Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
✔+
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.
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.
80%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 80 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society:
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is a 5-star charity that is financially transparent. It has an above-average results reporting score of A- and reasonable overhead spending of 20%.
Founded in 1963, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) works to protect Canada’s land, freshwater, and oceans. Its main goal is to help Canada protect at least 25% of its land and oceans by 2025 and 30% by 2030, with the ultimate goal of 50%. CPAWS states that at least 30% to 70% of land and ocean systems need protection to sustain vital ecosystems. CPAWS consists of a national office in Ottawa and 13 regional chapters. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society runs two main programs: Conservation and Conservation Awareness.
A Charity Intelligence 2023 Top 100 Rated Charity
Conservation: Conservation programs made up 92% of program spending in F2023. CPAWS works with government agencies to protect Canadian wildlife, parks, and oceans, and prevent climate change. In F2023, CPAWS Nova Scotia defended West Mabou Beach Provincial Park from a proposed golf course development in Cape Breton and CPAWS Newfoundland launched the Marine Data Hub. CPAWS Ottawa Valley made progress toward the permanent protection of at least 1,115 km2 of the Noire River and the Coulonge River watersheds. CPAWS Quebec signed several agreements under l’Initiative Plein Aire and obtained the protection of Mount Kaaikop in the Laurentian region.
Awareness: Awareness programs made up 8% of program spending in F2023. CPAWS co-organized three COP15 events and released two issues of its Canadian Wilderness Magazine.
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Results and Impact
Many of the announcements made by the federal and provincial governments or Indigenous nations at the COP15 event were led or supported by CPAWS. This includes a potential Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) that is now under study in Manitoba called the Seal River Watershed.
CPAWS was a key partner for the IMPAC5 event, where the Great Bear Sea MPA Network Action Plan was approved by 15 First Nations, the government of British Columbia, and the Canadian government.
The work done by CPAWS Quebec has allowed for the expansion of the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park and CPAWS Nova Scotia protected a provincial park from golf course development through targeted scientific fieldwork, which led to the discovery of a new species.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s results.
CPAWS is not yet rated on impact (n/r).
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Finances
Ci consolidated the financial statements of CPAWS and its foundation for the following financial analysis. As such, Ci excluded fund transfers between the two charities.
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society had Canadian donations of $6.2m and international donations of $4.0m in F2023.
The charity received $3.8m in government funding representing 23% of total revenues. CPAWS also received investment income of $1.4m.
Administrative costs are 9% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 11% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 20%, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society has $16.2m in reserve funds. These reserve funds are the charity’s cash and investments. In these reserve funds, $3.5m are endowed by donors. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity has 1 year of annual program costs covered by its current reserves.
According to its annual filing with the CRA Charities Directorate, CPAWS paid external fundraisers $79k in F2023. It does not report how much these external fundraisers raised. This is a required disclosure.
This charity report is an update that has been sent to Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated on July 22, 2024, by Lily Ferguson.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending March
|
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 9.2% | 7.7% | 9.0% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 11.0% | 10.4% | 11.3% |
| Total overhead spending | 20.2% | 18.1% | 20.3% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 102.1% | 147.6% | 122.7% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 6,180 | 5,913 | 5,310 |
| International donations | 4,029 | 3,107 | 2,515 |
| Government funding | 3,825 | 2,117 | 3,146 |
| Investment income | 1,446 | (34) | 28 |
| Other income | 907 | 2,942 | 1,055 |
| Total revenues | 16,387 | 14,044 | 12,053 |
| Program costs | 10,450 | 7,083 | 5,692 |
| Grants | 2,128 | 1,500 | 1,958 |
| Administrative costs | 1,378 | 1,077 | 1,079 |
| Fundraising costs | 680 | 618 | 599 |
| Total spending | 14,636 | 10,278 | 9,329 |
| Cash flow from operations | 1,750 | 3,766 | 2,725 |
| Capital spending | 49 | 26 | 36 |
| Funding reserves | 16,161 | 15,894 | 12,654 |
Note: Ci consolidated CPAWS with its associated foundation for this financial analysis. As such, Ci removed all fund transfers between the two charities from donations and grants. Ci excluded grants to CPAWS foundation, affecting expenses and revenues by ($50k) in F2023, ($100k) in F2022, and ($157k) in F2021. Ci reported international donations from the charity’s annual T3010 filings and removed the amounts from Canadian donations. Ci reported investment income from the charity’s T3010 filings and removed the amounts from other income. Ci adjusted for deferred revenue, increasing revenue by $630k in F2023, $2.6m in F2022, and $777k in F2021. Ci reported grants to qualified donees from the charity’s T3010 filings and removed the amounts from program costs. Ci included Gain on Investment, Other Income and Gain on equity accounted Subsidiary which were reported below the line in F2023, affecting revenues by $169k, $277k, and $1.3m respectively.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
1 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
2 |
$80k - $120k |
7 |
$40k - $80k |
0 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2023
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
Charity Contact
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