Diabetes Canada
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.
B+
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.
57%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 57 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Diabetes Canada:
Diabetes Canada is a 3-star charity. It has a B+ results reporting grade, which is above average. For every dollar donated to Diabetes Canada, 57 cents are available to go to the cause, which is outside of Ci's reasonable range.
Founded in 1953, Diabetes Canada (previously called Canadian Diabetes Association) supports Canadians with diabetes through education, advocacy, and research. Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body can't properly use or produce insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. There is Type 1 diabetes (T1D) (an auto-immune condition that develops in childhood), Type 2 diabetes (T2D) (develops in adults due to poor diet or lack of exercise), gestational diabetes, and prediabetes. The charity reports that every three minutes, one person in Canada is diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes Canada runs four main programs: Drive for Excellence in Diabetes Care, Research, Helping Children and Adults with T1D, and Improving Diabetes Management and Prevention. In 2025, Diabetes Canada spent $22.8m on its programs and grants.
Drive for Excellence in Diabetes Care represented 41% of program costs in 2025. Diabetes Canada educates healthcare professionals and people with diabetes through conferences and the globally recognized Clinical Practice Guidelines. In 2025, the Diabetes Canada and Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism conference was held in Toronto. It brought together 109 speakers and over 2,100 attendees, with more than 330 research presentations shared. The charity also updated its Clinical Practice Guidelines to include new evidence on chronic kidney disease, MASLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), and blood sugar management across different ages.
Research represented 33% of program costs in 2025. This program focuses on funding and supporting studies that improve prevention, treatment, and long-term management of diabetes. In 2025, Diabetes Canada invested $6.0m in diabetes research and had 83 active research projects.
Helping Children and Adults with Diabetes represented 18% of program costs in 2025. Through this program, Diabetes Canada offers direct support to people living with diabetes, including camps for children and youths. In 2025, 1,083 children and youth attended D-Camps, and more than $190,000 in financial assistance was provided to families.
Improving Management and Prevention represented 8% of program costs in 2025. This program provides education, support, and advocacy for people living with diabetes through online resources, support services, and virtual learning. In 2025, it had 1.3 million educational webpage visits and received 14,770 inquiries through its information and referral line. Its In the Kitchen series had 5,172 participants, and the Virtual Diabetes Education Program supported 1,225 people newly diagnosed with diabetes.
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Results and Impact
In 2023, Diabetes Canada’s research discovered the process for metformin, a drug prescribed to people with T2D, to regulate blood sugar. Researchers learned that metformin increases energy consumption in muscles, which leads to weight loss. In 2021, the closed-loop artificial pancreas became available. This device automatically delivers insulin to people’s bodies in response to their blood glucose levels.
In 2025, 95% of attendees surveyed at the Diabetes Canada and Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism conference said they would apply the knowledge and skills gained in their practice. The charity’s information and referral line found that 85% of respondents felt better prepared to manage their needs. For the In the Kitchen program, 97% of participants reported learning new and useful information.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Diabetes Canada’s results and impact.
This charity is not yet rated on impact. This shows as n/r and does not affect the star rating.
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Finances
Diabetes Canada’s audited financial statements use activity-based costing, which is a best practice.
In 2025, Diabetes Canada received $34.9m in donations, which was 75% of total revenue (a 23% increase from $28.4m in 2024). It also received $2.2m in fees for service from its education and camp programs, $1.5m in investment income, and $925k in government funding.
The charity spent $22.8m on its programs and grants, representing 49% of total revenue. In 2025, Diabetes Canada ran a surplus of $8.2m (18% of total revenue).
Fundraising costs were $12.9m (37% of donations) and administrative costs were $2.7m (6% of revenue less investment income). Total overhead was 43%, meaning that for every dollar received, 57 cents are available to go to the cause. This is outside of Ci’s reasonable range, which suggests 65-95 cents per dollar. Diabetes Canada has been outside of Ci's reasonable range for the past 13 years.
Diabetes Canada ended 2025 with $45.5m in reserve funds (cash and investments). These reserves could cover its annual program costs for just under two years, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.
Diabetes Canada uses external fundraisers. In 2025, the charity paid fundraisers $1.1m to raise $620k. It cost $1.82 to raise a dollar via external fundraisers. It is therefore more efficient to donate directly to the charity than through external fundraisers.
This charity report is an update that has been sent to Diabetes Canada for review.
Updated on June 22, 2026 by Ava Anderson.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending December
|
2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 6.1% | 8.3% | 9.9% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 36.9% | 46.9% | 48.7% |
| Total overhead spending | 43.0% | 55.2% | 58.7% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 193.2% | 173.3% | 204.1% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 34,928 | 28,388 | 26,367 |
| Government funding | 925 | 925 | 780 |
| Fees for service | 2,183 | 1,835 | 1,869 |
| Business activities (net) | 4,679 | 3,680 | 2,497 |
| Investment income | 1,542 | 2,192 | 2,066 |
| Other income | 2,212 | 421 | 342 |
| Total revenues | 46,469 | 37,441 | 33,921 |
| Program costs | 14,863 | 14,037 | 13,228 |
| Grants | 7,968 | 8,073 | 6,325 |
| Administrative costs | 2,743 | 2,908 | 3,167 |
| Fundraising costs | 12,893 | 13,326 | 12,852 |
| Total spending | 38,467 | 38,345 | 35,573 |
| Cash flow from operations | 8,002 | (904) | (1,652) |
| Capital spending | 2,021 | 651 | 545 |
| Funding reserves | 45,480 | 39,629 | 41,089 |
Note: 1. Grants Payable: Ci adjusted for grants payable within grants, which affected expenses by $606k in 2025, $655k in 2024, and ($1.4m) in 2023. 2. Deferred Revenue: Ci adjusted for deferred revenue within donations, government funding, and other revenue. This affected total revenue by $1.9m in 2025, $388k in 2024, and ($215k) in 2023. 3. National Diabetes Trust. Ci included amounts from National Diabetes Trust within business activities and adjusted for the change in amounts due. This affected revenue by $917k in 2025, ($21k) in 2024, and ($421k) in 2023. 4. Amortization: Ci removed amortization from program, fundraising and administrative costs on a pro-rata basis. Amortization was $645k in 2025, $724k in 2024, and $791k in 2023.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
1 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
4 |
$160k - $200k |
5 |
$120k - $160k |
0 |
$80k - $120k |
0 |
$40k - $80k |
0 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2025
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
In 2021, Diabetes Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary since the discovery of insulin. The discovery of insulin changed lives, but 100 years later more Canadians have diabetes than ever before.
Since 1975, Diabetes Canada has supported outstanding diabetes research in Canada and provided more than $140 million in research grants, awards and partnerships to scientists across the country. Through the End Diabetes Fund (launched in F2021), Diabetes Canada provided a variety of research funding opportunities by investing $60 million over the following three years.
Diabetes Canada also finalized a three-year strategic plan focused on improving the lives of people living with diabetes. Two key goals include being the go-to place for patient knowledge and connection; and changing the conversation around diabetes—both of which Diabetes Canada is uniquely positioned to facilitate.
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 416-363-3373