Compassion Canada is a 5-star charity with good demonstrated impact. The charity has a B+ results reporting grade, which is above average. For every dollar donated to the charity, 82 cents are available to go to the cause, which is within Ci's reasonable range.

Founded in 1963, Compassion Canada (COMP) aims to eliminate child poverty in the name of Jesus Christ. COMP is a branch of Compassion International, which has affiliated chapters worldwide. Compassion Canada mostly receives funding through sponsorships or arrangements where donors commit to supporting individual children throughout their education. Other than child sponsorships, COMP has Complementary Interventions and Survival programs. In F2023, Compassion Canada spent $63.1m on its programs.

A Charity Intelligence 2023 Top 100 Rated Charity

Compassion Canada spent $54.7m (87%) on Child and Youth Development in F2023. Compassion Canada primarily partners children in third-world countries with Canadian families through sponsorship. COMP’s Child and Youth Development program aims to provide education, healthcare, food, religious teaching, and personal guidance to children in poor communities. In F2023, Canadian sponsors sent 110,107 letters to their sponsored children. COMP sponsored 102,316 children in F2023. The charity reports it served 36,037 more children in F2023 compared to F2022.

Compassion Canada spent $6.3m (10%) on Complementary Interventions in F2023. COMP provides disaster relief and supports children with water, sanitation, hygiene, education, and health. COMP reached 59,602 children through its Complementary Interventions program. Specifically, 35,154 youth benefitted from water, hygiene, and sanitation; 6,131 benefitted from stability interventions; 2,752 benefitted from education interventions; and 16,566 benefitted from health interventions. Compassion Canada reports its Complementary Interventions reached 547 communities in F2023.

Compassion Canada spent $2.1m (3%) on Survival in F2023. COMP’s Survival program assists mothers and babies to keep them in good health and positive development. In F2023, COMP supported 2,012 moms and babies across 139 Survival programs.  

Compassion Canada is a Major 100 charity, one of the largest charities in Canada by donations. Compassion Canada received $73.9m in donations in F2023. The charity spent $63.1m on its international and domestic programs, which is 85% of revenue. COMP recorded an operating loss of $2.1m in F2023, meaning the charity drew on its reserve funds.

Administrative costs are 7% of revenue (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 11% of donations. For every dollar donated to the charity, 82 cents are available to go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.

COMP has $15.3m in reserve funds, which can cover 24%, or three months of its annual program costs. This low program cost coverage reflects Compassion Canada’s high dependency on continued sponsorship from individual donors. In F2023, child sponsorships represented 85% of total revenue.

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

Updated on May 30, 2024 by Liam Chapleau.