% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 5%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 95 cents go to the cause. This is just within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.  

ICFC has reserve funds of $9.0m which can cover annual program costs for a year and one month.

In addition to its salaries of $404k in F2021, ICFC paid $1.1m (or 2.7 times its total salaries) in professional and consulting fees ($387k in F2020).

Charity Intelligence has sent this update to International Conservation Fund of Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 14, 2023 by Kiara Andrade.