Calgary Food Bank
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.
A+
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
High
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.
95%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 95 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Calgary Food Bank:
Calgary Food Bank is a top-rated 5-star charity with High impact. The charity is one of our top 10 Canadian Foodbanks. Calgary Food Bank has an A+ in results reporting, one of the best grades in its sector, and has low overhead spending.
Founded in 1982, Calgary Food Bank is an emergency food distribution hub that collects and sends food to individuals, families, and single parents living in poverty. The charity reports that 16% of households in ten Canadian provinces experience some level of food insecurity. It aims to create a hunger-free community by fighting hunger directly and addressing its root causes through client referrals to social services. Calgary Food Bank reports that it delivered 141,206 food hampers throughout its programs in F2022.
A Charity Intelligence 2022 Top 10 Canadian Impact Charity
Calgary Food Bank’s three largest programs are Emergency Food Hampers, Food Link, and Food Share.
Emergency Food Hampers represented 83% of program spending in F2022. Calgary Food Bank’s hampers provide seven to ten days’ worth of food for low-income households and meet Canada’s Food Guide standards. In addition to providing food hampers, Calgary Food Bank refers clients to local agencies and social services that help address underlying causes of food insecurity. The charity offers specialty hampers for babies, clients with allergies or dietary restrictions, birthday parties, and expecting families. In F2022, Calgary Food Bank distributed 112,294 emergency food hampers (88,177 in F2021) and provided 2,037 client referrals (449 in F2021).
Food Link made up 5% of program spending in F2022. The charity’s Food Link program sent quality food and supplies to 72 Calgary agencies and community groups in F2022. This is a 29% increase from F2021, where the number of agencies was 56, but it not close to pre-pandemic levels (215 programs in F2020). The food and supplies provided by Calgary Food Bank help its partner agencies focus resources on food delivery rather than collecting donations. In F2022, Calgary Food Bank gave out 672,201 pounds of food (865,410 pound in F2021) worth $1.7m ($2.3m in F2021) through the program. Calgary Food Bank does not directly connect with clients through the Food Link program.
Food Share programs were 5% of program costs in F2021. Through Food Share, Calgary Food Bank redistributes its excess food to 32 food banks (31 in F2021) across Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. This program helps to reduce food waste and prevent excess donations from going to landfills. In F2022, Calgary Food Bank sent 1.9 million pounds of food (1.8 million in F2021) worth $4.8m ($4.7m in F2021).
The remaining 7% of program spending included Mobile Hampers (3%), Purchasing Power (2%), Weekends and More (1%), and Welcome Home (less than 1%). The charity’s Mobile Hampers program offers short-term hunger relief for people who are homeless or at risk of losing housing. In F2022, the program gave 24,614 bags of food (29,281 in F2021) worth $1.0m ($1.1m in F2021).
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Results and Impact
To be eligible for an emergency food hamper, clients must be food insecure, meaning they are unable to pay for food and other basic needs. In F2022, Calgary Food Bank reported that its food hampers saved 68,794 clients (55,300 in F2021) a total of $30.6m ($30.9m in F2021). The saved money could help clients pay for rent, utilities, childcare, or other weekly expenses. Most clients reported using the money saved to pay bills or cover rent.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Calgary Food Bank’s results and impact.
Charity Intelligence has reviewed Calgary Food Bank since 2007 and has consistently found this charity to be a Top Pick charity and one of Canada's highest-rated food banks. Charity Intelligence's impact analysis finds that Calgary Food Bank has High proven impact per dollar.
Impact Rating: High

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Finances
Calgary Food Bank had total cash donations of $16.8m in F2022. It also received $31.6m in donated food and other goods, representing 65% of total revenues.
Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (less investment income), and fundraising costs are less than 1% of cash donations. This results in total overhead spending of 5%. For every dollar donated, 95 cents go to the cause. This falls on the threshold of Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending, which is between 65 and 95 cents. In the past two years, Calgary Food Bank has been outside the range, with overhead spendings of less than 5%. In some cases, charities with less than 5% overhead costs may be underreporting their overhead spending.
The charity has $25.3m in reserve funds. These are Calgary Food Bank’s cash and investments. Excluding the cost of donated goods, Calgary Food Bank could cover 195% or slightly less than 2 years of program costs with current reserves.
Charity Intelligence sent an update of this report to Calgary Food Bank for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated June 7, 2023 by Alessandra Castino.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending August
|
2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|
Administrative costs as % of revenues | 4.5% | 3.6% | 2.8% |
Fundraising costs as % of donations | 0.7% | 0.9% | 1.0% |
Total overhead spending | 5.1% | 4.5% | 3.8% |
Program cost coverage (%) | 194.5% | 271.1% | 280.4% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|
Donations | 16,817 | 19,163 | 20,540 |
Goods in kind | 31,630 | 35,248 | 33,848 |
Government funding | 0 | 53 | 1,490 |
Investment income | (246) | 810 | 271 |
Other income | 739 | 1,178 | 950 |
Total revenues | 48,940 | 56,451 | 57,098 |
Program costs | 12,988 | 10,032 | 8,066 |
Donated goods exp | 31,630 | 35,248 | 33,848 |
Administrative costs | 2,195 | 1,979 | 1,599 |
Fundraising costs | 113 | 175 | 212 |
Total spending | 46,926 | 47,433 | 43,726 |
Cash flow from operations | 2,014 | 9,018 | 13,372 |
Capital spending | 3,788 | 5,264 | 503 |
Funding reserves | 25,268 | 27,196 | 22,618 |
Note: Ci adjusted for deferred donations and capital contributions, which affected revenues by $197k in F2022, $162k in F2021 and $188k in F2020. Amortization of capital contributions was not included. According to its financial notes, Calgary Food Bank recorded wage subsidies from the federal government as a reduction of its program costs. Ci removed this amount and reported it in government funding. This affected revenues and expenses by $53k in F2021 and $25k in F2020.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
1 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
0 |
$80k - $120k |
7 |
$40k - $80k |
2 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2022
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
Calgary Food Bank added the following comment in 2014. New comments may be forthcoming.
At the Calgary Food Bank transparency and accountability to the community is taken very seriously. We also recognize that the ongoing sharing of information can occur in many different ways. We encourage all of our donors to contact us directly if they have feedback or cannot find information that they require through our website. Please contact us at 403-253-2059 or info@calgaryfoodbank.com
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 403-253-2059