There are more than 170,000 charitable organizations working across Canada today. These organize aid and support for all sorts of brilliant causes around the country and the world.
To do this, they rely on generous donations from the Canadian people, and boy do they get them! In fact, the population of Canada donates more than $10 billion every year!
Finding the best charities to donate to in Canada is a great way to give something back when you can afford to. However, you can't donate to every charity. So how do you choose where to send your money?
Read on to find out which charities in Canada are the best options for you to send your donations to.
What Is the Best Way to Research a Charitable Organization?
Before you donate items or money to a charity in Canada, it is worth doing some research. This will ensure that your money really gets used to help people in need.
First, you need to consider what sort of causes you want to support. This may be something that is already close to your heart. Or it could involve looking into under-funded charities in Canada.
However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. To make sure a charity is going to use your money efficiently, you also need to look at:
- How much of an impact a charity has or how successfully it achieves its goals
- How well organized a charity is
- How well they spend their donations
- How a charity measures its successes
- The role that volunteers play in a charity
- How much the CEO of a charity gets paid
- How much money they spend on administrative costs and advertising
You might be able to find out some of this information on the charity's website. However, it's a good idea to look for information on government websites and from independent sources. These will give you an unbiased picture of a charity's work.
It's also a good idea to look at non-profit organizations that do similar work. If you find an organization that is doing the same work more successfully, this is where your money should go.
The Best Organizations for Mental Health
One in five Canadians experiences some sort of mental health condition during their lifetime. Genetics, age, environment, and financial stability can all have an impact on someone's mental health.
The cost of treating mental health conditions runs into the billions every year. However, treatment is extremely important for anyone experiencing mental health illnesses. It is also vital to break the stigma surrounding these conditions and their treatment.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
This is the largest mental health hospital in Canada and offers a huge range of services. As well as suicide prevention and mental health treatment, CAMH carries out further research. This aims to provide a deeper understanding and more effective treatments for these conditions.
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
Since 1918, CMHA has been working to promote the voices and inclusion of people with mental health illnesses. It works collaboratively to improve the quality of life for anyone living with a mental health illness in Canada.
The Best Environmental Charities in Canada
For years we have been told that we have a certain amount of time to save the earth. However, more recently the focus has been shifting to minimizing the damage that we do to it in order to protect our homes for as long as possible.
While small daily changes can make a difference, environmental charities focus on larger change. They also aim to conserve what we still have.
Bruce Trail Conservancy
The Bruce Trail Conservancy is a Canadian land trust. It aims to conserve the Niagara Escarpment public footpath also known as the Bruce Trail. It provides a way for people to enjoy this landscape without damaging it or the lives of the Escarpment's Indigenous peoples.
Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)
The NCC is all about protecting Canada's wildlife, whether on land or in the water. This charity is all about empowering people to safeguard Canada's natural legacy and everything it has to offer.
Canadian Park and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)
CPAWS is a nationwide charity that also works to protect Canada's land, oceans, and freshwater beauty. It also focuses on how the natural parks within Canada are managed to support the ecosystems within them. So far they have protected more than half a million square kilometres of Canadian land.
The Best Charities for Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse makes up 26% of all violent crimes in Canada and these are only the reported cases! This is also a crime that disproportionately affects women and children.
Domestic abuse can leave victims extremely vulnerable so the work of charities is invaluable. Domestic abuse charities in Canada help people escape the immediate threat of violence and focus on planning for the future.
Interval House
Interval House was the first charity in Canada to provide support for women and children who survived domestic violence. It focuses on empowering victims so that they can recover and move on with their lives safely. On the wider stage, they also lobby to end gender-based violence in Canada.
Shelter Safe
Shelter Safe recognizes the importance of getting away from domestic violence as soon as possible. They offer shelters across the country to victims of domestic violence. These provide a safe place for people to stay while they're recovering and figuring out what to do next.
The Best Animal Welfare Charities
Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, animal welfare charities have found it harder than ever to find pets new homes.
This means that many of them are now housing more pets than they ever have in the past. And, because so many people bought pets during the national lockdowns, this figure may be about to rise again.
The Humane Society
The Humane Society encourages people to think about animals as sentient beings. This means encouraging people to treat pets fairly, lobbying against animal testing, and preserving natural habitats for animals. They work throughout Canada and in more than 100 other countries around the world.
Peoples Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) Canada
PAWS works to rehome and rehabilitate animals that have been the victims of abuse, abandonment, and homelessness. They provide free-roaming shelters for their animals and have a strict no-kill policy for animals.
Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada
If you are struggling where to donate to support Canada's animals then this is the charity for you. The Animal Welfare Foundation is run by a board of veterinary experts and animal welfare academics. They assess the work of animal charities and award grants and donations to those that will use them most efficiently.
The Best Food Donation Charities
If you want to donate to charity, money isn't the only thing you can give. Food donation charities will accept food or financial donations. These charities work to support the 4.9 million Canadians living below the poverty line.
Food Banks Canada
This national organization provides food banks across the country. It works with food agencies as well as individuals to redistribute food that would otherwise go to waste. They also run a program focused on preventing the need for food banks in the future.
Second Harvest
Second Harvest combines social needs with environmentalism to get unsold food to people who need it the most. They are currently Canada's largest food rescue charity and fund non-profit food programs across the country.
Daily Bread
Daily Bread currently runs 118 food banks across the country to combat immediate hunger in Canadian communities. They also lobby to change the way people think about poverty in Canada and around the world.
The Best Charities for Solving Homelessness
There are over 235,000 homeless people currently living in Canada. No matter how they came to be homeless, these people are extremely vulnerable. And getting out of homelessness can prove impossible.
Homelessness charities work to support people by providing:
- Temporary accommodation solutions
- Access to healthcare or rehab programs
- Job opportunities for homeless people
- Counselling for homeless people
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army works around the world standing up for and supporting people who are vulnerable. They provide accommodation, combat rough sleeping, and welcome homeless people to support drop-ins. They are also committed to breaking cycles of homelessness around the world.
Out of the Cold
Out of the Cold focuses on providing immediate practical support to those living without a home. They provide shelter, food, and warm clothing to the homeless in Canada. On top of this, the charity also runs several initiatives to bring people out of homelessness.
Show Your Support for the Best Charities to Donate to in Canada
As you can see, when it comes to supporting others in Canada, you have a lot of options.
Whether you're looking to make regular payments or are giving a one-off donation, these are some of the best charities to donate to in Canada. They will ensure your money goes as far as possible to make a real difference!
While you're thinking about caring for others, it's also worth checking in on your own financial security. Keeping your insurance policies up to date is an important way to look after yourself, so you can continue looking out for others.
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