How we compare
Empowering Lives with Dignity and Independence
Above all else
What donors usually want to know
When donors give $1, they typically want confidence in three things:
- Programs: How much directly funds charitable work (“cents to the cause”)
- Overhead: Administration + fundraising costs that support the work
- Transparency: Clear, comparable reporting
Canadian Charity Spending: How Much of $1 Goes to Programs vs Overhead?
Canadian Charity Spending: How Much of $1 Goes to Programs vs Overhead?
Handi-Care Intl. is volunteer-run and keeps admin charges below ~3%. That implies ~97% are directed to programs.
Canadian sector benchmark
~$0.73–$0.75 to programs per $1
~$0.27 to administrative expenses per $1
Canadian sector benchmark
~$0.97 to programs per $1
~$0.03 to administrative expenses per $1
Donating Securities In-Kind
The most reliable sector benchmark: CRA (Canada Revenue Agency)
The CRA’s Report on the Charities Program (2023–2024) summarizes charity spending based on T3010 filings. For 2022 expenditures, the CRA reports:
allocated to charitable activities
0
%
to gifts to qualified donees
0
%
to “other” expenditures
0
%
How to interpret that (high level): across the sector, roughly ~73 cents of every dollar of total expenditures went to direct charitable activities in 2022, based on CRA’s aggregated reporting.
Independent watchdog view: Charity Intelligence Canada (Ci)
Independent watchdog view: Charity Intelligence Canada (Ci)
Charity Intelligence’s 2023 Sector Snapshot (analysis of hundreds of Canadian charities) reports:
Program spending represented ~75% of total spending (2023 snapshot) Ci also provides a practical donor lens: it considers a “reasonable range” for overhead (fundraising + admin/management) of 5% to 35%.
Key takeaway: Most well-run charities land somewhere in that range—and Ci cautions that extremely low overhead can sometimes reflect underinvestment or accounting allocation differences (not always, but it’s a known nuance).
So how does Handi-Care Intl. compare?
Handi-Care Intl.’s stated efficiency
Handi-Care Intl. is volunteer-run and keeps admin charges below ~3%. That implies ~97% directed to programs, which is substantially above:
- CRA sector benchmark of 73% charitable activities (2022)
- Charity Intelligence sector snapshot ~75% program spending benchmark
Simple “cents to programs” comparison (easy for donors)
Canadian sector benchmark
~$0.73–$0.75 to programs per $1
Canadian sector benchmark
~$0.97 to programs per $1
HCI is highly cost-efficient relative to national benchmarks—primarily because it is volunteer-driven with minimal overhead.
The most reliable sector benchmark: CRA (Canada Revenue Agency)
The CRA’s Report on the Charities Program (2023–2024) summarizes charity spending based on T3010 filings. For 2022 expenditures, the CRA reports:
- 73% allocated to charitable activities
- 4% to gifts to qualified donees
- 23% to “other” expenditures (which includes management/admin, professional fees, travel, etc.)
How to interpret that (high level): across the sector, roughly ~73 cents of every dollar of total expenditures went to direct charitable activities in 2022, based on CRA’s aggregated reporting.
Independent watchdog view: Charity Intelligence Canada (Ci)
Charity Intelligence’s 2023 Sector Snapshot (analysis of hundreds of Canadian charities) reports:
- Program spending represented ~75% of total spending (2023 snapshot) Ci also provides a practical donor lens: it considers a “reasonable range” for overhead (fundraising + admin/management) of 5% to 35%.
Key takeaway: Most well-run charities land somewhere in that range—and Ci cautions that extremely low overhead can sometimes reflect underinvestment or accounting allocation differences (not always, but it’s a known nuance).
So how does Handi-Care Intl. compare?
Handi-Care Intl.’s stated efficiency
Handi-Care Intl. is volunteer-run and keeps admin charges below ~3%. That implies ~97% directed to programs, which is substantially above:
- CRA sector benchmark of 73% charitable activities (2022)
- Charity Intelligence sector snapshot ~75% program spending benchmark
Simple “cents to programs” comparison (easy for donors)
| Canadian sector benchmark | Handi-Care Intl. |
|---|---|
|
~$0.73–$0.75 to programs per $1 |
~$0.97 to programs per $1 |
HCI is highly cost-efficient relative to national benchmarks—primarily because it is volunteer-driven with minimal overhead.
