Top 10 Impact Charities
A growing niche of donors each year is looking for terrific charities to support, particularly those that have measurable, proven, and high impact.
Most charities claim that they “make a difference” in the lives of those they work with, but it is very difficult for donors to tell how much of a difference any given charity is making. Charity Intelligence’s rigorous analysis measures this difference, or the impact, charities actually make to see how each dollar we give can create the most positive change. It’s a different way to think about giving.
Over $19 billion was given to charities by Canadian donors last year and a significant portion of that is going to less effective charities. When a donor gives to a charity that creates very little change and they could have given to a charity that would have helped significantly more people, much of their donation is wasted. Canadians need better information to help them give better. Measuring a charity’s impact helps to reduce this waste.
“Some charities create a lot of change with the donations given to them. Others have almost nothing to show for the money coming from donors” says Greg Thomson, Director of Research at Charity Intelligence. “Of the 300 Canadian charities we have analysed for impact, these Top 10 have the highest measurable demonstrated impact.
This year’s overall Top 10 includes frontline charities providing education and addiction recovery in Canada as well as international programs bringing evidence-based programs to developing countries, like food and clean water, health, and education programs. Our calculations estimate this group of Top 10 Impact Charities delivers average returns of roughly 7 dollars for every dollar donated, compared with overall average charity returns of only about 1.5 dollars.
2024 Top 10 Impact Charities based on demonstrated impact per dollar donated (listed alphabetically):
| Charity | Location | Sector | To Donate |
| Against Malaria Foundation | Toronto, ON | International - Health | Donate |
| Canadian Foodgrains Bank | Winnipeg, MB | International - Food | Donate |
| The Citizens Foundation | Oakville, ON | International - Education | Donate |
| Effect Hope | Markham, ON | International - Health | Donate |
| EPIC Society | North Sydney, NS | Youth - Education | Donate |
| First Book Canada | Toronto, ON | Youth - Education | Donate |
| Fresh Start Recovery | Calgary, AB | Addiction Recovery | Donate |
| Indspire | Ohsweken, ON | First Nations - Education | Donate |
| Lifewater Canada | Thunder Bay, ON | International - Water | Donate |
| Operation Eyesight Universal | Calgary, AB | International - Health | Donate |
For more information on these charities, please view our Top 10 Impact Charities Summary.
To meet Canadian donors’ growing demand for impact charities, Ci also released seven additional lists of charities with top impact:
- Top 10 Canadian Impact Charities, charities with high-impact programs in Canada
- Top 10 International Impact Charities, Canadian charities with high-impact programs operating overseas
- Top 10 Impact: Canadian Food Banks, Canadian food banks creating high impact
- Top 10 Impact: Canadian Youth Charities, charities creating high-impact results for youth in Canada
- Top 5 Impact: Canadian Homeless Charities, charities creating high-impact results for the homeless in Canada
- Top 5 Impact: Calgary Charities
- Top 5 Impact: Toronto Charities
Charity Intelligence’s overall star ratings are based on an assessment of five objective aspects: 1. donor reporting, 2. financial transparency, 3. funding need, 4. cents to the cause, and 5. demonstrated impact. The 5-Star rated charities based on all of these metrics combined are listed in Ci’s 2024 100 Highest Rated Charities report.
The demonstrated impact rating looks at only one aspect of charity performance: for every dollar you donate, what’s the measurable return to clients and society? If comparing two charities where one saves lives for $100,000 each and a second charity saves lives for $20,000 each, impact donors will support the second charity that creates five times the impact per dollar. Five lives saved compared with one life for the same donation. Impact donors give for the highest change created from their donations.
Some call Charity Intelligence a “charity watchdog”. We see ourselves as research analysts who help Canadian donors give better. We do hold charities to account for the generous support they receive from Canadian donors and expect them to be financially transparent. We also call out exorbitant overhead costs or charities that don’t need more funding. As well, each giving season we call out the best impact charities we’ve found.
Charity Intelligence’s reports and ratings help Canadians give confidently. With greater confidence, people say they gave 32% more money.
Charity Intelligence’s impact analysis began in 2006 and is an ongoing research project that is generously funded by donors. For more information on our impact assessment please view our Social Impact Ratings Methodology or contact Greg Thomson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
If you find Charity Intelligence’s research useful in your giving, please consider donating to support our work. Being entirely funded by donors like you maintains our independence and objectivity to help Canadians be informed in their giving. Canadians donate over $18 billion each year. This giving could achieve tremendous results. We hope Charity Intelligence's research helps Canadians give better.
Legal disclaimer:
The information in this report was prepared by Charity Intelligence Canada and its independent analysts from publicly available information. Charity Intelligence and its analysts have endeavoured to ensure that the data in this report is accurate and complete but accepts no liability.
The views and opinions expressed are to inform donors on matters of public interest. Views and opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, organization, individual, or anyone or anything. Any dispute arising from your use of this website or viewing the material hereon shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, without regard to any conflict of law provisions.
“Every investment is an impact investment. The problem is most people don’t know if their investment has positive or negative impact.”