FAQs

Number 1 Question About Ci: How is Charity Intelligence funded?

Charity Intelligence is fiercely independent. To give donors the best facts and our honest opinion, Charity Intelligence is funded entirely by donors and our work is for donors. Please note, unlike other charity accreditations, Charity Intelligence does not receive any money from the charities we rate.

"I think Charity Intelligence does Canadians a great service in vetting charities.... I appreciate that Charity Intelligence is independent, even financially from the charities it rates ... believe me, this goes a long way."

Comments from a charity executive, 3-star charity 

GENERAL

Who is Ci?

Charity Intelligence Canada is a team that cares passionately about the needs of Canadians. Meet our team on our Ci Team page. 

Ci's mission: to provide Canadian donors with information that helps them make informed and intelligent giving decisions to have the greatest impact.

What qualifies you to do this work?

Ci is one of the only objective analysts with a national scope working for donors in Canada. Ci has been doing rigorous research and analysis on Canadian charities since 2006, analyzing over 850 Canadian charities and reviewing some on an annual basis. From this experience, Ci has continually refined its analysis. Our strongest asset is our people. Ci's team of dedicated professionals have years of experience in a variety of professions, primarily investing, business analysis, research and public relations. Our reports add a valuable dimension to the emotional stories and pictures presented by charities.

Who are your clients?

We work for, and on behalf of, donors. We work with individuals, foundations and corporations. Through our website, Ci offers information and resources to donors at all giving levels. Whether you donate $50 or $5 million, your donation is significant and your generosity is worth it. Beyond our website offering, Ci's Donor Advisory meets the needs of donors seeking customized, tailored advisory and analysis services beyond our website offering.

DONORS

How does Ci analyze a charity?

For a description of our basic charity profiles, please review our Charity Profiles section. For Ci's star ratings, please visit our Rating Methodology page.

How do I receive copies of your reports?

You can access all of our charity reports on our website.  If you would like to be included on our electronic mailing list to receive notification of new reports and other news, please click to subscribe. You will receive approximately 5 emails per year.

Is the charity I am giving to a good one?

This is always based on a donor's individual choice and preference. It depends on what you value as being good. Do you care only about cost efficiency (administrative and fundraising costs), or salary levels, or is impact important to you? The factors that you value most will determine if the charity is the right fit for your giving style. If you would like to discuss this further, please Contact us.

How can I review a charity you haven't analyzed?

Please search our charity database for the charity you are interested in learning more about. If the charity has not been reviewed, vote for it by making a request for review to Ci. We'll include it in our "hopper". Those charities receiving the most requests will be analyzed.

Ci is transparent with our methods of analyzing a charity. Ci is willing to share and provide you with the tools necessary to give intelligently. We encourage donors to become informed and will assist you in any way possible as part of Donor Services.

How can I volunteer at Charity Intelligence?

We are always seeking new additions to our team. Ask any member at Ci and they will tell you our culture is unique and is what distinguishes us. Our model depends upon the skills and professional expertise of our employees and volunteers, wishing to bring their ideas to the table. For volunteer opportunities, please contact Greg Thomson, Director of Research at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

RESEARCH

How do you decide what charities to analyze?

Initially the research and analysis process began with a pool of charities that were identified as leading charities in best practices, as finalists from the Donner Awards program. Ci has since expanded to include charities requested by donors, nominated by executive directors of professionally run organizations, or highlighted during sector research and readings. Charities who believe they excel in delivering services to Canadians in need also voluntarily participate.

How do you get your information on charities?

Information on charities crosses our desks in three ways: Donor requests for information on charities, charity self-submission and Ci's active search for excellence in addressing key bottlenecks in Canada. For each charity, we analyze its audited financial statements, annual reports, websites, and T3010 CRA filing. This information is posted for all Canadians to read and be informed donors.

How do you choose the focus areas for Ci sector research reports?

Ci expands its coverage to better answer questions donors have, focusing on what affects them the most. Ci follows donor interest and where current funding is given, addressing key bottlenecks and where donations can have the biggest impact.

Do you use T3010 Registered Charity Information Returns that are submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)?

Ci relies primarily upon the audited financial statements and annual reports for accuracy of the information we report on charities. As part of our overall due diligence, we will review the T3010 filings and check for additional information and/or red flags. In particular, we use the employee and compensation data provided on the CRA forms. However, due to the many discrepancies and errors that we have found within the T3010 filings, as well as the fact that they are self-submitted and unaudited, we rely upon the audited financial statements.  In cases where the charity's T3010 and its audited financial statements can be reconciled and the T3010 provides a better breakdown of revenues or expenses, Ci will refer to cost allocations in the T3010 filing.

CHARITIES

How can a charity be reviewed by Charity Intelligence?

If you would like to submit your charity for review, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include your charity name and charitable registration number along with a link to the two most recent full sets of audited financial statements on your website. Reviews will be completed based on our capacity and resources to do so, with specific charities chosen based on donor demand for analysis of your organization and sector. 

What does it cost a charity to be reviewed by Ci?

There is no cost to a charity to be reviewed by Ci. To maintain our independence and objectivity, and avoid a conflict of interest, Charity Intelligence does not accept payment from charities for doing reports.

For any other questions you have, please e-mail or call us. We would love to hear your feedback.

Telephone: 416.363.1555

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.