IWK Health Centre Foundation is a 1-star charity. It has a C- in results reporting, which is below average. The charity has $98.1m in funding reserves that can cover grants for almost 18 years. Before you give, read Charity Intelligence’s report.

Founded in 1997, IWK Health Centre Foundation (IWK Foundation) fundraises and provides grants to IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The main granting areas are research, healthcare programs, patient care areas, and equipment purchases. The charity does not provide a full breakdown of its spending on its programs. 

IWK Health Centre Foundation funds research in two main ways. The Terry Fox PROFYLE is a precision oncology program for young cancer patients. It involves 50 Canadian leaders in pediatric cancer research to enhance treatment for high-risk cancers. IWK Foundation also provides various research grants including Project Grants, Mentored Grants, Matching Grants, Personal Support Grants, and a Post Doc Fellowship.

In F2023, IWK Foundation funded three healthcare programs. The SeaStar Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, Atlantic Canada’s first of its kind, offers a comprehensive, child-friendly approach to childhood abuse and trauma. The foundation’s therapeutic clown interacts with approximately 30 IWK patients each day. The music therapy program supports patients and their families throughout their healthcare journey.

In F2023, IWK Health Centre Foundation maintained three patient care areas. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was recently renovated and now offers 38 family-centred rooms. The Garron Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health is an acute inpatient care facility supporting children and youth. It has private rooms, a classroom, a comfortable common area, an exercise room and an open-concept nursing station. The Joyce Family Kids' Rehabilitation Centre provides an environment that supports family-centred care. In 2024, the foundation is renovating and expanding the IWK Emergency Department to accommodate more inpatients and improve patient care.

In F2023, IWK Foundation funded equipment purchases including five sleeper chairs for the Birth Unit, one examination table for babies in the emergency department, and four halo bassinets for the NICU. In F2023, IWK distributed $198k (1% of program costs) to its partners in Canada's Children's Hospital Foundations (CCHF). 

IWK Health Centre Foundation received $17.4m in donations and special events revenue in F2023. It also received $911k in donated goods in kind. In F2023, the charity spent $5.5m on program costs, which is almost entirely its distributions to IWK Health Centre. 

Administrative costs are 14% of revenues (less investment income), and fundraising costs are 21% of donations and special events. This results in overhead costs of 35%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 65 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range of 65 to 95 cents for overhead spending.

IWK Foundation has $98.1m in its reserve funds, which are the charity’s cash and investments. The charity can cover almost 18 years of program costs using its existing reserves. In F2023, IWK Health Centre Foundation recorded a surplus of $7.4m, which is 37% of revenues.

This charity report is an update that was sent to IWK Health Centre Foundation for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated August 7th, 2024 by Alexia Tudose.