Cuso International is a 3-star charity with an average results reporting score. It has reserve funds to cover program costs for a year and a half.

Founded in 1961, Cuso International (Cuso) aims to reduce poverty and inequality. Cuso works in 16 countries across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America.

Cuso has three focus areas: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, Economic Resilience, and Climate Action. In F2022, Cuso spent $19.6m on its programs.

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion

In F2022, Cuso International completed a three-year project in Benin. Through the project, Cuso held 4,775 community sessions to raise awareness about female genital mutilation and reached 91,491 people. In Cameroon, Cuso trained 18 queens, spouses to chiefs and kings, to combat child marriage and gender violence. The queens educated 116 people against child marriage and stopped eight child marriages. In F2022, Cuso launched two new youth-focused projects: TechWomen Factory in Cameroon and Talents Pluriels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Economic Resilience

Cuso’s SCOPE program in Colombia finds jobs for women, youth, migrants and other vulnerable groups. In F2022, through SCOPE, Cuso connected over 1,300 people to jobs. Cuso’s SKILLS program in Nigeria trains refugees and host communities in agricultural, fishing, vocational and business skills. In F2022, through SKILLS, Cuso created a training hub for refugees to build skills and reached 2000 men and women.

Climate Action

In Cameroon, a Cuso volunteer provides farmers in 213 rural districts with weather information. This information helps farmers plan their crops which are affected by climate change. This information is provided on the internet and through 40 community radio stations.

Cuso International received $3.1m in Canadian donations and $4.0m in international donations in F2022. It also received $11.2m in government funding, representing 35% of revenues, and $5.8m in volunteer services, representing 18% of revenues. Within government funding, $11m was received from Global Affairs Canada, and $181k was received from the federal government in the form of subsidies.

Administrative costs are 11% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 50% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 60%. For every dollar donated, 40 cents go to the cause. This is outside of Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. This may be because the charity has included international fundraising costs in its fundraising expense. Since Ci calculates fundraising costs as a percent of Canadian donations, the fundraising ratio presented may not accurately reflect the charity's Canadian fundraising cost.

Cuso has $21.0m in reserve funds which could cover one and a half years of its annual program costs.

In addition to its salaries, Cuso International paid $2.1m in professional and consulting fees in F2022 ($1.5m in F2021 and $2.9m in F2020).

Charity Intelligence has sent this update to Cuso International for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on May 23, 2023 by Kiara Andrade.