1200 Denison St.
Markham, ON L3R 8G6
CEO: Fred Witteveen
Board Chair: Gabriel Ollivier

Charitable Reg. #:10691 8543 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.

74%

CENTS TO THE CAUSE

For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 74 cents are available for programs.



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OVERVIEW

About Children Believe:

Children Believe is a 3-star charity with a strong results reporting score and Fair demonstrated impact. It is financially transparent and has overhead costs within Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 1938, Children Believe (formerly Christian Children’s Fund of Canada) works toward a world where all children can achieve their full potential. It provides health services, education programs, and job skills to help communities overcome poverty. Children Believe is a member of the ChildFund Alliance, a network of 11 international aid charities that work in more than 60 countries. Children Believe currently works in twelve countries in Africa, South and Central America, and Asia.

In F2022, Children Believe’s three largest programs were Education, Health and Nutrition, and Strengthening Community Organizations.

Education represented 56% of program costs in F2022. Children Believe helps to send children to school and supports early childcare and development. In F2022, the charity supported the renovation, equipping, or construction of 422 early childhood care and development centres which supported 45,232 children. Additionally, 348,244 students were enrolled in 735 Children Believe-supported primary schools. The charity also collaborated with 20 local organisations and four international organisations to provide skill-building opportunities to 14,164 young people in F2022.

Health and Nutrition projects accounted for 26% of program costs in F2022. Children Believe helps to build and equip health centres, fund maternal health services, and train mothers on child nutrition. In F2022, the charity renovated and equipped six existing health facilities. Children Believe also provided reproductive health and post-partum care to 34,298 women and girls and attended 54,641 births in F2022.

Strengthening Community Organizations made up 11% of program costs. The charity funds children and youth-led initiatives to improve their local communities. It also provides job and leadership training for women to advance gender equality.

The remaining 7% of program costs included Sustainable Economic Development (4%); Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (2%); and Emergency Response (1%).

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Results and Impact

In F2022, Children Believe reported that of the children under age five who attended early childhood care and development centres supported by Children Believe, 90% were on track in their physical development, 89% were on track in their socio-emotional development, 88% were on track in their learning, and 83% were on track in literacy and numeracy.

In F2022, Children Believe reported that the percentage of women who received reproductive health and postpartum care in Children Believe-supported communities was 47% in Ethiopia compared to the national average of 34%. The percentages were 93%, 100%, 100%, and 96% in Ghana, India, Nicaragua, and Paraguay compared to the national averages of 85%, 65%, 93%, and 94% respectively.

The Annual Global Report for F2022 also reports the lower percentages of girls reporting harmful experiences in Children Believe communities as compared to national averages, as well as the percentages of women who assumed leadership roles and meaningfully participated in community or public decision-making in Children Believe communities as compared to national averages.

In 2022, the charity published an Impact Study on its programs supporting child rights and protection in Burkina Faso. The charity also published a final evaluation report for PICMCA (Preventing Irregular Child Migration in Central America). In the final evaluation survey, 91% of young people felt safe in their communities (compared to 84% initially).

While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Children Believe's results and impact.

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

Impact Rating: Fair

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Finances

Children Believe received $19.3m in Canadian donations in F2022. It also received $4.4m in international donations (15% of total revenues), $3.1m in government funding (11%), and $2.5m in donated goods (9%).

Administrative costs are 11% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 16% of Canadian donations. This results in total overhead spending of 26%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 74 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

Children Believe has reserve funds of $12.5m. The charity can cover almost eight months of annual program costs with its existing reserves.

According to its annual filings with the CRA, Children Believe uses external fundraisers. It paid external fundraisers $1.1m to raise $3.7m in F2022, at a cost of $0.31 per dollar raised.

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

Updated on August 18, 2023 by Kiara Andrade.

Financial Review


Financial Ratios

Fiscal year ending March
202220212020
Administrative costs as % of revenues 10.7%6.7%8.6%
Fundraising costs as % of donations 15.6%21.5%25.3%
Total overhead spending 26.3%28.2%33.9%
Program cost coverage (%) 63.7%42.9%42.5%

Summary Financial Statements

All figures in $000s
202220212020
Donations 19,34319,97720,712
International donations 4,4225,3343,824
Goods in kind 2,5043,1616,664
Government funding 3,1306,1726,160
Investment income (1)89183
Other income 68461(873)
Total revenues 29,46635,19436,670
Program costs - International 16,41819,55814,024
Program costs - Canada 3,2073,3207,807
Grants 31329794
Donated goods exp 2,5043,1616,664
Administrative costs 3,1542,3533,127
Fundraising costs 3,0234,2895,247
Other costs 390122(96)
Total spending 28,72733,13237,567
Cash flow from operations 7392,062(897)
Capital spending 319498362
Funding reserves 12,5169,9489,615

Note: Ci could not break out government vs non-government deferred revenues and therefore adjusted for them in Other income, affecting revenues by $68k in F2022, $461k in F2021, and ($873k) in F2020. Ci reported international donations from the charity’s T3010 filings with the CRA and removed the amounts from Canadian donations. Ci reported international program costs and grants from T3010 filings and removed the amounts from Canadian program costs. Ci removed donated goods used in programs from international program costs to report them separately. Ci included changes in foreign exchange contracts as other costs, affecting expenses by $390k in F2022, $80k in F2021, and ($125k) in F2020. Ci classified interest expenses as other costs in F2021 and F2020, removing the amounts included in administrative costs. Ci removed amortization from administrative costs.

Salary Information

Full-time staff: 127

Avg. compensation: $55,554

Top 10 staff salary range:

$350k +
0
$300k - $350k
0
$250k - $300k
0
$200k - $250k
2
$160k - $200k
1
$120k - $160k
4
$80k - $120k
3
$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:

No comments have been added by the charity.

Charity Contact

Website: www.childrenbelieve.ca
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 905-754-1001

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Charitable Registration Number: 80340 7956 RR0001