Founded in 1944, CKNW Kids’ Fund (CKNW) supports kids living with physical, mental and social challenges in British Columbia. The charity changed its name from CKNW Orphans’ Fund in 2018. CKNW provides financial assistance for medical equipment, therapies, youth programs, and tuition coverage. It states that its grants often help families with unique needs that government funding does not cover.

CKNW Kids’ Fund has two major grant programs: Individual grants (for kids and families) and Organizations grants.

CKNW offers individual grants to families of kids with special needs that help cover the costs of various therapies, medical and mobility equipment, and/or special education (this includes bursaries offered through the Erm Fiorillo-Hal Davis Endowment Fund). CKNW’s 2018 annual report states that 355 kids and their families received assistance during the year. Financial assistance helped 160 kids access therapies, 102 kids access special needs tutoring or tuition support through bursaries, 56 kids access medical equipment and services, 27 kids access mobility equipment, and 10 kids access accessible transportation services. Based on spending figures given in the report (totaling $652,689), CKNW spent an average of $1,839 per kid helped.

Organizations grants are distributed to grassroots organizations that offer programs focused on children with special needs. CKNW reports funding 35 community programs in F2018, including programs run by Burnaby Family Life, CanAssist, Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) Fraser South, and LDA Vancouver. The annual report states that it granted $520k to community programs, meaning each program received an average of $14,857.

CKNW Kids' Fund is a medium-sized charity with total donations and special events fundraising of $2.2m in F2018. Administrative costs are 15% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 9% of donations and special events fundraising. Per dollar donated, 76 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

CKNW states on its website that 980 CKNW, a division of Corus Entertainment, provides administrative, promotional and marketing support. Ci did not find any policy disclosed in the audited financial statements. 

Funding reserves of $4.5m include a $1.1m endowment fund. Excluding the endowment, CKNW Kids’ Fund could cover 2.1 years of grants at the F2018 level using existing reserves. 

Ci normally adjusts grants for changes in grants payable to reflect actual cash grants made during the year. Such an adjustment is not possible for CKNW because its audited financials do not report grants payable separately from accounts payable and accrued liabilities.  

CKNW’s five largest grants reported in its most recent F2017 T3010 filing went to Canadian Red Cross BC ($33k), Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention ($20k), Lookout Housing and Health Society ($15k), CanAssist ($15k), and ACCESS Youth Outreach Services ($15k). 

This charity report is an update that has been sent to CKNW Kids’ Fund for review. Comments and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated on August 9, 2019 by Katie Khodawandi.