United Way of Calgary and Area

About United Way of Calgary and Area:

Founded in 1940, United Way of Calgary (UWC) raises funds and allocates money to local charities working towards building strong communities, helping youth and fighting poverty in Calgary. It also runs programs to support poor people and other affected members of the community. UWC states that, in Calgary, 127,000 people live under the poverty line, 1 in 5 Calgary youth do not complete high school on time and that domestic violence calls are increasing in Calgary, reaching nearly 19,000 calls in F2015.

United Way Calgary grants funds to 104 agencies in Calgary. In F2016, United Way of Calgary allocated $44.4m to the community through grants to frontline charities and United Way initiatives. It invested $10.0m in poverty alleviation, $14.1m in child development and $20.3m in community programs. It also spent $7.4m on United Way initiatives. Since 2008, UWC together with the City of Calgary have launched 6 community hubs, where people gather together to discuss social issues in the community, build relationships and support development programs. Charities also started after-school confidence building programs for teenage girls and provided scholarships for young women to continue education.

In F2016, UWC-funded programs filed 4,602 tax returns for clients, resulting in $3.5 million in tax refunds for Calgarians living on low incomes. Its All In for Youth program has seen 81% of participants report an increase in their grades and 95% able to envision a more positive future. Its children’s programming has helped 20,020 children learn or improve a skill. UWC’s 2016 community impact report demonstrates the impact of its investments as well as the expected social return on investment (SROI). UWC reports that for every $1 invested in poverty programs, $5 of social value is created.

In 2015, United Way of Calgary and Area, in partnership with The City of Calgary, Vibrant Communities Calgary, and Momentum have launched Calgary’s community-driven poverty reduction strategy – Enough for All. This strategy aims to reduce poverty in Calgary by 50% by 2023.

Financial Review:

United Way of Calgary is one of Canada’s Major 100 charities. It received donations of $55.5m in F2016. Administrative costs are 5% of total revenues and fundraising costs are 6% of total donations. For every dollar donated, 89 cents goes to the cause, falling within Ci’s reasonable range. UWC has total funding reserves of $76.3m, including $22.6m in donor-endowed funds. Excluding donor-endowed funds, funding reserves cover annual program costs for 1.4 years.

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

Updated June 6th, 2017 by Josh Lam.