A Better World Canada

A Better World Canada is a 2-star charity. It has an above-average results reporting grade, but is not financially transparent and has low demonstrated impact. Before you give, read Charity Intelligence’s report. 

Founded in 1990, A Better World Canada (formerly a Better World Helping Hands Canada) aims to inspire people to reduce poverty around the world. It has helped to fund development projects in more than 15 countries. 

A Better World runs four main programs: Education, Health, Canadian/Youth Projects, and Water/Food.

Education represented 56% of program spending in F2022. A Better World helps to build classrooms and school buildings in developing countries. During the year, A Better World Canada built 64 toilets and 41 classrooms. The schools that it works with have a total enrollment of 55,170. 

Health projects were 16% of program spending. A Better World funds medical teams that travel to local communities twice per year to treat patients and train health workers. In F2022, it helped provide 965 rehabilitation services and 62 surgeries. It also helped improve one clinic. 

Canadian/Youth programs were 14% of program spending. A Better World Canada provides grants to Canadian schools and other charities. In F2022, it provided grants to seven organizations.  It also runs professional development and leadership programs. In F2022, 30 undergraduate students attended a seminar at Saruk Centre for Leadership Development. 

Water/Food projects were 6% of program spending. The charity aims to provide communities with clean water by drilling wells and installing water catchment systems. In F2022, the charity installed 27 water catchments and three community wells.

The remaining 8% of program costs included program delivery and operating costs.

Since founding, A Better World has provided 34 communities with clean water. In F2022, A Better World Canada built an additional four classrooms for a school in Tanzania. As a result, the number of students per classroom went from 128 students to below 100. 

While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of A Better World Canada’s results and impact.

Charity Intelligence has given A Better World Canada a Low impact rating based on demonstrated impact per dollar spent.

A Better World Canada is not financially transparent. Its audited financial statements are not posted on its website nor provided when requested. For F2021 and F2022, Charity Intelligence's financial review uses unaudited financial statements and the charity’s T3010 filing with the CRA. For F2020, all information comes from the charity’s T3010. This is the most recent information we have received from the Charities Directorate from our request for information.  

In F2022, A Better World Canada received $1.3m in Canadian donations and $88k in international donations. It also received $157k in donated goods-in-kind. It reports that these in-kind donations are travel and student supplies. Reported administrative costs are 9% of revenues (less investment income) and reported fundraising costs are 2% of donations. Total overhead spending is 11%. For each dollar donated, 89 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

A Better World Canada’s T3010 filing reports grants to qualified donees of $40k in F2022 and $38k in F2021. Its unaudited statements did not provide enough information to separate grants from other costs. As such, they are shown as $0 for F2022 and F2021 in the summary financial statements. 

A Better World Canada’s reserve funds of $1.3m can cover program costs at the F2022 level for just under 10 months. 

This profile is a charity update that has been sent to A Better World Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated July 14, 2022 by Emily Downing.