World Wildlife Fund Canada is a 5-star rated charity. It has a high results reporting grade, acceptable overhead costs, and is financially transparent.  

Founded in 1967, World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF Canada) works to protect animals and the environment. The biggest threats to wildlife are habitat loss, climate change, and human activity. WWF Canada works against these threats to restore areas that are home to important animals. The charity partners with Indigenous communities, governments, and businesses. WWF Canada is one of nearly 100 branches of the larger World Wildlife Fund charity.  

A Charity Intelligence 2023 Top 100 Rated Charity

WWF has three main programs: Conservation Program Implementation, Raising Conservation Awareness, and Conservation Research & Grants.  

In F2022, WWF Canada spent 59% of program costs on the Conservation Program Implementation program. This year, the charity launched a Native Plant Seed Orchard project. Ten communities received grants to start orchards, and they planted over 6,500 plants. This led to over one million seeds being harvested. In F2022, WWF Canada also helped WWF Nepal survey 19,000 square kilometres for wild tigers.  

In F2022, 25% of program spending went towards the Raising Conservation Awareness program. This year, WWF Canada released the National Vessel Dumping Assessment. It educated people about how ships released high amounts of waste into the water. The assessment inspired 18,000 people to email the Canadian government to express concern. WWF Canada released two other advocacy reports on various environmental issues in F2022. 

Finally, in F2022, WWF Canada spent 16% of program costs towards Conservation Research and Grants. Through its Arctic Species Conservation Fund, WWF Canada awarded $250,000 to seven researchers. These researchers worked across 160 hectares of land to protect 70 populations of at-risk species. WWF Canada also partnered with other organizations to grant almost $3 million to Indigenous communities for conservation. 

World Wildlife Fund Canada had total donations of $25.8m in F2022. Administrative costs are 4% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 21% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 25%. For every dollar donated, 75 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

In F2022, WWF Canada has $33.9m in net funding reserves, of which $5.3m is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, WWF Canada could cover 149% or roughly 18 months of annual program and granting costs with reserves. 

­WWF Canada used external fundraisers in F2022. It paid external fundraisers $880k to raise $2.3m. This means it cost WWF Canada 39 cents to raise each dollar through external fundraisers. 

­Charity Intelligence sent an update of this report to World Wildlife Fund Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated on June 20, 2023 by Clive Stevens.