SeedChange
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.
B+
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
Average
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.
58%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 58 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About SeedChange:
SeedChange is a 4-star charity. It has above average disclosure with a B+ results reporting grade. It holds reserves within Ci’s reasonable range. For every dollar donated to the charity, 58 cents are available to go to the cause. This is outside of Ci's reasonable range.
Founded in 1945, SeedChange (formerly USC Canada) runs programs to help small-scale farmers save seeds, conserve soil quality, grow diverse crops, and adopt sustainable farming practices. The charity also connects farmers to exchange knowledge, and advocates for farmers' rights to save and market their seeds and produce. SeedChange works with over 35,000 farmers across Canada and in countries across Africa and Latin America. It operates across 415 communities and supports 60 community seed banks.
SeedChange reports that 95% of the world's farms are small scale. Yet industrial agriculture has caused a 75% loss of crop diversity in the last century. Today, 820 million people do not have enough food to eat and 3.9 billion suffer from malnutrition.
SeedChange divides its programs into two groups: International and Canadian.
SeedChange's International program is its largest, accounting for $3.9m or 84% of total program spending in F2025. This share has grown significantly, up from 68% in F2024 and 55% in F2023. In F2025, SeedChange's international programs reached 16,659 participants across 127 communities.
SeedChange's International Program includes the Rural Women Cultivating Change (RWCC) project, a seven year, $20 million initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada supporting women's empowerment and climate resilient farming in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. In Ghana, Mali, and Honduras, SeedChange works to strengthen local, Indigenous, and farmer-managed seed systems, conserve crop diversity and food heritage, advance agroecology and seed sovereignty, and support farmer-led research. SeedChange also provides training and technical support to organizations to apply its participatory Seed Security Assessment and Action Planning methodology.
SeedChange's Canadian program accounts for $760k or 16% of total program spending in F2025. It works with farmers, researchers, and partners across Canada to advance agricultural biodiversity and build resilient, farmer-led seed systems. In F2025, the program engaged approximately 200 farmers in on-farm research projects and reached over 2,000 farmers through training and knowledge sharing events.
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Results and Impact
A 2024 midline evaluation of the RWCC project assessed progress across its three pillars: women's empowerment, prevention of and response to gender-based violence, and climate-resilient local food systems.
On farming outcomes, the share of farmers using farm-saved seeds in Ethiopia rose from 57% to 97%, and the average number of agroecological practices used per farmer increased from 3.2 to 6.9. Women's control over household income increased from 73% to 95% in Ethiopia, 70% to 82% in Kenya, and 70% to 83% in Tanzania. Women's decision making over agricultural inputs and sales also increased across all three countries.
On women's empowerment, the share of women in Ethiopia comfortable speaking in public rose from 30% to 72%, surpassing men at the program's midpoint evaluation. The share of women in leadership positions in Ethiopia rose from 14% to 57%. Across all three countries in this project (Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania), over 90% of women who received leadership training reported it improved their decision-making abilities.
On gender-based violence, Ethiopia and Tanzania showed significant improvements in prevention and response. Results in Kenya were mixed, with increased awareness of some prevention efforts but weaker results related to available services and reporting mechanisms.
In Canada, 75% of past program participants reported saving a greater diversity of vegetable or field-crop seed. In Canada, SeedChange established 24 demonstration sites that showcased and evaluated regional vegetable and field-crop varieties. Among farmers and seed growers surveyed, 84% reported improved abilities to organize and implement variety trials, 74% improved their plant-selection and breeding skills, 71% gained access to a greater diversity of regionally adapted ecological seed, and 66% were saving a greater diversity of seed.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of SeedChange’s results and impact.
Charity Intelligence has given SeedChange an Average impact rating based on demonstrated impact per dollar spent.
Impact Rating: Average
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Finances
SeedChange and its foundation have been consolidated in this financial report.
In F2025, SeedChange had $5.7m in revenue. It received $2.1m in donations (36% of total revenue) and $3.1m in government funding from Global Affairs Canada (54% of total revenue).
