Doctors Without Borders
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
✔+
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.
High
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.
80%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 80 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Doctors Without Borders:
Doctors Without Borders Canada is a top-rated, 5-star charity. It has High impact and is a Top International Impact charity. Doctors Without Borders is consistently one of Charity Intelligence's top pick charities in emergency situations and crisis response, with a great track record in speed, effectiveness and reporting.
Founded in 1971, Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is one of the world's largest international aid charities. It aims to provide medical care around the world in regions where it’s required and of limited availability. It has 24 national offices that work in more than 75 countries. MSF’s charter states that the charity provides assistance based on need, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, or political affiliation.
Doctors Without Borders Canada (MSF Canada) is the Canadian branch of MSF. In F2023, MSF Canada spent $97.8m on programs, including $81.7 million on international programs and $16.1 million spent in Canada.
A Charity Intelligence 2024 Top 10 International Aid Impact Charity.
A Charity Intelligence 2024 Top 100 Rated Charity.
MSF Canada's F2023 annual report has not been released at the time of writing, so Ci has used the reporting of MSF International to report the following information.
MSF International provides a breakdown of activities by country. The five program areas receiving the most funding in F2023 were Africa, Asia, America, Europe, and Oceana.
In F2023, MSF International spent €866 million in programs in Africa, accounting for 58% of MSF International's total program spending. The Democratic Republic of Congo received the most funding of all countries in Africa, receiving €139 million. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, MSF International provided 2.6 million outpatient consultations and vaccinated 1.5 million people against measles in response to an outbreak. It treated 780k cases of malaria and is providing care to 1.4k people with advanced HIV.
Its next largest program area was Asia, receiving €439 million, 30% of MSF International’s program spending. Yemen received the most funding (€110 million). In Yemen, MSF provided 497k outpatient consultations and assisted with 37k births. It provided 12k individual mental health consultations, treated 13k people for measles, and admitted 12k children to inpatient feeding programs.
MSF International’s programs in America received €98 million in funding, accounting for 7% of overall program spending. Haiti received the most funding out of all American program areas, receiving €50 million. In Haiti, MSF facilitated 38k emergency room consultations, treated 5,780 people for intentional physical violence, and assisted with 1,420 total deliveries.
MSF International’s programs in Europe received €61 million, accounting for 4% of its overall program spending. Its programs in Ukraine received the most funding, receiving €31 million. In Ukraine, MSF International offered 167k outpatient consultations, 22k individual mental health consultations, and evacuated 1,300 patients.
The remaining program spending was in Oceana (0.3%) or was unable to be directly attributed to any one program (1%).
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Results and Impact
In F2023, MSF International treated 3.7 million cases of malaria and provided 3.3 million vaccinations against measles. It rescued 4,650 people at sea. It also started 22,700 people on first-line tuberculosis treatment. MSF teams gave 44,500 people HIV antiretroviral treatment.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Doctors Without Borders’s results and impact.
Charity Intelligence has rated Doctors Without Borders as High impact based on demonstrated impact per dollar spent.
A Charity Intelligence 2024 Top 10 International Aid Impact Charity.
Impact Rating: High
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Finances
MSF Canada is a Major 100 charity, one of Canada’s largest charities in terms of donations, with $98.0m in donations in F2023. It also received $15.1m in government funding, making up 12% of revenues.
Administrative costs are 3% of revenues and fundraising costs are 17% of donations. This results in a total overhead spending of 20%. For every dollar donated, 80 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
Doctors Without Borders Canada has reserve funds of $24.2m. This is enough to cover program spending at F2023 levels for just under three months.
MSF Canada used external fundraisers. In F2023, it paid external fundraisers $8.8m to raise $30.6m at a cost of $0.29 per dollar raised.
Charity Intelligence has sent this update to Doctors Without Borders for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated on August 19, 2024 by Ben Dobozy
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending December
|
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|
Administrative costs as % of revenues | 3.1% | 2.4% | 2.2% |
Fundraising costs as % of donations | 17.4% | 16.5% | 19.3% |
Total overhead spending | 20.5% | 18.9% | 21.4% |
Program cost coverage (%) | 24.7% | 20.7% | 22.1% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|
Donations | 98,018 | 98,559 | 82,237 |
Government funding | 15,117 | 14,883 | 22,500 |
Investment income | 1,093 | 475 | 175 |
Other income | 8,312 | 8,284 | 8,499 |
Total revenues | 122,540 | 122,201 | 113,411 |
Program costs - International | 81,717 | 83,602 | 69,390 |
Program costs - Canada | 16,128 | 16,137 | 14,758 |
Administrative costs | 3,763 | 2,873 | 2,448 |
Fundraising costs | 17,054 | 16,261 | 15,857 |
Other costs | 82 | (25) | 47 |
Total spending | 118,744 | 118,848 | 102,500 |
Cash flow from operations | 3,796 | 3,353 | 10,911 |
Capital spending | 147 | 168 | 81 |
Funding reserves | 24,165 | 20,612 | 18,560 |
Note: Ci classified fees and grants from other MSF sections as other revenue. To report on a cash basis, Ci adjusted international program costs by changes in amounts payable to other MSF sections. This affected international program costs and total expenses by ($3.4m) in F2023, ($2.5m) in F2022, and ($19.5m). In F2020 and F2021, Ci removed amortization from Canadian program costs, administrative costs, and fundraising costs according to information provided by MSF Canada. In F2022 and F2023, Ci used the amortization allocation breakdown from F2021 to back out amortization expenses from program costs, administrative costs, and fundraising costs. Ci adjusted for deferred revenues affecting revenues by ($18,947) in F2023, $69,259 in F2022, and $148,947 in F2021.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
1 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
8 |
$80k - $120k |
1 |
$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.
LEARN MORE:
MSF 2023 International Activity Report - a comprehensive and detailed review of MSF's global operations in 2023. This report shows that MSF spent €23.9 million on its operations in Palestine (including Gaza) which is 1.6% of its 2023 total spending. For context, €139 million spent in Democratic Republic of Congo, €110 million in Yemen, and €108 million in South Sudan.
Ari David Blaff, "Not the MSF I knew: Doctors Without Borders accused of picking side in Israel-Hamas war. Doctors Without Borders claims to be impartial. When it comes to Israel, this is simply 'untrue' critics say." National Post, July 13, 2024
Sana Beg, Doctors Without Borders Canada's Executive Director, Opinion: Canada's call for a ceasefire in Gaza isn't enough, Globe and Mail, October 10, 2024.
Charity Intelligence applauds donors for doing research and internet searches for additional information to make giving decisions that best reflect your values. Thanks for telling us our 2024 update needed additional context.
These additional links were posted December 6, 2024 by Kate Bahen.
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 416-964-0619