Harvest Manitoba
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.
Average
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.
87%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 87 cents are available for programs.
My anchor
OVERVIEW
About Harvest Manitoba:
Harvest Manitoba is a 4-star, financially transparent charity with an Average impact rating. It has an above average A- results reporting score, reasonable overhead spending, and a reasonably sized reserve fund. For every dollar donated to this charity, 87 cents are available to go to the cause.
Founded in 1984, Harvest Manitoba purchases and collects food before distributing it to over 380 community organizations across 46 municipalities in Manitoba. The charity surveys its clients each year and writes a report covering the effects of food insecurity and nutritional deficiency in the province. According to the charity, 88% of the 649 clients surveyed cannot afford healthy groceries and instead rely on cheaper, heavily processed food.
Harvest Manitoba runs three programs: Food Distribution, First Steps, and Meals2Go. It spent $8.6m cash on its programs (grants and operating expenditures) and distributed $33.0m worth of food during the March 2024 fiscal year (F2024).
Food Distribution is 85% ($7.4m) of Harvest Manitoba's program spending. The charity distributed 9,200,000 lb of food to over 380 agency partners across 46 communities during F2024. Food distributed by its agency network fed 20,221 households each month. Harvest Manitoba claims to serve over 100,000 people each month but did not disclose if this figure represents the number of unique clients served. It also distributed $487k worth of grants to its network in F2024.
First Steps is 7% ($567k) of Harvest Manitoba's program spending. First Steps provides baby formula, diapers, and other essentials to young mothers in need. Harvest Manitoba fed 1,800 babies each month during F2024.
Meals2Go is 8% ($648k) of Harvest Manitoba's program spending. As part of this program, Harvest Manitoba runs weekend breakfast programs in schools across the province for students who cannot afford breakfast over the weekend. The charity fed 8,370 students in F2024, a 32% increase from 6,330 students fed during F2023.
My anchor
Results and Impact
Since Harvest Manitoba spent $6.9m to distribute 9,200,000 lb of donated food, it spent an average of $4.72 / lb distributed during F2024, excluding overhead and the cost of donated food.
Harvest Manitoba records the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions it saves by collecting food that would have otherwise been wasted. During F2024, it prevented 9,259,415 lb of GHG emissions from entering the atmosphere.
In F2024, the charity created and administered a survey covering its Meals2Go program performance. According to the survey, 63% of teachers in partner schools spent less on snacks and 100% of principles reported increased school attendance. Harvest Manitoba did not disclose the sample size of this survey.
While Charity Intelligence highlights these key results, they may not completely represent Harvest Manitoba’s results and impact.
Ci has rated this charity as Average impact based on demonstrated social impact per dollar spent.
Impact Rating: Average

My anchor
Finances
Harvest Manitoba’s audited financial statements clearly separate program, administrative, and fundraising costs – a financial reporting best practice.
During F2024, the charity received $6.3m worth of cash donations and special events revenue (30% decrease from $9.0m received in F2023) and $33.0m worth of donated food. Cash donations and donated food represent a respective 15% and 77% of total revenue. Harvest Manitoba also received $2.8m worth of government grants in F2024.
Administrative costs are 1% of total revenue less investment income and fundraising costs are 12% of donations, meaning the charity’s total overhead spending is 13%. For every dollar donated, 87 cents are available to go to the cause.
In F2024, the charity spent $8.1m cash on its programs and dispersed $487k worth of grants to its agency network. It also distributed $33.0m worth of donated food during F2024.
At the end of F2024, Harvest Manitoba had $8.7m worth of reserve funds (cash and investments) that can cover 97% or around one year of its annual program spending.
Profile updated by Julian Dranitsaris on April 11, 2025. Comments and corrections may be forthcoming.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending March
|
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|
Administrative costs as % of revenues | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.6% |
Fundraising costs as % of donations | 12.4% | 5.0% | 5.5% |
Total overhead spending | 13.3% | 5.9% | 7.1% |
Program cost coverage (%) | 96.6% | 172.6% | 160.1% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|
Donations | 5,097 | 8,380 | 6,175 |
Goods in kind | 32,995 | 33,078 | 32,805 |
Government funding | 2,834 | 530 | 102 |
Special events | 1,202 | 661 | 483 |
Investment income | 371 | 186 | 90 |
Other income | 373 | 0 | 0 |
Total revenues | 42,871 | 42,836 | 39,655 |
Program costs | 8,536 | 6,007 | 5,259 |
Grants | 487 | 0 | 0 |
Donated goods exp | 32,995 | 33,078 | 32,805 |
Administrative costs | 424 | 423 | 626 |
Fundraising costs | 778 | 448 | 364 |
Total spending | 43,220 | 39,956 | 39,054 |
Cash flow from operations | (348) | 2,880 | 601 |
Capital spending | 1,126 | 660 | 441 |
Funding reserves | 8,711 | 10,370 | 8,418 |
Note: 1. DONATED FOOD: Ci included the value of donated food reported in its audited financials when calculating both revenue and expenses, affecting both by $32.4m, $32.6m, and $31.3m in F2024, F2023, and F2022, respectively. 2. CHANGES IN DEFERRED DONATIONS: Since Harvest Manitoba follows deferred accounting, Ci adjusted its donations for changes in deferred contribution to show donors financial information more consistently. This affected revenue by ($1.4m), $1.3m, and ($138k) in F2024, F2023, and F2022, respectively. 3. CHANGES IN DEFERRED CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION: Ci adjusted donations for changes in deferred capital contributions, affecting revenue by ($102k), ($282k), and ($239k) in F2024, F2023, and F2022, respectively. 4. CHANGES IN DEFERRED LEASE INDUCEMENT: Harvest Manitoba was reimbursed by its landlord for upgrades to its 1085 Winnipeg Ave food distribution facility. It deferred much of this amount to future periods. This was adjusted in other revenue and affected revenue by $373k, ($nil), and ($nil) in F2024, F2023, and F2022, respectively. 5. AMORTIZATION: Ci backed out amortization on a pro-rata basis from program, administrative, and fundraising costs.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
1 |
$120k - $160k |
1 |
$80k - $120k |
2 |
$40k - $80k |
6 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2024
My anchor
Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
The following comment was left on August 20, 2024:
Harvest Manitoba (formerly Winnipeg Harvest) has always been about more than hampers – it is about hope. Our generous community gives us the tools and resources to assist our clients with nutritious food, but also to invest in training and education that will support them in their lives and future, and beyond temporary food support.
Harvest Manitoba supports regular food bank activities across 380 members of our community food network in 46 communities and counting. We are Manitoba’s Food Bank – a backbone that serves communities, ensures access to food supports around the province and coordinates activities among our members for the benefit of us all. Serving over 100,000 people a month through a wide range of programs, Harvest Manitoba works to bring the highest standards of health, safety, access, and equity to our work all over Manitoba. Our work means that food banks and other food programs can have regular, reliable access to food for Manitobans who need that help the most.
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 204-982-3663