The 2012 Charity 100

View the most up-to-date Charity 100 rankings here.

There are a myriad of causes, foundations, hospitals and community groups that need our support and every year Canadians give generously to these charities—the latest figure is $8.3 billion in 2010.

But for donors, it’s not always clear where the money is going. How much money is directly going to programs? How much is being spent on fundraising and publicity? And how much is going to the salaries of the directors? Like all organizations, charities have expenses including utility bills, supplies and staffing costs. You hope your donation is being spent as effectively as possible but worry, as in some cases, your money is being frittered away.

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That’s where MoneySense comes in. For the third straight year, we’ve graded Canada’s biggest 100 charities based on charity efficiency, fundraising efficiency, governance and transparency and reserve fund size.

Our goal is to provide Canadians with the information they need to make smart giving decisions.

It’s worth noting that many lottery fundraisers for instance can be considered “inefficient” due to massive overhead costs but they can also net millions in much-needed funds that otherwise would not have been possible to secure.

The ratings are in no way a judgment on the merit of a cause and therefore should not be considered in isolation. Instead, refer the 2012 Charity 100 list as a starting point for your own research. Happy giving!

Features

2012 Charity 100
Check out the full list to find your favourite charity and compare it to other organizations doing similar work.

Give with confidence
Nobody wants their charitable dollars to be gobbled up by overhead costs. Here’s what to watch for.

Charity efficiency
A look at how the 25 biggest charities spend their money.

Methodology
Our influential charity rating system assigns letter grades to the biggest 100 charities in Canada.