East York Learning Experience is a 5-star charity with high demonstrated impact. It is financially transparent, has overhead spending within Ci's reasonable range, and has above-average reporting of its results for donors. 

Founded in 1987, East York Learning Experience (EYLE) helps adults improve their reading, writing, basic math, and digital literacy skills. The charity reports that 42% of Canadian adults between 16-65 years old have low literacy skills that prevent them from applying for jobs, reading the newspaper, writing letters, filling out forms, and banking. EYLE’s programming consists of one-on-one tutoring sessions with trained volunteer tutors to improve literacy and numeracy skills. Since 1987, EYLE has helped over 1,200 people improve their lives.

A Charity Intelligence 2022 Top 10 Canadian Impact Charity

Through its education services, EYLE manages 40-50 active learner/tutor pairs at a time. EYLE’s services are offered free of charge to clients and follow the Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework. After a student leaves the program, EYLE follows up with them at the 3, 6 and 12-month mark to monitor their success. Staff develop an individualized training plan for each student based on their background, former education, work experience, goals, and literacy assessment results. The charity teaches reading, writing, numeracy, critical thinking, oral communication, and computer use/digital skills. EYLE hopes to provide students with the foundation for learning other skills, allowing them to find and maintain a job.

EYLE reports that it operates efficiently by using a modest budget to support a team of volunteers. EYLE has a team of 60 volunteer tutors who give an estimated $130,000 in tutoring hours each year. The charity reports that if it were to pay its volunteers, its costs would rise by 87%. The volunteers allow the charity to operate with only two full-time and two part-time paid staff. EYLE operates out of a low-rent facility designed specifically for nonprofits to further keep costs down. 

East York Learning Experience is a small charity with $115k in donations and special events revenue in F2022. The charity also received $143k in government funding, representing 55% of revenues. Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (less investment income), and fundraising costs are less than 1% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 5%. For every dollar donated, 95 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

EYLE has $222k in funding reserves, compared to $159k in F2021. The charity could cover 124% or just under one year and three months of its annual program costs with reserves.

Charity Intelligence sent an update of this report to East York Learning Experience for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 2, 2022, by Sydney Olexa.