Penny Appeal Canada is a 4-Star charity. It is has an A- results reporting grade, which is above average. The charity is financially transparent and has reasonable overhead spending. Penny Appeal Canada's reserves can cover just over one month of its annual program spend. 

Founded in 2005, Penny Appeal Canada (Penny) is an international development Muslim charity working to break the cycle of poverty by providing long-term sustainable food, water, and education solutions. The charity is the Canadian arm of Penny Appeal UK. The charity operates emergency support, short-term relief, and longer-term sustainable interventions in Canada, Africa, and the Middle East. With its affiliate teams, the charity operates programs in over 30 countries. Penny runs both international and domestic programs. Its international program has four pillars: Feed Our World, Thirst Relief, Orphan Kind, and Emergency Response. Its domestic program has three pillars: Feed Our World, OrphanKind, and Education First.

International programs accounted for 57% ($5.6m) of program spending (excluding donated goods used in programs) in 2022. The charity’s Feed Our World International program provided 6,188 food packs to 30,940 people in Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Africa, and India. The charity reports that 85% of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon suffer from poor mental health due to unemployment, poverty, and water insecurity. In 2022, 65 refugees received food drying training, 65 refugees received handicraft training, and 70 refugees received dairy production training. Penny’s Thirst Relief program created 726 deep tube wells: 322 in Bangladesh, 185 in Pakistan, 168 in Afghanistan, 43 in Somalia, 6 in Kashmir, and 2 in Uganda. The charity’s OrphanKind program provides food parcels and covers the cost of education, school supplies, and clothing to sponsored orphans. Penny Appeal Canada states that in 2022, more than 2.1 million people, including 934,000 children in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem, are increasingly vulnerable due to the protracted crisis in Palestine. In Pakistan, 4.2 million children are orphaned and many of them are below the age of 17. In 2022 Penny sponsored 1,100 orphans in Pakistan and 650 orphans in Palestine. As a response to the floods in Afghanistan, Penny’s Emergency Response program provided a community of 2,100 with three safe-drinking water wells, food parcels, and hygiene kits. In response to the Bangladesh fire, it sent 157 emergency hygiene kits and food parcels to 942 individuals. In 2022, the charity was involved in 12 international Emergency Responses.

Domestic programs accounted for 43% ($4.2m) of program spending (excluding donated goods used in programs) in 2022. The charity’s Feed Our World domestic program provided 210 Muslim families in B.C., Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan with freshly slaughtered meat to support their daily nutrition and enjoy the activities of Eid. It also provided 7,170 families across Canada with money to access halal meat, healthy food, and shelter in the winter months. Penny’s domestic Emergency Response program held 874 therapy sessions to provide equal access to mental health care for people of colour. Penny Appeal Canada’s Education First program supported 3,250 girls in Toronto with career sessions, leadership camps, and multi-sport training. It also taught computer literacy and IT skills to 75 immigrant women in 2022.

Penny Appeal Canada received $11.7m in donations and $1.3m in donated goods in kind in 2022. Administrative costs are 3% of revenue and fundraising costs are 20% of donations. This results in overhead spending of 23%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 77 cents are available to go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Penny has $979k in reserve funds, which can cover 10% or one month of its annual program costs. This indicates a need for funding.

Penny Appeal Canada paid external fundraisers $236k to collect $1.9m. For every dollar raised using external fundraisers, 88 cents are available to go to the cause.

Charity Intelligence has sent this charity profile update to Penny Appeal Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on January 2, 2024, by Liam Chapleau.