Ducks Unlimited Canada
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.
n/r
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.
79%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 79 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Ducks Unlimited Canada:
Ducks Unlimited Canada is a 4-star charity that is financially transparent. Its results reporting grade is a A-, which is above average. For every dollar donated to the charity, 79 cents are available to go to the cause. DUC has reserve funds to cover program costs for 1 year and 7 months.
Founded in 1938, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) aims to “conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for the benefit of North America’s waterfowl.” DUC says that up to 70% of the continent’s waterfowl breed in Canada. Canada has now lost 70% of its total wetland acres, and more than 80% in parts of the prairies. DUC states that over 85 years, it has conserved 9.1m acres, influenced 222.6m acres, and enhanced 454,304 acres. DUC currently has 12,972 habitat projects, totaling 6.2m acres conserved.
Ducks Unlimited Canada breaks down its program spending into five sections: Habitat, Revolving Land, Research & Evaluation, Education & Communications, and Industry & Government Relations.
Habitat Conservation (89% of total spending) and Revolving Land (5%) – Total: 94% of program spending: DUC does work with wetlands, waterfowl, grasslands, wildlife, water, and Canada’s boreal in all provinces. In F2023, DUC conserved 187,252 acres, including 46,419 acres restored. DUC also enhanced 352,045 acres through habitat programs like invasive species work and winter wheat seeding. In F2024, the charity plans to conserve 134,389 acres and enhance 241,825 acres.
Research (3%), Education (2%), and Government (1%) – Total: 6% of program spending: In F2023, DUC influenced 1.7m acres of land through partnerships and advocacy work. This includes sustainable land-use actions and wetland policies. In F2024, DUC aims to influence 15.2m acres of critical habitat across the country. Over the years, DUC has published 794 research papers, and is currently participating in 3 large research projects. DUC delivered wetland education programs through schools, engaging nearly 105,000 people across the country.
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Results and Impact
After working to rehabilitate the Howe Island Wetlands, DUC states: “In the first year of monitoring, we were thrilled to have identified 13 native species of fish using the habitat”, one of which is a species of special concern. Then in the second year, DUC recorded 11 species of fish, two of which were new. DUC was also involved in the completion of Yukon’s wetland policy.
While Ci highlights these results, they may not be a complete representation of DUC’s results and impact. Ci has not yet rated Ducks Unlimited Canada on impact (n/r).
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Finances
Ducks Unlimited Canada had Canadian donations of $22.9m in F2023.
The charity received $27.2m in government funding representing 20% of total revenues, and $55.0m in international donations, representing 40% of total revenues.
Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 15% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 21%. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
DUC has $186.1m in reserve funds. These reserve funds are the charity’s cash and investments. DUC has 1 year and 10 months of program costs covered by its current reserves.
This charity report is an update that has been sent to Ducks Unlimited Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. Updated on May 29, 2024, by Lily Ferguson.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending March
|
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 5.5% | 6.7% | 6.4% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 15.4% | 19.8% | 20.5% |
| Total overhead spending | 20.9% | 26.5% | 26.9% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 183.8% | 247.8% | 266.6% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 22,899 | 16,338 | 18,276 |
| International donations | 57,671 | 40,344 | 39,339 |
| Goods in kind | 15,174 | 1,337 | 992 |
| Government funding | 27,190 | 25,259 | 12,174 |
| Fees for service | 19,416 | 18,185 | 20,974 |
| Investment income | 1,775 | 9,759 | 32,560 |
| Other income | (8,205) | 2,682 | (6,528) |
| Total revenues | 135,920 | 113,904 | 117,787 |
| Program costs | 98,989 | 77,149 | 69,251 |
| Grants | 2,235 | 2,925 | 1,506 |
| Administrative costs | 7,355 | 6,986 | 5,409 |
| Fundraising costs | 5,320 | 4,535 | 4,944 |
| Other costs | 543 | 192 | 0 |
| Total spending | 129,616 | 93,124 | 82,102 |
| Cash flow from operations | 6,304 | 20,780 | 35,685 |
| Capital spending | 30,897 | 9,060 | 18,010 |
| Funding reserves | 186,084 | 198,426 | 188,646 |
Note: Ci could not break out changes in government vs. non-government deferred contributions and therefore adjusted for deferred contributions in other income. This adjustment affected total revenue by ($3.3m) in F2023, $4.0m in F2022, and $19.8m in F2021. DUC does not disclose donor-endowed separate from board-endowed funds. As such, no deduction for endowments is made to funding reserves. Ci reported the value of donated goods from DUC’s financial notes, affecting total revenues by $286k in F2023, $1.3m in F2022, and $1.0m in F2021.
Salary Information
$350k + |
2 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
3 |
$200k - $250k |
4 |
$160k - $200k |
1 |
$120k - $160k |
0 |
$80k - $120k |
0 |
$40k - $80k |
0 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2023
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
Comment added to the 2022 profile by Ducks Unlimited Canada.
About Ducks Unlimited Canada
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is one of the largest and longest-standing conservation organizations in North America. From coast to coast to coast, we’re creating landscape-level change by impacting millions of acres of the most important and at-risk habitats. We know the value of what we’re conserving — and our results speak for themselves. Since our inception in 1938, we’ve conserved more than 6.6 million acres of natural habitat and influenced 195.2 million acres more.
Conservation is about more than nature. It’s about people, too. DUC finds effective and creative ways for people and wild places like wetlands to thrive together. In addition to the 400+ talented, dedicated DUC employees who make conservation happen across the country, we partner with all who depend on and appreciate the landscape. We’re proud to be the place where those who believe in the power and importance of the natural world rally together — and realize meaningful results.
Our approach
DUC brings together the people, places and conservation approaches needed to build a sustainable future.
Our financial commitment
Making the most of every charitable dollar is a responsibility we take seriously. That’s why DUC is committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability, transparency and trust. By directing funds in ways that produce the greatest conservation impact, every donor can take pride in knowing that they’re making a difference in their backyard — and beyond. Our goal is to invest 80 percent of our expenditures in habitat conservation annually. In the 2021 fiscal year, DUC invested 90 percent in habitat conservation.
For more information about DUC’s conservation results and impact, visit ducks.ca/annualreport
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 1-800-655-DUCK (3825)