Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund is a 3-star charity. It has a C+ results reporting grade, which is below average. Its overhead spending is within Ci's reasonable range, and it has reserve funds that can cover five years of its annual program costs. 

Founded in 2018, Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Its vision is to improve the lives of Indigenous people in Canada. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada created the 94 Calls to Action in 2015. They are a set of recommendations to address the legacy of residential schools and advance reconciliation. DWF states that only 13 of 94 have been completed, and that none were completed in 2023.

DWF runs six programs, listed below. Charity Intelligence calculates DWF spent $2.9m on its programs and grants in its fiscal year ending March 2024 (F2024). The charity reports how much it spent on its grants but does not provide a program spending breakdown for the rest of its programs.

Oshki Wupoowane | The Blanket Fund (TBF) received 25% ($742k) of program spending in F2024. TBF grants support Indigenous artistic, cultural, and educational activities. TBF provides two types of grants. Reconciliation Action grants provide up to $15k and support reconciliation actions and events. Capacity Building grants provide up to $175k and support grassroots Indigenous charities, programs, and communities. DWF reports that it distributed 37 Reconciliation Action grants and three Capacity Building grants in F2024.

Legacy Schools is a free national initiative. It aims to connect students and educators to further reconciliation. Schools, clubs, and groups that work with youth in Canada can join. DWF reports that it supported 6,525 unique legacy schools and clubs in F2024. It also distributed 8,311 boosters and toolkits to legacy schools. The charity reports that it reached 8,312 educators through the program in F2024, supporting them in teaching an estimated 207,800 students.

Legacy Spaces are places that support education and conversation about reconciliation. DWF reports that there are 63 open legacy spaces across 39 cities as of F2024.

Through the Artist Ambassador program, Indigenous and non-Indigenous creators share their teachings through a variety of engagements. DWF hosted five in-person and 25 virtual sessions in schools in F2024. Each session is 30-60 minutes and open to all ages.

The Youth Ambassador program is a four-week leadership training program. It brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to gain work and leadership experience. The youth also learn from Indigenous people about their perspectives, knowledge, and worldviews. DWF reports that 105 youths participated in the program in F2024.

ReconciliACTIONs are meaningful actions that move reconciliation forward. DWF provides a list of examples on its website. The charity reports that 2,252,536 reconciliACTIONs have taken place since 2021.

Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund’s audited financial statements follow line-item costing, which is not a best practice. Ci referred to its T3010 filings to report program, administrative, and fundraising costs.

In F2024 DWF received $4.0m in donations. It also received $1.3m in investment income, which is 24% of total revenue.

Administrative costs are 12% of revenues (excluding investment income). Fundraising costs are 5% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 17%. For every dollar donated, 83 cents are available to go to the cause. This falls within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

In F2024 DWF spent $2.9m on its programs and grants, which is 53% of its revenue. In F2024 it had a surplus of $1.8m, which is 33% of its revenue.

DWF has $14.6m in reserve funds (cash and investments). The reserves can cover 500%, or five years of program costs. In F2024, the annual return on investment for DWF was 10%. Its three-year annual return on investment is 4%.

This charity report is an update that has been sent for review to Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated on July 30, 2025, by Grady Simpson.