Canadian Cancer Society

Suite 300 - 55 St Clair Avenue West
Toronto, ON M4V 2Y7
CEO: Andrea Seale
Board Co-Chair: Christopher Wein and Shachi Kurl

Charitable Reg. #:11882 9803 RR0001

STAR RATING

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

[Charity Rating: 3/5]

✔+

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY

Audited financial statements for current and previous years available on the charity’s website.

B+

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.

65%

CENTS TO THE CAUSE

For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 65 cents are available for programs.



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OVERVIEW

About Canadian Cancer Society:

Canadian Cancer Society is a 3-star rated charity and one of Canada's largest charities in terms of donations. The charity is financially transparent and has an above-average results reporting grade. With its current reserve funds the charity can cover one year and ten months of its annual program costs and grants. 

Founded in 1938, Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) supports those affected by cancer and funds cancer research. It also advocates for policy change. The charity states that an estimated two in five Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime. It also states that one in four Canadians will die of cancer. The charity runs two major programs: Support Programs and Research. Charity Intelligence calculates CCS spent $103.6m on its programs and grants in F2024. The most recent impact report available at the time of this update was from F2023.

Support Programs received 55% of program spending in F2024. The charity supports people affected by cancer through online resources, an information hotline, transportation services, free wigs and prosthetics, and other services. CCS provided cancer information to 16.2 million website visitors in F2023. The charity reports it provided support including transportation and lodging to more than 80,000 people to ensure they could access their cancer care. This includes over 5,200 stays in CCS lodges. Camp Goodtimes provides a fun and safe summer camp experience for kids affected by cancer. 387 children and families attended Camp Goodtimes in F2023. 

Research received 41% of program spending. CCS funded 65 new grants and awards in F2023. It also continued to invest in 394 ongoing cancer research projects. CCS reports it supported 174 researchers and 131 new clinical trials in F2023.

Advocacy received the remaining 4% of program spending. CCS reports it reached ten million people and generated over 1,800 emails through its About Life campaign. The charity also reports it engaged over 600 elected officials to help enact changes that prioritize health.

 

Learn more: 

Charity Intelligence's report on fundraising costs in the cancer sector and Canadian Cancer Society's merger with Breast Cancer Foundation: $67 million in cost-cutting. July 2019 

Charity Intelligence's report Cancer in Canada 2011 

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Results and Impact

CCS contributed to an international clinical trial that tested a new three-drug chemotherapy combination for pancreatic cancer. The combination improved the five-year disease-free survival rate from 19% to 26%. This combination became the standard protocol in April 2018.

CCS reports its advocacy led to 29 policy changes in F2023.

While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Canadian Cancer Society’s results and impact.

The charity is not yet rated on impact (n/r).

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Finances

Canadian Cancer Society is a Major 100 charity, one of Canada's largest charities in terms of donations. In F2024 it received $148.9m in donations. It also received $20.3m in government funding, representing 11% of total revenues.

Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (less investment income), and fundraising costs are 30% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 35%. For every dollar donated, 65 cents go to the cause. This falls just outside Ci's range for overhead spending.

In F2024 CCS spent $103.6m on its programs and grants, which is 57% of its revenue. In F2024 it had a surplus of $26.1m.

Canadian Cancer Society has $201.9m in net reserve funds, of which $9.3m is donor endowed. Reserve funds include CCS's cash and investments, net of debts and unfunded pension liabilities ($55.6m in cash, $149.9m in investments, $839k in debt and $3.1m in unfunded pension plan). Charity Intelligence has not deducted $19.1m in other unfunded non-pension retirement benefits. Excluding $9.3m of donor-endowed funds, Canadian Cancer Society funding reserves cover 187% or one year and ten months of annual program costs.

CCS has committed $73.0m (36% of its funding reserves) to fund cancer research over the next four years: $28.4m in F2025, $27.3m in F2026, $15.6m in F2027, and $1.6m in F2028.

In F2024, the charity paid external fundraisers $1.3m to raise $6.3m in donations. This means it cost Canadian Cancer Society 20 cents to raise a dollar through external fundraisers.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Canadian Cancer Society for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 27, 2024, by Grady Simpson.

Financial Review


Financial Ratios

Fiscal year ending January
202420232022
Administrative costs as % of revenues 5.0%5.4%5.5%
Fundraising costs as % of donations 30.0%31.2%28.3%
Total overhead spending 35.1%36.6%33.7%
Program cost coverage (%) 186.6%179.7%185.8%

Summary Financial Statements

All figures in $000s
202420232022
Donations 148,854128,907122,663
Government funding 20,27117,38224,125
Lotteries (net) 2762,6983,752
Investment income 9,980(442)5,209
Other income 3,7524,1752,951
Total revenues 183,133152,720158,700
Program costs 61,90457,43851,758
Grants 41,72238,26140,249
Administrative costs 8,7108,3328,375
Fundraising costs 44,70840,22834,688
Total spending 157,044144,259135,070
Cash flow from operations 26,0898,46123,630
Capital spending 3,9902,1897,898
Funding reserves 201,847180,362179,739

Note: ENDOWMENTS: Ci included endowments in Canadian donations. This affected revenue by $439k in F2024, ($171k) in F2023, and $755k in F2022. LOTTERIES: Ci reports the net profit of lotteries (ticket sales less prizes and costs). This decreased revenues and expenses by $1.5m in F2024, $7.6m in F2023, and $7.5m in F2022. DEFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS: Ci adjusted for deferred contributions. This affected revenues by $3.1m in F2024, ($2.3m) in F2023, and ($6.5m) in F2022. CHANGE IN RESEARCH GRANTS PAYABLE: Ci adjusted for the change in research grants payable. This affected expenses by ($3.0m) in F2024, ($11.8m) in F2023, and ($4.1m) in F2022. UNREALIZED GAINS (LOSS): Ci included unrealized gains (loss) in investment income. This affected revenues by $10.3m in F2024, ($7.8m) in F2023, and $527k in F2022. AMORTIZATION: Ci removed amortization from administrative, fundraising and program costs on a pro-rata basis.

Salary Information

Full-time staff: 695

Avg. compensation: $78,038

Top 10 staff salary range:

$350k +
1
$300k - $350k
1
$250k - $300k
1
$200k - $250k
6
$160k - $200k
1
$120k - $160k
0
$80k - $120k
0
$40k - $80k
0
< $40k
0

Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2024

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Comments & Contact

Comments added by the Charity:

No comments have been added by the charity.  

 

 

 

Read more Charity Intelligence reports on Canadian Cancer Society

Teaching elephants to dance: Canadian Cancer Society cuts $67 million in costs, updated July 10, 2018

Setting the record straight - looking at CCS's fundraising costs relative to cancer research grants only tells half the story, July 10, 2018

Cancer in Canada, indepth report looking at cancer, identifying four under-funded cancers that take the highest toll on Canadians: colon, lung, pancreatic and stomach cancer, April 2011

To see the listing on other Canadian cancer charities

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Charity Contact

Website: www.cancer.ca
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel: 1-888-939-3333



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Charitable Registration Number: 80340 7956 RR0001