World Wildlife Fund
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.
73%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 73 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About World Wildlife Fund:
Founded in 1967, World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF Canada) aims to protect and restore Earth’s natural environment for future generations. WWF Canada is part of World Wildlife Fund, which is a global organization that operates in nearly 100 countries. WWF Canada conserves the environment by running conservation programs, raising public awareness about environmental issues, and granting money for research. WWF Canada further divides its programs into five areas: arctic, oceans, freshwater, global conservation, and conservation awareness.
In F2020, WWF Canada spent 61% of program and granting costs on conservation programs. In F2020, 83,803 volunteers participated in Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanups and collected 163,501kg of trash. In 2019, groups across Canada restored 193 hectares of habitat, planted 19,399 native plants, and treated and removed 75,186m2 of invasive species.
In F2020, WWF Canada allocated 23% of program and granting costs to conservation awareness. In F2020, 4,273 individuals and 150 corporate teams registered for the CN Tower Climb for Nature. As of F2020, WWF Canada had 12,068 students enrolled in its Living Plant @ Campus program.
In F2020, WWF Canada spent 16% of program and granting costs on conservation research and grants. WWF Canada’s Arctic Species Conservation Fund supports research and protection of at-risk species. Through this program, WWF Canada partners with university researchers, government scientists, and Inuit organizations. In F2020, the charity distributed $250k to ten projects that addressed environmental concerns in the arctic.
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Results and Impact
In F2020, WWF Canada partnered with Katzie First Nation to restore salmon habitat in the Upper Pitt River watershed in British Columbia. This project restored four sites, equal to 11,326m2. The charity reports that salmon were spotted returning to the restored spawning sites after the project.
In 2019, WWF Canada took measures to reduce shipping speed and noise impacts for southern resident killer whales. The charity reports that these measures reduced sound intensity levels in Haro Strait in the Salish Sea by 50%, which provided killer whales increased feeding opportunities.
In F2020, 19 students from WWF Canada’s Living Planet @ Campus program completed their Living Planet Leader Certification. The charity states that this certification recognizes knowledge and experience in sustainability and prepares students to lead change in their communities and careers.
In F2020, WWF Canada conducted a threats assessment for at-risk species, which was published in the scientific journal FACETS. The study found that Canadian species at risk face an average of five threats, while at-risk amphibians and turtles face an average of seven threats.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of WWF Canada’s results and impact. This charity is not yet rated on impact (n/r).
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Finances
World Wildlife Fund Canada had total donations of $21.6m in F2020. Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 22% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 27%. For every dollar donated, 73 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
WWF Canada has $29.6m in net funding reserves, of which $5.2m is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, WWF Canada could cover 133% or roughly 16 months of annual program and granting costs with reserves.
WWF Canada used external fundraisers in F2020. It paid external fundraisers $537k to raise $2.3m. This means it cost WWF Canada 24 cents to raise each dollar through external fundraisers.
Charity Intelligence sent an update of this report to World Wildlife Fund Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated on June 24, 2021 by Sydney Olexa.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending June
|
2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|
Administrative costs as % of revenues | 4.6% | 4.7% | 4.4% |
Fundraising costs as % of donations | 22.4% | 26.6% | 27.1% |
Total overhead spending | 27.0% | 31.3% | 31.5% |
Program cost coverage (%) | 133.1% | 125.7% | 122.5% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|
Donations | 21,567 | 20,734 | 19,319 |
Government funding | 2,311 | 914 | 1,127 |
Business activities (net) | 940 | 989 | 1,042 |
Investment income | 787 | 1,588 | 925 |
Other income | 2,082 | 1,358 | 1,641 |
Total revenues | 27,687 | 25,583 | 24,054 |
Program costs | 15,635 | 15,672 | 14,936 |
Grants | 2,990 | 2,376 | 2,589 |
Administrative costs | 1,235 | 1,119 | 1,026 |
Fundraising costs | 4,826 | 5,522 | 5,232 |
Total spending | 24,686 | 24,689 | 23,783 |
Cash flow from operations | 3,001 | 894 | 271 |
Capital spending | 303 | 50 | 636 |
Funding reserves | 29,591 | 26,578 | 25,214 |
Note: Ci included changes in fair value of investments in investment income, affecting revenues by ($400k) in F2020, $330k in F2019, and ($115k) in F2018. Ci reported product sales, events promotions, and fees revenues in business activities. Ci reported income from WWF family in other revenue.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
2 |
$160k - $200k |
6 |
$120k - $160k |
2 |
$80k - $120k |
0 |
$40k - $80k |
0 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2020
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) is the country’s largest international conservation organization. For more than 50 years we have connected the power of a strong global network operating in 100 countries with on-the-ground conservation efforts across Canada. Our long-term vision is simple: a Canada with abundant wildlife, where nature and people thrive.
To achieve this vision, WWF-Canada has an ambitious 10-year plan to fight the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change with one of the best, most effective tools around: nature. We will steward, restore and protect ecosystems that store carbon and provide habitat for wildlife—ensuring at-risk species can recover while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
WWF-Canada is grateful to our donors, partners and volunteers who kept supporting our mission even in the face of an unprecedented pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic raised questions about our true relationship with nature and challenged us to find new ways to deliver our work, raise funds, engage communities and make an impact for nature and people.
For the safety of our participants and in accordance with local public health guidelines, we cancelled the CN Tower Climb and our Kids Run for Nature, two of our most significant fundraising events. But despite these challenges, and in response to the growing climate emergency, people across Canada gave generously. We were able to successfully raise over $28.1 million for the fiscal year, which ended June 30, an increase from the previous year of $25.3 million. We are thankful for the trust, support and investment you have made in our work.
We were also able to invest even more in our mission while keeping administrative costs fiscally responsible – for every dollar, 73 cents went to the cause. During this period, we invested $18.6 million directly into our conservation work and 24.4 per cent was spent on fundraising and administration. With a diverse donor base made up of individuals, foundations, government and companies, we have the financial resilience and courage to take our next steps for the future of conservation.
No matter where our staff was working — in the field, in the office or at home — we continued to make progress on conservation issues ranging from ocean protections to wildlife recovery. Below are just a few of the ways WWF-Canada’s work—and your incredible support—has benefitted students, local conservation efforts, Indigenous partners and wildlife in Canada and abroad:
In the world of conservation, victories aren’t always swift but rather the culmination of years of work by many people and groups working together. Our donors and partners make finding those long-term solutions to some of nature’s biggest challenges possible. Learn more about our impressive track record here.
Financial stewardship is key to achieving our conservation and fundraising goals and fulfilling donor expectations. To do that, we ensure we have a strong internal control environment, effective governance over all operations, and an annual independent audit of our financial records. In addition to our annual report, we keep our donors informed on their efforts to help nature and people thrive through our Living Planet magazine, webinars, Fieldnotes e-newsletter, blogs, Wildlife Wednesdays and stewardship reports.
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 416-489-8800