Wildlife Conservation Society is a 3-star charity. It has a C Results Reporting grade, which is below average. Its overhead costs are within Ci’s reasonable range. Its reserves can cover program costs for just under seven months, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 2004, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) uses research and advocacy to protect wildlife and wild places across Canada. The charity is affiliated with Wildlife Conservation Society, which is based in the United States and operates in over 60 countries. WCS Canada runs five programs: National Conservation and Policy, Boreal Forests, Western Artic, Outside Canada, and Next Generation of Conservation Scientists. It spent $8.1m on programs in the fiscal year ending in June (F2024).

National Conservation and Policy received 41% ($3.3m) of program spending in F2024. The program includes shifting national policy, Key Biodiversity Areas, and Bat Conservation. The charity put forward 14 policy comments to ensure science-based solutions in F2023. Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are sites dedicated for the support of threatened species and ecosystems. WCS Canada is part of the KBA Canada Coalition. It lobbies for stewardship of KBAs, raises resources for KBA identification, and does research within KBAs. Sites are designated using criteria such as threatened biodiversity, biological processes, or irreplaceability. KBAs do not give a site legal status. In BC, rising temperatures are reducing bats’ ability to stay cool. The charity surveyed over 500 bridges in western Canada to study how bats use them. The results will inform how to create bat-friendly roosts even with rising temperatures.

Boreal Forests received 30% ($2.4m) of program spending in F2024. The charity monitors the regions of boreal forest in BC, Yukon, and northern Ontario. WCS Canada published a paper on the damages to wolverines’ lifestyle in Ontario as winters become wetter, with less snow. The project took place over five winters from 2018 to 2022, over which time the charity tracked 97 wolverines and documented 18 den sites.

Western Artic received 19% ($1.5m) of program spending in F2024. WCS Canada is researching the effects of underwater noise from ships. As the ice melts, there has been an increase in ship traffic. The charity deployed and collected 13 acoustic recordings in the Arctic Ocean to assess the effect of ship noise on marine mammals. The result will be used to plan shipping routes in the Arctic Ocean.

Outside Canada received 9% ($694k) in F2024. The charity does not report where this money goes.

Next Generation of Conservation Scientists received 2% ($155k) of program spending in F2024. The charity offered funding to 12 graduate or doctoral students through the Weston Family Boreal Research Fellowship in F2023.

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing, which is a best practice. The charity received $5.2m in donations, which is 55% of revenue. It received $3.3m in government funding and $58k in investment income.

WCS Canada spent $7.4m on Canadian program costs and $694k on international program costs. The total of $8.1m is 85% of revenue. The charity ran a deficit of $287k, meaning it drew on its reserves to fund its programs. WCS Canada spent $328k on fundraising, which is 6% of donations, and $1.3m on administration, which is 14% of revenue. For every dollar donated to the charity, 80 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

WCS Canada has $4.5m in its reserves (cash and investments). These funds can cover program costs for just under seven months, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Wildlife Conservation Society is a related party of WCS Canada. The charity received $746k from Wildlife Conservation Society in F2024.

Updated on July 29, 2025 by Joshua Leduc. This update has been sent to the charity and changes may be forthcoming.