Canadian Red Cross

400 Cooper Street, Suite 8000
Ottawa, ON K2P 2H8
CEO: Conrad Sauvé
Board Chair: Miranda Hubbs

Charitable Reg. #:11921 9814 RR0001

STAR RATING

Ci's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics:

[Charity Rating: 2/5]

✔+

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.

Low

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.

72%

CENTS TO THE CAUSE

For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 72 cents are available for programs.



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OVERVIEW

About Canadian Red Cross:

Canadian Red Cross is a two-star charity. It has an above-average results reporting grade, reasonable overhead spending, and is financially transparent. However, the charity has Low demonstrated impact per dollar spent.   

Founded in 1896, Canadian Red Cross (CRC) works to improve the lives of vulnerable people around the world. CRC is one of the 192 groups included in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). In F2024, CRC’s main emergency priorities were wildfires across the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The charity also provided emergency support in Sudan, Türkiye, Syria, Mexico, Nepal, Ukraine, Gaza, and other countries around the world. 

Canadian Red Cross has two main programs: Humanitarian Services and Health. 

In F2024, 83% of total program spending ($430.2m) went towards Humanitarian Services. Of this, $407.3m (95% of humanitarian services) was for Emergency Management, and $22.9m (5%) was for international programming. This program provides shelter, food, clothing, and supplies to people harmed by disasters in Canada and the rest of the world. In F2024, CRC deployed personnel in support of 29 emergency responses (outside of personal disasters) in Canada. The charity supported ten recovery operations. CRC states that over 81,000 people in Canada were supported after an emergency. Globally, CRC operated 39 programs in 27 countries supporting local Red Cross Red Crescent societies. The charity granted over $52m in financial contribution to global Red Cross Red Crescent efforts. 

In F2024, 17% of program spending ($85.8m) went to the Health program. This program operates in Canada to help improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities. In F2024, CRC loaned 303,958 pieces of medical equipment to those in need. Through the Meals on Wheels program, the CRC distributed 257,364 meals. The charity delivered 146,000 First Aid courses to over 869,000 individuals across Canada. 

 

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Results and Impact

In F2024, CRC provided $44m in financial assistance to over 21,800 households affected by disasters in Canada. In Canada, the charity distributed over 50,500 relief items such as cots, blankets, hygiene kits, and other essential items. 

While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Canadian Red Cross’ results and impact. 

Charity Intelligence has given CRC a Low impact rating based on demonstrated impact per dollar spent. 

Impact Rating: Low

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Finances

Canadian Red Cross is a Major 100 charity, one of Canada’s largest charities in terms of donations. In F2024, it received $194.3m in Canadian donations. It also received $229.3m in government funding, representing 53% of total revenues. 

Administrative costs are 4% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 24% of donations. Total overhead spending is 28%. For each dollar donated 72 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

During F2024, CRC spent money on various disasters that occurred as far back as 2016. During the year it spent $33.0m on the Turkiye and Syria Earthquake, $18.7m on Ukraine, $9.5m on covid-19, $6.3m on the BC Fires (2017), $3.2m on the BC Floods (2021), and $777k on the Alberta Fires (2016). The charity also granted $110.9m to other charities through the Community Services Recovery Fund. This is a government-funded program to support charities.

In F2024 CRC spent $506.7m on its programs, which is 116% of total revenues. The charity had a deficit of $137.8m. 

CRC has $362.8m in reserve funds, including $2.2m in donor-endowed funds. Excluding donor-endowed funds, CRC has enough cash and investments to run its programs at the F2024 level for eight and a half months.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Canadian Red Cross for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 28, 2024 by Alessandra Castino.

Financial Review


Financial Ratios

Fiscal year ending March
202420232022
Administrative costs as % of revenues 3.8%2.8%2.4%
Fundraising costs as % of donations 24.2%21.0%12.0%
Total overhead spending 28.0%23.8%14.4%
Program cost coverage (%) 71.2%77.5%55.3%

Summary Financial Statements

All figures in $000s
202420232022
Donations 194,278249,470303,969
International donations 6772,3194,234
Government funding 229,281563,566486,281
Investment income 8,7781,196(960)
Other income 1,97234,86712,776
Total revenues 434,986851,418806,300
Program costs - International 90,312144,172118,558
Program costs - Canada 416,362453,095438,352
Administrative costs 16,24224,10619,306
Fundraising costs 46,94652,32836,480
Other costs 2,94014326,460
Total spending 572,802673,844639,156
Cash flow from operations (137,816)177,574167,144
Capital spending 14,5818,623(9,374)
Funding reserves 362,844464,918310,207

Note: GOVERNMENT FUNDING: For F2023 and F2022, Ci used numbers both from the T3010 and the audited financial statements, and we have made an adjustment in other revenue to make the two sources reconcile. At the time of this update the F2024 T3010 is not yet available. DEFERRED REVENUE: Ci adjusted for changes in deferred donations, affecting revenues by ($148.2m) in F2024, $176.1m in F2023, and $121.1m in F2022. GOVERNMENT FUNDING: In F2023 and F2022 Ci used CRC’s T3010 filings for its government funding. This information is not disclosed in CRC's audited financial statements. For F2024 Ci calculated government funding based on the information available on the charity's audited financial statements. DEFERRED CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Ci adjusted for deferred capital contribution, affecting other revenue by $969k in F2024, $75k in F2023, and $546k in F2022. It was included in other revenue because the audited financial statements do not separate government vs non-government deferred contributions. AMORTIZATION: Ci backed out amortization from program costs, administrative costs, and fundraising costs on a pro-rata basis.  INVESTMENT INCOME: Ci included investment income reported below the line, affecting total revenues by $8.8m in F2024, $1.2m in F2023, and ($960k) in F2022. GAIN ON SALE OF CAPITAL ASSETS: Ci included gain on sale of capital assets, affecting total revenues by $1.0m in F2024, $9.9m in F2023, and $16.9m in F2022.  ORGANIZATION CONSOLIDATION AND RESTRUCTURING: Ci included costs related to organization consolidation and optimization restructuring, affecting other expenses by $2.9m in F2024 and $143k in F2023.  HEALTH RESTRUCTURING REVERSAL: Ci included revenues related to health restructuring as a negative cost, affecting total expenses by ($5.8m) in F2022. CEWS: Ci included the costs covered by the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, increasing expenses by $26.5m in F2022. 

Salary Information

Full-time staff: 1,484

Avg. compensation: $91,520

Top 10 staff salary range:

$350k +
1
$300k - $350k
1
$250k - $300k
0
$200k - $250k
7
$160k - $200k
1
$120k - $160k
0
$80k - $120k
0
$40k - $80k
0
< $40k
0

Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2023

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Comments & Contact

Comments added by the Charity:

No comments have been added by the charity.

Charity Contact

Website: www.redcross.ca
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 613-740-1900

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Charitable Registration Number: 80340 7956 RR0001