Mennonite Central Committee British Columbia (MCC BC) is one of six provincial divisions of Mennonite Central Committee Canada (MCC Canada), which works with Mennonite Central Committee US to form MCC International (MCC). MCC is a Christian relief, development and peacebuilding charity that works with local churches in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada.

Mennonite Central Committee British Columbia and MCC both have a mission of sharing God’s love and compassion for all by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. MCC BC works in partnership with 97 churches to deliver its programs. MCC BC sends money to MCC Canada to support its international activities, and also runs its own Community Development and Justice & Peace programs in British Columbia.

International Programming (MCC Canada): MCC BC sent 70% of its annual program funding ($6.6m) to MCC Canada for international development and relief projects in F2020. MCC Canada worked in 59 countries on 619 projects in F2020, on issues including: Food, Water, Relief, Education, Health, Refugees, and Restorative Justice. MCC Canada responded to 27 disasters, ran 140 education projects in 38 countries, and 122 food and sustainable livelihood projects in 37 countries. It also ran 88 health projects which had 315,250 participants.

Community Development (BC): This program accounted for 21% of MCC BC's annual program spending in F2020. Community development services offered locally include support for homeless people, refugees, service workers, young people, as well as the MCC Guest House and projects aimed at reducing poverty. In F2020, MCC BC helped 790 homeless or people at risk of homelessness meet their basic needs, assisted 325 people with housing needs, and sponsored 165 newcomers to Canada.

Justice & Peace (BC): MCC BC spent 6% on this program in F2020. Justice and Peace services include MCC BC's End Abuse program, Indigenous relations, and constituency engagement. MCC BC's End Abuse program involves support groups and weekly classes for women in intimate partner abuse situations, and groups for men who want to voluntarily learn healthier ways of being in relationships. In F2020, MCC BC's program, Home Improvement, helped male participants with a total of 77 children take responsibility for their behaviours and positively change their familial relationships. Additionally, 898 people participated in MCC BC's Indigenous Neighbours program, which strives to build respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, in F2020.

The remaining 3% of program spending was allocated to the distribution of material resources to those in need, such as the 615 blankets made locally in MCC BC's Great Winter Warm-up campaign.

Mennonite Central Committee British Columbia received $7.1m in donations and special events revenues in F2020. Administrative costs are 7% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 9% of donations and special events. Per every dollar donated to the charity, 83 cents go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

MCC BC holds just over $5.5m in cash, which is exceeded by $7.0m in interest-bearing debts. It also has $14.7m in net investments held in wholly-owned, for-profit subsidiaries that was included in the charity's funding reserves. Net funding reserves of $13.2m could thus cover annual program spending and grants to MCC Canada for 1.5 years.

MCC BC manages a $44.9m Legacy Trust (MCC Legacy Trust), which represents donated land and buildings given to the charity for the purpose of generating revenue that it can use for programs. These subsidiaries are wholly-owned for-profit companies. In F2019, MCC BC received a gift of land and apartment buildings in Prince George worth $4.8m, which was transferred to the MCC Legacy Trust under the name Pacific Peace Properties, and therefore not reported as part of MCC BC's revenue. MCC BC also has $2.9m invested in three subsidiary social enterprises, Ecoworks Landscape Services, MCC Employment Services and MCC Community Enterprises. 

MCC BC reported using external fundraisers as part of its fundraising activities in its F2020 T3010 CRA filing. It paid fundraisers $4k to raise $556k. MCC BC therefore paid one cent for every dollar raised through external fundraisers, in F2020. 

This charity report is an update that has been sent to MCC BC for review. Comments and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 4, 2021 by Rachel Leteta.