Plan International Canada is a 3-star rated charity with Fair impact and an above-average results reporting score. Its overhead costs are just within Ci's reasonable range, and the charity has reserve funds to cover program costs for five months.

Founded in 1968, Plan International Canada, commonly known as Plan Canada, is the Canadian branch and fundraising arm of Plan International. Plan International works to advance children's rights and equality for girls worldwide. The charity reports that 129 million girls are not attending primary or secondary school. Plan Canada also reports that globally, 243 million women and girls have been subjected to physical or sexual violence in the past 12 months. Additionally, nearly every two seconds, a girl under 18 is married.

Plan Canada works to help women and children around the world in five core areas: Health, Humanitarian Response, Education, Youth Leadership and Economic Empowerment, and Protection from Violence. In F2022, Plan Canada supported 14.5 million children across all its programs, including 7.6 million children.

Plan Canada’s Health program represented 47% of the charity’s total program spending in F2022. The charity reported that 11.9 million people received life-saving health services and 382,996 people received food support in F2022.

The charity’s Humanitarian Response program represented 24% of program spending in F2022. Plan Canada reports that 430,007 people were reached by its disaster relief work, and 581,627 people were reached by its covid-19 response.

Plan Canada’s Education program represented 10% of program spending in F2022. The charity reports that through its programs, 496,967 children accessed education in F2022.

Plan Canada’s Youth Leadership and Economic Empowerment program also represented 10% of program spending in F2022. The charity reports that 15,393 people were helped through its economic initiatives and 12,547 youths in Canada participated in youth-engagement initiatives. 

The charity’s Protection from Violence program represented 9% of total program spending in F2022. Plan Canada reports that in F2022, 129,661 children were protected from harm, abuse, and exploitation as a result of its programs.

Plan Canada is a Major 100 charity, one of Canada's largest charities in terms of donations. In F2022, Plan Canada received $107.4m in Canadian donations. Around 62% of donations were for child sponsorships, and 33% were general contributions. Plan Canada also received $80.1m in international donations, representing 29% of revenues, and $51.8m in government funding, representing 19% of revenues. In F2022, the charity received $38.5m in donated goods such as food and bed nets.

Administrative costs are 7% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 26% of Canadian donations. This results in total overhead spending of 33%. For every dollar donated, 67 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci's reasonable range for overhead spending.

Plan Canada has reserve funds of $91.4m, of which $3.7m is donor-endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, Plan Canada can cover five months of its annual program costs.

Plan Canada used external fundraisers in F2022. The charity paid $10.3m to raise $43.1m through external fundraisers, at a cost of $0.24 per dollar raised.

Charity Intelligence has sent this update to Plan Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 20, 2023 by Kiara Andrade.