World Vision Canada

About World Vision Canada:

Founded in 1957, World Vision Canada (WVC) is a Christian development, relief and advocacy charity that helps communities, families and children overcome poverty and injustice. Through monthly donations of $39, Canadian donors sponsor children, which funded 245 WVC communities in 42 countries in 2016. Based on international program costs (omitting disaster response), WVC spent roughly $1.6m per community. The charity reports 454,435 sponsored children during the year, continuing the steady decline in child sponsorship from a peak of 514,060 in F2011.

Through its child/community sponsorship ‘lifecycle’, WVC helps communities in three phases: Phase 1 focuses on partnering with community members to determine what needs to be done to achieve long-term solutions for challenges faced by the community; Phase 2 focuses on evaluating progress on improving community living conditions and making changes as needed to meet long-term goals; and in Phase 3, which is reached when the community sees improved conditions, WVC ceases its activities in the area.  WVC’s projects last 10 to 15 years in each community. 

In F2016, 15 communities from 10 countries graduated from WVC’s partnerships. Major outcomes seen in graduated communities include: child enrollment in school of 98% in Kalamo, Zambia, a 54% increase from when WVC started working in the area in 2001; 100% of families having access to clean drinking water in Thiappy, Senegal, up from 26% when WVC’s WASH program started in the area; and a 7% decrease in child stunting due to malnourishment in Thanmalvila, Sri Lanka, from 15% to 8%.

In F2016, WVC's largest program costs were health, water and sanitation projects (29%), food and nutrition (15%), education (13%), and developing global strategies for helping children (8%). WVC contributes to World Vision’s global WASH program that works to improve water accessibility and sustainable management across the world. In 2016, 4,671,393 people gained access to clean water in East Africa, West Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East & Eastern Europe because of the global WASH program.

In addition to development, World Vision Canada is a disaster response charity with a track record of quick response, spending disaster relief funding within three years. Emergency and disaster relief costs made up 12% of program spending in F2016. The charity responded to 19 major emergencies during the year. In 2015, South Sudan was declared the most fragile state in the world, with many communities affected by conflict or drought. Through its FEED program, running from April 2015 to May 2018, WVC helped improve household year-round access to food in South Sudan from 21% to 26% in just one year (2015 to 2016).

In F2016, WVC's remaining programs include sustainable livelihoods (7%), community empowerment and children's rights (7%), program monitoring and evaluation (5%) public awareness (2%),  investments in future community development (2%), programs for Canadians in need (1%), and partnerships with Christian and faith leaders. 

Financial Review:

World Vision Canada is Canada's largest donor-funded charity and tops the list of Canada’s Major 100 charities receiving cash donations of $253.2m in F2016 along with donated gifts of $123.0m. WVC received government funding of $40.5m in F2016. WVC provides more details in its 2016 Financial Overview.  

WVC's administrative costs are 6% of total revenues and fundraising costs are 22% of total donations. For every dollar donated, 72 cents went to the cause in F2016, within Charity Intelligence's reasonable range. WVC has total funding reserves of $46.8m that can cover the charity’s program costs for less than 1 month, showing a need for donations. Like most Canadian international charities, the generosity of Canadians is 'exported' to international partners: World Vision Canada transferred to World Vision International $318.1m in F2016, $327.2m in F2015, and $309.7m in F2014 in donations and donated goods to run international development projects. 

Included in World Vision Canada's other income is $28.2m in F2016, $18.4m in F2015, and $10.9m in F2014 in funding from international organizations, including the UN World Health Program. 

World Vision Canada reports using external fundraisers: in F2016 it paid $11.6m to external fundraisers who brought in $74.9m in donations (15% fundraising cost).

Financial analysis updated on February 9th, 2017 by Kate Bahen. Social results and impact results for F2016 updated on July 10, 2017 by Katie Khodawandi.