StepStones for Youth
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
✔+
FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
Audited financial statements for current and previous years available on the charity’s website.
A+
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
n/r
DEMONSTRATED IMPACT
The demonstrated impact per dollar Ci calculates from available program information.
NEED FOR FUNDING
Charity's cash and investments (funding reserves) relative to how much it spends on programs in most recent year.
77%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 77 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About StepStones for Youth:
StepStones for Youth is a 5-star charity with a strong results reporting grade. It is financially transparent and has overhead spending within Ci’s reasonable range.
Founded in 2004, StepStones for Youth (SSY) supports youth involved in child welfare in Toronto, Ontario. SSY states that about 1,700 children and youths are under state guardianship in Ontario. The charity states that young people from foster care are 193 times more likely to experience homelessness than their peers. It also states that 44% of youth involved in child welfare graduate from high school compared to the general population rate of 89%. SSY reports it spent $1.8m on its programs in 2023.
SSY’s Youth Support Services program provides housing, education, and mental health support. The charity facilitated 265 housing subsidies in 2023. It also provided 13,624 hours of supportive counselling and service navigation. SSY held 54 events and workshops that taught skills such as applying to schools and financial literacy. The charity provided 274 emergency food and care packages to youth. SSY reports it served 352 youths in 2023.
A Charity Intelligence 2024 Top 100 Rated Charity.
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Results and Impact
SSY conducts interviews with young people upon intake and every six months while they are involved with the charity. The results of these interviews include:
89% of youths are in stable housing after six months at StepStones.
83% of youths at StepStones are currently attending school or have graduated high school. SSY states that only 48% of youths from the child welfare system graduate high school.
Only 7% of youths describe having stable mental health at intake. Of youths interviewed, 88% have stabilized their mental health and/or are accessing mental health support.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of StepStones for Youth’s results and impact.
The charity is not yet rated on impact (n/r).
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Finances
In 2023 StepStones for Youth received $1.3m in donations. Administrative costs are 12% of revenues. Fundraising costs are 11% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 23%. For every dollar donated, 77 cents are available to go to the cause. This falls within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
In 2023 SSY spent $1.8m on its programs, which is 70% of its revenue. In 2023 it had a surplus of $306k.
StepStones for Youth has $1.9m in reserve funds. This can cover 106%, or one year and one month of its annual program spending.
This charity report is an update that has been sent for review to StepStones for Youth. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated on July 26, 2024, by Grady Simpson.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending December
|
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 11.9% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 10.7% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| Total overhead spending | 22.6% | 13.2% | 13.4% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 105.6% | 120.2% | 175.7% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $s |
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 1,321,724 | 1,187,894 | 1,304,017 |
| Government funding | 891,711 | 236,243 | 121,345 |
| Fees for service | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Special events | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other income | 318,936 | 183,626 | 102,842 |
| Total revenues | 2,532,371 | 1,607,763 | 1,528,204 |
| Program costs | 1,783,367 | 1,365,702 | 883,497 |
| Administrative costs | 301,669 | 103,900 | 81,248 |
| Fundraising costs | 141,724 | 80,003 | 105,821 |
| Total spending | 2,226,760 | 1,549,605 | 1,070,566 |
| Cash flow from operations | 305,611 | 58,158 | 457,638 |
| Capital spending | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Funding reserves | 1,882,606 | 1,642,094 | 1,551,922 |
Note: DEFERRED ADJUSTMENT: SSY uses deferred accounting. To show donors information on a consistent basis, Ci adjusted for these deferred revenues. This affected revenues by $191k in 2023, $55k in 2022, and $100k in 2021.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
1 |
$80k - $120k |
2 |
$40k - $80k |
7 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2023
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
StepStones for Youth serves children and youth aged 10-25 who are, or have been involved, through no fault of their own, in the child welfare system. Our mission is to support these young people and drive at better systems and approaches for improving housing, education, mental health, and community.
We create positive and meaningful connections; strengthen a sense of belonging; increase school engagement, high school graduation, and post-secondary enrolment; improve mental and physical health; secure long-term and stable housing; and build strong support networks young people can rely on for life. We believe that long-term, sustainable change is preferable to and more effective than short-term intervention, and that positive outcomes are possible for children and youth from foster care when the conditions are in place that allow them to thrive and feel a sense of belonging.
We are deeply appreciative for the generosity and passion our community of supporters shares with us. We believe firmly that this generosity and passion should be met with accountability and transparency on our part. We are grateful to Charity Intelligence for providing a platform that prioritizes these critical factors that build trust and deliver greater social impact.
If you have any questions about StepStones for Youth and our work, please reach out to Jackson Walker, Director of Operation at jackson@stepstonesforyouth.com.
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: (416)-893-5196