Save the Children Canada is a 4-star charity with Good Demonstrated Impact. It has an A- Results Reporting grade, which is above average. For every dollar donated, 47 cents are available to go to the cause, which is outside of Ci's reasonable range.

Founded in 1921, Save the Children Canada (Save the Children, STC) works toward a world where every child has the right to survival and protection. As a part of the global Save the Children network of 29 national charities, it works to improve children’s rights in 117 countries. The charity aims to meet immediate needs by providing food and health services, and improve lives in the long term through education and advocacy for gender equality. In 2024, Save the Children Canada spent $43.0m on its programs and reached 113,600,000 children, meaning it spent an average of 38 cents per child reached.

There was confusion about which results referred to Save the Children Canada’s funding and which referred to the global Save the Children network.

International Development represented 65% ($27.9m) of program costs in 2024. Save the Children Canada runs education, health, child protection, and climate programs to help develop poor countries. The charity reports that 244 million children are out of school and that every six seconds a child dies from a preventable illness. In 2024, Save the Children reached 29.9 million children through health and nutrition programs, 7.6 million children through education programs, and 2.9 million children through protection programs.

Humanitarian programs represented 29% ($12.5m) of program costs in 2024. Save the Children provides aid to areas affected by natural disasters or conflict. In 2024, STC responded to humanitarian crises in 71 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Gaza, Haiti, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Ukraine. In 2024, STC reached 23.8 million people, of which 12.7 million were children. Of the children it helped, 52% were girls and 48% were boys.  

Canadian programs represented 6% ($2.5m) of program costs in 2024. Save the Children runs a National Reconciliation Program, where it works to improve education, health and climate change resilience in Indigenous communities. In 2024, STC reached 32,736 people across 108 communities, including 7,676 girls, 6,666 boys, 9,335 women, and 9,059 men.

Save the Children Canada’s audited financial statements use activity-based costing, which is a best practice.

In 2024, Save the Children Canada received $15.1m in donations and $31.0m in government funding, which is 64% of revenue. STC spent $43.0m on its programs, which is 89% of revenue.

The charity’s 2024 audited statements show a $4.0m cash increase in accounts payable, accounts receivable, and other assets, which Ci was unable to account for as the charity did not disclose the source. The actual operating cash flow is likely to be near a $3.5m deficit.

STC spent $6.7m on fundraising, which is 44% of donations, and $4.4m on administration, which is 9% of revenue (excluding investment income). Total overhead spending is 53%. For every dollar donated, 47 cents are available to go to the cause, which is outside Ci’s reasonable range.

STC has $17.0m in reserve funds (cash and investments), which can cover under five months of its annual program costs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Save the Children’s 2024 T3010 filing with the CRA discloses it uses external fundraisers; however, the charity does not report the amount paid or received from fundraisers. This is a mandatory filing.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Save the Children Canada for review.

Updated on August 1, 2025 by Liam Chapleau.