Ecotrust Canada is a 5-star charity that is financially transparent. It has an above-average results reporting score of A and reasonable overhead spending of 23%. Ecotrust has reserve funds to cover program costs for one year.

Founded in 1995, Ecotrust Canada (Ecotrust) aims to create a sustainable economy in Canada by funding innovative solutions to environmental and social problems. The charity works with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to develop methods of improving sustainability. In F2023, Ecotrust spent $3.7m on its five main programs and $229k on its learning agenda and RDEI (race, diversity, equity, inclusion).

A Charity Intelligence 2024 Top 100 Rated Charity.

Community Fisheries ($1.7m) was 44% of program spending in F2023. Ecotrust Canada advocates for policy changes, strengthens monitoring and management in fishing communities, and promotes transparency in combating illegal, underreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing worldwide with Spyglass, an online database of criminal fishing activities. In F2023, Ecotrust held two fisheries monitor training courses and co-facilitated the third Fisheries for Communities Gathering. Ecotrust also exceeded its coded wire tag targets by 10% for chinook salmon and provided its fisheries monitoring services for 305 days over the fishing season.

Climate Innovation ($634k) was 16% of program spending. Ecotrust Canada aims to develop natural climate solutions – community-led, climate friendly, forest management strategies that fight climate change, create jobs, and protect environmental, social, and cultural values. In F2023, Ecotrust co-developed the First Nations Carbon Toolkit and published “Advancing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA) through Carbon Financing” for First Nations communities curious about achieving carbon offset projects in Canada.

Community Energy ($578k) was 15% of program spending. Ecotrust Canada believes that new, clean technologies combined with innovative policies and local expertise can eliminate energy insecurity in Canada. In F2023, Ecotrust installed 86 heat pumps in homes across four indigenous communities, which helped approximately 200 people. The charity also facilitated Canada’s first Energy Justice Forum, where over 80 attendees came together to figure out how to end energy insecurity.

Food Systems ($376k) was 10% of program spending. Ecotrust Canada is exploring how Regenerative Ocean Farming (ROF) can be a viable economic, cultural, and sustainable social innovation for Indigenous communities and BC’s North and Central Coast. In F2023, Ecotrust harvested 10,000 lb of winged and sugar kelp on Metlakatla First Nation’s Regenerative Ocean Farm and processed 900 lb of kelp harvested the previous year and turned it into liquid fertilizer. The charity also helped harvest and distribute 1,200 scallops to over 300 Metlakatla members.

Indigenous Homelands ($375k) was 10% of program spending. Ecotrust Canada hopes to mobilize local skills, expertise, Indigenous knowledge systems, and territorial assets to create vibrant and healthy housing ecosystems. In F2023, Ecotrust presented the Indigenous Housing and Homelands Governance Toolkit to over 40 national Indigenous financial institutions and delivered a socioeconomic analysis for the Dasiqox Tribal Park, an Indigenous Protected Conservation Area.

Ecotrust Canada had Canadian donations of $1.2m and international donations of $444k in F2023. The charity had government funding of $663k, representing 14% of total revenues.

The charity received consulting revenue of $2.3m, representing 50% of total revenues.

Administrative costs are 16% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 8% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 24%, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

Ecotrust has $3.9m in reserve funds. These reserve funds are the charity’s cash and investments. The charity has 1 year of annual program costs covered by its current reserves.

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

Updated on July 18, 2024, by Lily Ferguson.