The National Arts Centre Foundation is a 2-star charity with a below average results reporting grade. Its funding reserves are within Ci’s reasonable range and can cover over a year and eight months of annual program costs. For every dollar donated to the National Arts Centre Foundation, 64 cents are available to go to the cause, which is just outside Ci’s reasonable range.

The National Arts Centre Foundation (NACF) is the fundraising arm of the National Arts Centre (NAC). Founded in 2000, the Foundation’s mission is to inspire Canadians to support the NAC’s priorities in performance, creation, and learning. Based in Ottawa, the NAC is the only bilingual and multidisciplinary performing arts centre in Canada. Its major programs are the NAC Orchestra, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, Dance, and Music.

The National Arts Centre Foundation outlines three major funding areas: Performance, Creation, and Learning/Training. In F2025, the charity granted $5.7m to the NAC.

Performance grants focus on funding NAC performances in music, dance and theatre, both live and through digital programming. In F2025, the NAC welcomed 752,365 visitors to performances, events and commercial activities, including 278,965 attendees at ticketed programming. The NAC also presented 139 Indigenous Theatre events and 190 Indigenous programming events representing 14 Indigenous languages, working towards its goal of ensuring the presence of Indigenous stories on the national stage.

Creation grants support artists in developing and sharing new work in music, theatre and dance. This includes support through the National Creation Fund, which provides funding for major productions and helps bring new Canadian works to audiences across Canada and internationally. To date, the fund has invested $16.7m in 109 productions. In F2025, the NAC's French Theatre co-produced six major artistic projects.

Learning and Training grants fund education and professional development programs for young people and emerging artists across Canada. In F2025, 29,542 people participated in learning and engagement activities across 51 Canadian communities, while 527 artists and arts professionals took part in 35 professional development initiatives. The NAC Orchestra Mentorship Program also supported 47 early-career musicians through rehearsals, performances, masterclasses and workshops.

The National Arts Centre Foundation had total revenues of $10.9m in F2025. It received $8.4m in donations, representing 78% of revenue, and $513k in donated goods in kind. Investment income was $1.9m, accounting for 18% of revenue.

The NACF granted $5.7m to the NAC, which is 55% of its revenue (excluding donated goods in kind), as well as $513k in donated goods in kind. The charity recorded a surplus of $2.1m in F2025.

Administrative costs were $330k, representing 4% of revenue (excluding investment income). The charity spent $2.7m on fundraising, equal to 33% of donations. Total overhead spending was 36%. For every dollar donated to the National Arts Centre Foundation, 64 cents are available to go to the cause. This is outside Ci’s reasonable range.

The NACF uses external fundraisers, as reported on its T3010 filing with the CRA. In F2025, the charity paid the external fundraisers $544k to collect $474k in donations. This equates to a cost of $1.15 to raise one dollar using external fundraisers. It is likely more cost efficient to donate to the charity directly.

The National Arts Centre Foundation held $23.0m in reserve funds (cash and investments) in F2025, of which $14.4m was donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, these reserves can cover over one year and eight months of annual program costs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

This is a charity update that has been sent to the National Arts Centre Foundation by Neela Jalilian on August 10, 2026.