Canadian Women’s Foundation is a 3-star charity that is financially transparent. Its reserve funds could cover its program costs for just under one year and 11 months, which is within Ci’s reasonable range. For every dollar donated, 52 cents are available to go to the cause, which is outside of Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 1991, Canadian Women’s Foundation (CWF) promotes gender equality. The charity grants funds to feminist organizations and shares information about gender injustice. CWF estimates that 736 million women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once.

Canadian Women’s Foundation runs six main programs, listed below. CWF spent $10.7m on its programs and grants in its fiscal year ending March 2025 (F2025).

The Out of Violence program received 34% ($3.7m) of program spending in F2025. It funds initiatives that prevent and respond to gender-based violence. In F2025, CWF reported having 107,000 Signal for Help responders who were trained to recognize the Signal for Help hand gesture and safely connect people experiencing violence with support.

The Out of Poverty program received 31% ($3.3m) of program spending in F2025. CWF funds programs that help women and gender-diverse people improve their financial situations. The charity provides entrepreneurship and job skills training. In F2025, it offered tools such as the Building Your Values-Driven Business online course and the Feminist Business Tip Sheet resource.

The Gender Justice: Northern Strategy program received 16% ($1.7m) of program spending in F2025. CWF states that Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than other women in Canada. The charity funds programs to improve gender equality for Indigenous communities in northern Canada.

Community Needs Grants received 7% ($788k) of program spending in F2025. CWF states these grants are used to address poverty, violence, confidence, and leadership.

The Systems Change program received 6% ($659k) of program spending in F2025. CWF funds policy development and advocacy programs to improve gender equality. In F2025, the charity reported that over 3,500 people registered for the Thriving at Work: Prioritizing Women’s Mental Wellness online event.

The Into Confidence: Girls’ Fund program received 5% ($547k) of program spending in F2025. The charity funds programs that help build confidence in girls and gender-diverse young people.

CWF reports that in F2025, it funded 146 gender justice programs that impacted the lives of 114,472 people.

Canadian Women’s Foundation’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing, a best practice. This means its expenses are clearly defined between program, administrative, and fundraising categories.

In F2025, CWF received $4.7m in donations, which is 42% of total revenue. It also received $4.4m in government funding (38% of total revenue), a 91% decrease from $47.5m in F2023, and $1.9m in investment income.

CWF spent $10.7m on its programs and grants, representing 94% of its total revenue. The charity ran a $2.4m deficit, meaning it used some of its reserve funds to support its programs.

Fundraising costs were $1.5m, which is 31% of donations, and administrative costs were $1.6m, which is 17% of revenue (excluding investment income). Total overhead was 48%, meaning that for every dollar received, 52 cents are available to go to the cause. This is outside of Ci’s reasonable range, which suggests 65-95 cents per dollar.

CWF ended F2025 with $20.3m in reserve funds, which could cover its annual program costs for just under one year and 11 months. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

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

Updated on July 17, 2026, by Ava Anderson.