56 Sparks Street, Suite 600
Ottawa, ON K1P 5B1
Executive Director: Leticia Ama Deawuo
Board Chair: Nicole McDonald

Charitable Reg. #:11927 6129 RR0001

STAR RATING

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

[Charity Rating: 3/5]

✔+

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.

Fair

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.

75%

CENTS TO THE CAUSE

For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 75 cents are available for programs.



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OVERVIEW

About SeedChange:

SeedChange is a 3-star charity with an above-average results reporting score and a Fair impact rating. Its overhead costs are within Ci’s reasonable range, and it has reserve funds to cover program costs for almost a year and five months.

Founded in 1945, SeedChange (formerly called USC Canada) is one of Canada’s oldest international aid charities. SeedChange works with small-scale farmers in 13 countries: Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cuba, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, and Togo. SeedChange helps small-scale farmers develop cheap reliable food sources by saving seeds, conserving soil quality, growing diverse crops, and other sustainable farming practices. SeedChange also connects farmers to exchange knowledge and advocates for the rights of farmers to save and market their seeds and produce. 

SeedChange’s programs in Canada represented 51% of the charity’s total program spending in F2022. The charity reports that through its Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security program, it has organised over 800 training events on seed production and plant breeding in the past ten years, reaching over 10,000 participants. Seed Canada also helped expand Seeds of Diversity’s seed collection from 1,471 historically significant seed samples in 2013 to over 7,000 by 2022. Additionally, the charity has established a national research network of farmers that work on over 100 plant breeding projects annually.

SeedChange’s international programs represented the remaining 49% of the charity’s total program spending in F2022. In F2022, the charity launched its Rural Women Cultivating Change program in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. The program aims to empower women farmers and increase sustainability in agriculture. In the first year of its programming, SeedChange reached over 10,000 rural men and women through this program.

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Results and Impact

SeedChange reports that 95% of farmers involved in the charity’s Canadian programs felt the activities were highly relevant to their needs and interests. Additionally, 81% improved their abilities to select plants and engage in on-farm plant breeding.

In Timor-Leste, the charity reported that six highland communities achieved a 20% increase in the varieties of vegetables they can access and grow.

While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of SeedChange’s results and impact. 

Charity Intelligence has given SeedChange a Fair impact rating based on demonstrated impact per dollar spent.

Impact Rating: Fair

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Finances

SeedChange and its foundation, USC Foundation, have been consolidated in this financial report. 

SeedChange received donations of $3.9m in F2022. It also received $2.2m in government funding from Global Affairs Canada, representing 31% of total revenue.  

Administrative costs are 11% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 14% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 25%. For every dollar donated, 75 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.  

SeedChange has reserve funds of $8.4m, of which $699k is donor-endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity can cover almost a year and five months of annual program costs. 

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

Updated on June 21, 2023 by Kiara Andrade.

Financial Review


Financial Ratios

Fiscal year ending April
202220212020
Administrative costs as % of revenues 11.2%13.3%10.4%
Fundraising costs as % of donations 13.7%12.2%29.9%
Total overhead spending 24.9%25.5%40.3%
Program cost coverage (%) 138.5%155.2%107.7%

Summary Financial Statements

All figures in $000s
202220212020
Donations 3,8553,5191,771
Government funding 2,1571,7612,851
Investment income 21804(223)
Other income 917441296
Total revenues 6,9516,5254,695
Program costs - International 2,7282,6143,387
Program costs - Canada 2,8422,0161,310
Administrative costs 777762510
Fundraising costs 529430530
Total spending 6,8765,8225,736
Cash flow from operations 75703(1,041)
Capital spending 20288
Funding reserves 8,3647,8135,677

Note: Charity Intelligence has consolidated the income, spending and assets for SeedChange and its foundation, USC Foundation, to give donors a complete review. Ci included endowment contributions, affecting revenues by $20k in F2022, $25k in F2021, and nil in F2020. The charity had deferred revenues of $341k in F2022, $1.8m in F2021, and $201k in F2020. Ci could not break out changes in government vs. non-government deferred revenues and therefore could not adjust for them. Investment income is reported net of portfolio management expense, affecting revenues and expenses by ($38k) in F2022, ($36k) in F2021, and ($41k) in F2020. Amortization has been removed from program, administrative, and fundraising costs on a pro-rata basis.

Salary Information

Full-time staff: 25

Avg. compensation: $73,574

Top 10 staff salary range:

$350k +
0
$300k - $350k
0
$250k - $300k
0
$200k - $250k
0
$160k - $200k
0
$120k - $160k
1
$80k - $120k
9
$40k - $80k
0
< $40k
0

Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2022

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Comments & Contact

Comments added by the Charity:

SeedChange works with and supports small-scale farmers around the world in their fight for justice, health and sustainability. We partner with like-minded local partners to help keep seeds in farmers’ hands, protect farmers’ rights, and build stronger, more resilient food systems. SeedChange and partners work with over 30,000 farmers overseas and almost 12,000 farmers in Canada. 

We believe in the power of people and seeds. Whether you are a farmer, funder, or eater, welcome! We believe that together, we can grow a better world.

2022 was a key year for SeedChange: 75 years as USC Canada and since 2018 as SeedChange. If you are not familiar with our founder and our history, enjoy this video hosted by Bruce Cockburnand this retrospective on Dr. Lotta Hitschmanova. 

A set of podcasts for Canadian seed growers was launched: here is a link to them in both French and English. https://www.seedsecurity.ca/en/resources/seedheads-podcast

And the webinar series on vegetable seed production issues from 2021, continues to be very popular. 

Internationally, the Rural Women Cultivating Change in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, became fully operational in 2022. It is our largest program. A great series on this program are available hereand here.

Our other programs in Timor-Leste, Bolivia, Honduras, Mali and Cuba continue, though at a smaller scale due to environmental, political and funding challenges. We are actively seeking funds and partnerships to expand these important partnerships back to 2020 levels. Watch for key news via our Facebook and e- newsletter. Join us! 

Charity Contact

Website: weseedchange.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Charity Intelligence researches Canadian charities for donors to be informed and give intelligently. Our website posts free reports on more than 800 Canadian charities, as well as in-depth primers on philanthropic sectors like Canada’s environment, cancer, and homelessness. Today over 500,000 Canadians use our website as a go-to source for information on Canadian charities reading over 1.6 million charity reports. Through rigorous and independent research, Charity Intelligence aims to assist Canada’s dynamic charitable sector in being more transparent, accountable and focused on results.

 

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Charitable Registration Number: 80340 7956 RR0001