Sleeping Children Around the World

28 Pinehurst Crescent
Toronto, ON M9A 3A5
Executive Director: Linda Webb
Board Chair: Maurice Kowanetz

Charitable Reg. #:13163 4396 RR0001

STAR RATING

Ci's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics:

[Charity Rating: 2/5]

✔+

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.

Low

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 Sleeping Children Around the World:

Sleeping Children Around the World is a 2-star charity with Low demonstrated impact. It has an A- Results Reporting grade, which is above average. For every dollar donated to the charity, 95 cents are available to go to the cause. The charity's reserves can cover its program costs for thirteen years. Please read Ci's report before donating.

Founded in 1970, Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) aims to improve the health and well-being of children in developing countries. The charity distributes bed kits to children aged 6 to 12. SCAW states that bed kits are manufactured locally to help stimulate the economy in the target country. Each kit contains a mattress, a mosquito net, bedding, clothing, and school supplies – contents vary from country to country. SCAW works only in countries with a Gross National Income per capita less than US $6,000.

Sleeping Children Around the World’s most recent annual report is from January 2022.

In F2022, SCAW spent $152,000 to distribute 4,343 bed kits for an average cost of $35 per bed kit. In F2022, it sent bed kits to Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Uganda. In F2023, the charity increased its spending on bed kits to $769k.

In March 2023, SCAW announced that it changed the price of a bed kit from $35 to $40 due to inflation in distribution countries. The charity reports the $40 price ensures that the bed kit items will continue to be good quality. The last time SCAW increased its bed kit price was in 2008.

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Results and Impact

Sleeping Children Around the World used the World Health Organization’s reports and statistics to estimate the impact of its work. It estimates that the 105 long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) that SCAW distributed between 2016 and 2020 saved 589 lives. The nets also reduced the number of malaria cases by over 9,300. This saved families $114k US in medical costs and costs associated with mothers being able to work instead of caring for sick children. The LLINs also saved public health systems $113k US due to decreases in malaria cases. These nets helped increase Gross Domestic Product by US $2.0m due to people staying at work rather than being sick.

While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Sleeping Children Around the World’s results and impact. 

Charity Intelligence has given Sleeping Children Around the World a Low impact rating for demonstrated impact per dollar.

Impact Rating: Low

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Finances

Sleeping Children Around the World received $2.8m in donations and special events revenue in F2023. The charity spent $769k on its programs, which is 25% of revenue. The charity recorded a surplus of $2.2m, which is 71% of revenue.

Administrative costs are 5% of revenue (excluding investment income). Reported fundraising costs are less than 1% of donations. Total overhead spending is 5%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 95 cents are available to go to the cause, which is outside of Ci’s reasonable range. 

SCAW's policy is to use revenue from its Pinehurst Club fundraising events and the investment income from its founder's Legacy Account to cover all administrative and fundraising costs.

SCAW has $10.3m in reserve funds (cash and investments), which can cover 1,344%, or over 13 years of its annual program costs.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Sleeping Children Around the World for review. Comments and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated June 17, 2024 by Liam Chapleau.

Financial Review


Financial Ratios

Fiscal year ending February
202320222021
Administrative costs as % of revenues 4.5%6.7%7.7%
Fundraising costs as % of donations 0.0%0.1%0.5%
Total overhead spending 4.6%6.8%8.1%
Program cost coverage (%) 1,344.1%5,366.7%2,010.4%

Summary Financial Statements

All figures in $s
202320222021
Donations 2,772,4271,757,5771,531,228
Business activities (net) 00315
Special events 45,95047,68325,142
Investment income 272,233109,86241,731
Other income 0(2,553)9,852
Total revenues 3,090,6101,912,5691,608,268
Program costs - International 769,075152,000324,308
Program costs - Canada 000
Administrative costs 127,525121,075120,067
Fundraising costs 1,0171,1777,024
Total spending 897,617274,252451,399
Cash flow from operations 2,192,9931,638,3171,156,869
Capital spending 000
Funding reserves 10,337,1708,157,3596,519,811

Note: 1:GAIN/LOSS ON FOREIGN EXCHANGE: Ci included foreign exchange gain and loss, affecting revenue and expenses by ($2k) in F2023, ($4k) in F2022, and ($8k) in F2021. 2: HST REBATES: Ci removed HST rebates, affecting revenue and expenses by ($nil) in F2023, ($3k) in F2022, and $10k in F2021.

Salary Information

Full-time staff: 1

Avg. compensation: $52,690

Top 10 staff salary range:

$350k +
0
$300k - $350k
0
$250k - $300k
0
$200k - $250k
0
$160k - $200k
0
$120k - $160k
0
$80k - $120k
0
$40k - $80k
1
< $40k
0

Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2023

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Comments & Contact

Comments added by the Charity:

Sleeping Children (SC) has operated since 1970 with a unique structure which ensures that 100% of every bedkit donation goes to bedkit contents. SC’s operating expenses are covered by an endowment set up by the charity's founder, Murray Dryden. Children receiving bedkits are aged 6 to 12, 50% girls and 50% boys living in poverty, who reflect the religious and ethnic diversity in their country. Distributions are done in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Bangladesh, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and Honduras.

SC partners with overseas organizations like Rotary Clubs, who select the children and buy a mosquito net, sleeping items, clothing, school supplies and other personal items that can best help the children. Every item is sourced locally and many are manufactured, generating economic activity. When bedkits are ready for distribution, volunteers travel overseas at their own expense to deliver the bedkits, and ensure SC Guidelines are followed. Partners must complete a rigorous reporting package and account for all monies spent.

The Covid pandemic severely restricted SC’s operations, as partners were able to distribute only a few thousand bedkits from 2020 through early 2023. Starting March 2023, SC increased the cost of the bedkit to $40 to offset global inflation, and has resumed normal distributions with teams again travelling overseas to deliver bedkits. SC is hoping to achieve annual bedkit distributions starting in 2024 that exceed pre-Covid levels.

SC has helped over 1.7 million children since inception. Decades of experience have demonstrated to our volunteers and partners that bedkits have a significant positive impact on the children, their families and local communities. A key bedkit benefit is to provide a better night’s sleep, which is critical to the child’s health, well being and emotional and educational development. SC volunteers speak with bedkit recipients and their families to get feedback on bedkit items, visit their homes, interview teachers and principals, and tour the cottage industries and factories where bedkit items are sourced. SC is continually looking for ways to better help the children.

SC appreciates and thanks CI for the opportunity to add these comments.

Charity Contact

Website: www.scaw.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 416-231-1841

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Charitable Registration Number: 80340 7956 RR0001