Administrative costs are 23% of revenue (excluding investment income). Fundraising costs are 19% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 42%. For every dollar donated, 58 cents go to the cause. This is outside Ci’s reasonable range.
In F2025, the charity had an operating deficit of $483k. This brought its reserve funds (cash and investments) to $7.1m, including $734k in donor-endowed funds. Excluding donor-endowed funds, these reserves cover 138%, or just under one year and five months of its annual program spending.
This charity update has been sent to SeedChange for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. Updated by Nick Reszetnik on June 5, 2026.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending April
|
2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 23.1% | 14.6% | 18.9% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 18.5% | 15.1% | 13.2% |
| Total overhead spending | 41.6% | 29.7% | 32.2% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 138.1% | 120.3% | 76.6% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 2,100 | 2,638 | 4,588 |
| Government funding | 3,101 | 5,018 | 1,923 |
| Investment income | 498 | 296 | 180 |
| Other income | 37 | 62 | 327 |
| Total revenues | 5,735 | 8,014 | 7,019 |
| Program costs - International | 3,862 | 3,790 | 3,735 |
| Program costs - Canada | 760 | 1,780 | 3,056 |
| Administrative costs | 1,208 | 1,128 | 1,294 |
| Fundraising costs | 388 | 399 | 607 |
| Total spending | 6,218 | 7,096 | 8,692 |
| Cash flow from operations | (483) | 918 | (1,674) |
| Capital spending | 1 | (2) | 23 |
| Funding reserves | 7,067 | 7,379 | 5,884 |
Note: 1. FOUNDATION TRANSFERS: Ci has consolidated the income, spending, and assets for SeedChange and its foundation to give donors a complete review. Ci adjusted for transfers from the foundation to the operating charity. This affected revenues and expenses by ($725k) in F2025, ($940k) in F2024, and ($600k) in F2023. Ci also included endowment contributions, affecting revenues by $15k in F2025, $10k in F2024, and $10k in F2023. 2. DEFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS: Ci adjusted for deferred contributions, affecting both Canadian donations and government funding. This affected total revenue by ($1.1m) in F2025, $470k in F2024, and ($484k) in F2023. 3. INVESTMENT INCOME: Investment income is reported net of portfolio management expense, affecting revenues and expenses by ($32k) in F2025, ($27k) in F2024, and ($34k) in F2023. 4. ADVANCES TO OVERSEAS PARTNERS: International program costs are reported net of advances to overseas partners and projects. This affected expenses by ($241k) in F2025, ($304k) in F2024, and $421k in F2023 5. AMORTIZATION: Amortization has been removed from program, administrative, and fundraising costs on a pro-rata basis. OTHER: Ci notes a discrepancy between SeedChange's T3010 reported government funding of $2.7m in F2023 and the $2.3m reflected in its audited financial statements (reported below as $1.9m due to and adjustment of $0.4m for deferred funding).
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
1 |
$80k - $120k |
8 |
$40k - $80k |
0 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2025
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
SeedChange, formerly USC Canada, was founded in 1945 by Dr. Lotta Hitschmanova, who inspired generations of Canadians to help build a better world. More than 80 years later, her commitment to dignity, local leadership, and lasting change continues to guide our work. Today, we work with farmers to strengthen farmer-managed seed systems, advance agroecology, protect agricultural biodiversity, and build climate resilience. We take our responsibility to donors seriously and are committed to clear and transparent financial reporting.
Ci uses a cash-received methodology for restricted grant revenue, while program expenses remain reported in the year they are incurred. SeedChange’s audited financial statements recognize restricted revenue as the related program work is carried out. On that basis, the operating charity reported a surplus of $141k in F2025.
SeedChange’s revenue varies from year to year based on the timing of funding received for multi-year projects. Lower revenue in F2025 increased administrative costs as a percentage of revenue, even though administrative spending rose only modestly.
To learn more about our work, please contact us at info@weseedchange.org, sign up to our e-newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Charity Contact
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Phone Number: 1-800-565-6872