Autism Speaks Canada is the Canadian branch of Autism Speaks, an American charity focused on autism research and awareness. Autism Speaks Canada estimates that roughly one in 66 Canadian children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). More specifically, around one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls have ASD. ASD refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, and communication. To help autistic people, Autism Speaks Canada runs two major grant programs and an awareness program. The charity’s head office is in Toronto.

Family Services and Support grants represented 41% of program costs in F2019. These grants include Community grants and Special Targeted Initiative grants. Community grants fund other groups in Canada that offer support to people with ASD and their families. The charity reports that since 2010, it has granted over $4m to more than 280 organizations across Canada. Meanwhile, Special Targeted Initiative grants fund either the Pacific Autism Family Network (PAFN) or Integrated Services for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ISAND). PAFN is a knowledge centre that offers resources, information, and support to address individual needs. ISAND is a non-profit that connects families with relevant teams of pediatricians, psychologists, and clinicians. Autism Speaks Canada reports that it has given $1.1m in targeted grants since the program began.

Research grants were 31% of program costs in F2019. Grant recipients include the Autism Treatment Network, a collection of hospitals dedicated to improving healthcare for children with ASD. It aims to integrate clinical care with research to develop evidence-based practices and standardized care for all autistic patients. In F2019, four researchers in Ontario and Manitoba received grants totaling $368k for this initiative. Research grants also go toward the charity’s MSSNG program. In 2014, Autism Speaks Canada began working with Google on MSSNG, the world’s largest genome database studying autism. Conducted at SickKids Hospital, MSSNG researchers aimed to sequence genomes from 10,000 autistic participants to learn more about potential genetic factors and health effects. The charity reports that the MSSNG database now has more than 11,000 genetic sequences.

Collaboration and Awareness programs made up the remaining 28% of program costs. Through the program, ASC works to increase public knowledge of autism and its effects. ASC offers over 40 information tool kits to support people affected by ASD—17,500 copies of which have been downloaded by online users. The charity states that through its advocacy efforts, four major federal parties have committed to implementing a National Autism Strategy. This strategy calls for federal leaders to improve the quality of life for autistic Canadians through better access to resources and care.

Recent News: Autism Speaks Canada faced controversy in 2019 at its annual walk fundraiser. A small group of protesters and activists criticized the charity’s representation of autism, claiming that they should not be portrayed as “broken” or “helpless” due to autism. Members of Autistics United Canada, a national advocacy group, argued that autistic people should be accepted rather than coached to minimize behaviours or fit in more broadly.

Autism Speaks Canada is a medium-sized charity, with total donations and special events revenue of $3.4m in F2019. Administrative costs are 20% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 21% of donations and special events revenue. This means that total overhead spending is 40%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 60 cents go to the cause. This falls outside of Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. The charity has been outside of this range for the past three years.

Autism Speaks Canada has total funding reserves of $2.1m. This results in a program cost coverage ratio of 108%, which means the charity can cover around 13 months of program costs using its existing reserves.

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

Updated on June 12, 2020 by Eric Zhao.