Food for the Poor Canada

1235 Bay St, Suite 700
Toronto, ON M5R 3K4
Executive Director: Samantha Mahfood
Board Chair: Richard Verasamy

Charitable Reg. #:89075 9970 RR0001

STAR RATING

Ci's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics:

[Charity Rating: 2/5]

✔+

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY

Audited financial statements for current and previous years available on the charity’s website.

C+

RESULTS REPORTING

Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.

Low

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.

59%

CENTS TO THE CAUSE

For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 59 cents are available for programs.



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OVERVIEW

About Food for the Poor Canada :

Food for the Poor Canada is a 2-star, Low demonstrated impact charity. It is financially transparent and has a C+ results reporting grade, which is below average. Its overhead spending is 41% which is not within Ci’s reasonable range. Its reserve funds can cover program costs for nearly eight months, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 1991, Food for the Poor Canada (FFTP Canada) is the Canadian branch of Food for the Poor based in the United States. The charity is a faith-based organization that aims to provide basic aid and sustainable development for communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. It partners with local organizations, volunteers, and donors to help these communities out of poverty. It reports 12 million children and adolescents are excluded from the education system in Latin America and the Caribbean. 172 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean do not have enough income to meet their basic needs. Within this group, 66 million cannot buy a basic food basket.  

FFTP Canada spent $597k on its programs in 2024. FFTP Canada supports six programs: Education, Housing and Community, Emergency Response, Economic Empowerment, Health, and Food Security. 

Education got 32% ($192k) of program spending in 2024. This program aims to reduce barriers to the education system through scholarships, literacy training, and improving infrastructure and resources. Since 2022, the charity has delivered 20,000 books to Jamaica for children and parents. Since 2010, it has built 41 schools and granted 177 scholarships. In 2024, 27 students completed its literacy and numeracy program in Guyana.

Housing and Community got 19% ($111k) of program spending in 2024. This program works to provide safe homes for individuals and families in Latin America and the Caribbean. The charity also hosts events to foster community through activities such as painting, potlucks, and more. Since 2010, it has built 206 homes. In 2024, over 650 children and caregivers were celebrated at its Christmas party event.

Emergency Response got 19% ($111k) of program spending in 2024. FFTP Canada aims to deliver immediate aid following natural disasters and other crises. In 2024, it repaired 1,628 roofs and restored 1,191 farms and fisheries following Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica. This response supported 13,644 families and individuals.

Economic Empowerment got 15% ($91k) of program spending in 2024. This program aims to provide the tools, resources, and skills to improve individuals’ income opportunities. In 2024, it supported ten farmers with the tools and training needed to plant corn and beans in Honduras. In 2024, 30 women participated in its Women Empowerment Workshop aimed at improving self-knowledge, self-esteem, and emotional intelligence.

Health got 10% ($61k) of program spending in 2024. FFTP Canada aims to provide access to clean water and enhanced health infrastructures, medication, medical supplies, and medical equipment. In 2024, 125 hygiene kits were shipped to Haiti for young girls. In 2024, 23 hospital beds were shipped to Jamaica.

Food Security got 5% ($30k) of program spending in 2024. This program aims to provide regular access to safe and nutritious food. Since founding, FFTP Canada has shipped over 34,000,000 meals to communities in Jamaica, Haiti, Honduras, and Guyana.

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Results and Impact

In 2024, Food for the Poor Canada’s Economic Empowerment program increased 152 livestock farmers’ gross revenue by 10% in Peru.

Ci has rated FFTP Canada as Low for its demonstrated impact.

While Ci highlights these key results, they may not completely represent FFTP Canada’s results and impact.

Impact Rating: Low

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Finances

Food for the Poor Canada’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing, a financial reporting best practice. This means its expenses are clearly defined between program, administrative, and fundraising costs.

FFTP Canada received $763k in donations in 2024, which is 50% of total revenue. This is a 19% decrease from the $947k in 2023. In 2024, it delivered $416k in donated goods, which is 27% of revenue. It spent $597k on its programs, which is 39% of revenue. In 2024, it recorded a surplus of $105k (7% of revenue).

FFTP Canada spent $224k on fundraising costs, which is 29% of donations. It spent $172k on administrative costs, which is 11% of revenue. FFTP Canada has total overhead spending of 41%. For every dollar donated to FFTP Canada, 59 cents are available to go to the cause. This is not within Ci’s reasonable range of 65-95.

FFTP Canada has $385k in reserve funds (cash and investments). Its reserve funds can cover 64% or nearly eight months of its annual program costs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

This report is an update that has been sent to Food for the Poor Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 24, 2025, by Leah DeFrancesco.

Financial Review


Financial Ratios

Fiscal year ending December
202420232022
Administrative costs as % of revenues 11.3%9.5%4.4%
Fundraising costs as % of donations 29.3%27.1%26.8%
Total overhead spending 40.6%36.7%31.1%
Program cost coverage (%) 64.4%33.4%47.3%

Summary Financial Statements

All figures in $s
202420232022
Donations 763,058947,479874,013
International donations 340,189171,22667,500
Goods in kind 415,854776,3852,108,297
Investment income (5,742)4,4733,197
Total revenues 1,513,3591,899,5633,053,007
Program costs - International 597,404796,709847,772
Grants 010,0004,500
Donated goods exp 415,854776,3852,044,320
Administrative costs 171,772180,595133,555
Fundraising costs 223,672257,168233,895
Total spending 1,408,7022,020,8573,264,044
Cash flow from operations 104,657(121,294)(211,037)
Capital spending 000
Funding reserves 384,894269,407402,874

Note: 1. Ci adjusted for deferred donations, affecting revenue by ($76k) in 2024, ($61k) in 2023, and ($280k) in 2022. 2. Ci adjusted for donations receivable, affecting revenue by ($nil) in 2024, $53k in 2023, and ($6k) in 2022. 3. Ci included the charity’s foreign exchange gain (loss) in investment income, affecting revenue and expenses by ($6k) in 2024, $4k in 2023, and $3k in 2022.

Salary Information

Full-time staff: 7

Avg. compensation: $41,905

Top 10 staff salary range:

$350k +
0
$300k - $350k
0
$250k - $300k
0
$200k - $250k
0
$160k - $200k
0
$120k - $160k
0
$80k - $120k
0
$40k - $80k
3
< $40k
4

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.

Charity Contact

Website: www.foodforthepoor.ca
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 416-921-4008

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Charitable Registration Number: 80340 7956 RR0001