816 20th Street
New Westminster, BC V3M 4W6
Executive Director: Sarah Stewart
Board Chair: Megan Halprin

Charitable Reg. #:12304 1683 RR0001

STAR RATING

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

[Charity Rating: 5/5]

✔+

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.

Average

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.

78%

CENTS TO THE CAUSE

For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 78 cents are available for programs.



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OVERVIEW

About Aunt Leah's:

Aunt Leah's is a top-rated 5-star charity with Average demonstrated impact. This charity has a high results reporting grade and low funding reserves, indicating a need for funding.

A Charity Intelligence 2023 Top 100 Rated Charity

Founded in 1988, Aunt Leah’s, previously Aunt Leah's Place, works to help youth previously in foster care live independently and helps women avoid losing custody of their children. When youth turn 19 they ‘age out’ of the foster care system and can no longer access financial and social support from the government. 84% of youth aging out have experienced neglect and may not have learned basic life skills such as budgeting, cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry. Aunt Leah’s gives youth the skills and support they need to live independently. As well, by giving housing and guidance to young mothers, the charity reduces the number of children entering the foster care system. Aunt Leah’s runs four major programs: Housing, Education, Employment and Life Skills.

In F2022, the charity supported 620 people, a 53% increase over 404 people in F2021.
 
Housing accounts for 68% ($3.0m) of program spending in F2022. The charity runs six housing programs to provide housing to youth and families at risk. In F2022, 117 people were housed and 241 youth were helped to keep their housing. The Threshold program houses teen moms in foster care and adult moms at risk of losing custody of their children. In F2022, Aunt Leah's supported 14 young mothers and their 18 children. The Friendly Landlord Network program is a grouping of private landlords who provide housing subsidies to former foster kids pursuing an education. Currently, the program has 25 landlords with 25 houses and 43 apartments.
 
Education accounts for 13% ($587k) of program spending. The education programs aim to help Aunt Leah’s clients graduate High School or reach other education goals. In F2022, 140 youth enrolled or re-enrolled in the program.
 
Employment accounts for 13% ($584k) of program spending. Aunt Leah’s helps youth find sustainable employment and avoid homelessness. In F2022, 71 youth accessed resume building, job training, job search support, connection to employers and other services. Aunt Leah’s also runs a thrift store and a Christmas tree store. These businesses employ and train at-risk youth.
 
Life Skills programs accounted for the final 6% (258k) of program spending in F2022. The programs aim to equip youth with the skills needed to live independently. Community workshops, creative activities, and counselling are available every Wednesday and Sunday. A 12-week cooking program teaches young moms how to prepare inexpensive and nutritious meals. In F2022, the charity delivered 2,627 meals and counselling sessions to 200 people.
 
Aunt Leah’s aims to expand its programs to help more people, with a goal to help 750 youth by 2025. 

 

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Results and Impact

Of people supported by Aunt Leah's, 81% maintained housing 12 months after finishing one of Aunt Leah's Programs. Aunt Leah’s also aims to help mothers keep their children by providing housing. In F2020, Aunt Leah’s homes housed 25 moms who were at risk of being separated from their kids. 92% of moms maintained custody and 98% secured safe housing upon leaving the program.

Aunt Leah’s reports that in BC, only 21% of foster youth graduate from high school within six years of entering Grade 8, while the average population's graduation rate is over 80%. Of the students supported by Aunt Leah’s education planning program, 45% graduated from High School and 46% have an education plan to do soIn F2022, two people got jobs as a result of Aunt Leah’s employment program.
 
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Aunt Leah’s' results and impactCharity Intelligence has evaluated Aunt Leah’s and found the charity to have Average demonstrated impact per dollar.
 

Impact Rating: Average

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Finances

Charity Intelligence has consolidated Aunt Leah’s and Aunt Leah’s Properties (associated foundation) in the following financial analysis. 

Combined, Aunt Leah's received donations and special events revenue of $3.7m in F2022. The charity received $2.4m in government funding, representing 37% of total revenues.

Administrative costs are 9% of revenues and fundraising costs are 14% of donations. This gives total overhead spending of 22%. For every dollar donated, 78 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

Aunt Leah’s has $2.0m in gross funding reserves and $944k in interest-bearing debt, primarily at the foundation. This results in net funding reserves of $1.0m. Excluding $50k in donor-endowed funds, the charity’s net funding reserves could cover less than three months of program costs. 

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Aunt Leah’s for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on May 25th 2023 by Brenleigh Jebb.

Financial Review


Financial Ratios

Fiscal year ending March
202220212020
Administrative costs as % of revenues 8.5%4.6%3.6%
Fundraising costs as % of donations 13.9%21.7%17.5%
Total overhead spending 22.4%26.3%21.1%
Program cost coverage (%) 22.0%17.5%(10.0%)

Summary Financial Statements

All figures in $000s
202220212020
Donations 2,7511,5202,038
Government funding 2,3782,9112,335
Business activities (net) 7314182
Special events 9621,078858
Other income 192228235
Total revenues 6,3565,7525,648
Program costs 4,5514,7383,712
Administrative costs 537262204
Fundraising costs 517564507
Total spending 5,6055,5644,423
Cash flow from operations 7511881,226
Capital spending 34972227
Funding reserves 1,051878(320)

Note: Ci has adjusted for changes in deferred donations, affecting revenues by $164k in F2022, ($511k) in F2021, and $454k in F2020. Ci also adjusted for deferred government funding affecting revenues by ($121k) in F2022 and $44k F2021 and $203k in F2020. Business activities represent sales net of social enterprise expenses, affecting revenues and expenses by ($811k) in F2022, ($655k) in F2021, and ($632k) in F2020. Amortization has been removed from fundraising costs for the foundation and from program, administrative, and fundraising costs pro-rata for the operating charity.

Salary Information

Full-time staff: 42

Avg. compensation: $64,197

Top 10 staff salary range:

$350k +
0
$300k - $350k
0
$250k - $300k
0
$200k - $250k
0
$160k - $200k
0
$120k - $160k
0
$80k - $120k
4
$40k - $80k
6
< $40k
0

Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2022

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Comments & Contact

Comments added by the Charity:

This comment was added on January 2, 2024:

Our primary focus in this past year post-pandemic has been the rejuvenation of our services and a transition back to in-person operations. Our program priority is to address the housing crisis in Metro Vancouver. We move forward in partnership with Aunt Leah’s Properties in building, and buying more affordable housing stock, and centralizing and streamlining our housing services to meet the needs of foster youth and vulnerable young moms.

Charity Contact

Website: www.auntleahs.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: (604) 525-1204

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Charitable Registration Number: 80340 7956 RR0001