Food for Life Canada
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
✔+
FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
Audited financial statements for current and previous years available on the charity’s website.
A
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
High
DEMONSTRATED IMPACT
The demonstrated impact per dollar Ci calculates from available program information.
NEED FOR FUNDING
Charity's cash and investments (funding reserves) relative to how much it spends on programs in most recent year.
84%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 84 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Food for Life Canada:
Food for Life Canada is a 5-star, financially transparent charity with a High impact rating and an excellent A results reporting grade. It has a reasonably sized reserve of cash and investments and 16% overhead spending. For every dollar donated, 84 cents are available to go to the cause.
Founded in 1995 and operating in the Regional Municipality of Halton in Ontario, Food for Life Canada (FFL) recovers leftover food from retailers, wholesalers, the food service industry, and other sources before redistributing it to those in need. According to the charity, only 4% of surplus food is rescued and delivered to people who cannot otherwise afford food, and wasted food releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
FFL's only program is its food distribution operations. FFL spent $1.7m cash on this program and distributed $15.3m worth of food in the December 2024 fiscal year.
A Charity Intelligence 2024 Top Canadian Impact Charity
A Charity Intelligence 2024 Top 100 Rated Charity
In 2024, FFL rescued 4,560,662 lb of food from landfills and distributed 4,625,725 lb of rescued and donated food to 4,579 households (10,074 people based on the 2.2 people / household average reported by the charity).
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Results and Impact
In 2024, Food for Life Canada administered a client survey on program outcomes taken by 287 households (631 people). Respondents reportedly saved $65.25 per week on groceries, that was spent on other basic needs, thanks to the food provided by FFL.
Since FFL spent $2.3m cash on its operations and distributed 4,625,725 lb of food, it spent $0.49 / lb distributed in 2024.
Food for Life Canada also reportedly saved 6,000,000 kg of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere thanks to its food rescue operations.
Charity Intelligence (Ci) has given Food for Life Canada a High impact rating. This is based on its demonstrated social impact per dollar spent.
Impact Rating: High
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Finances
Food for Life Canada’s audited financial statements follow line-item costing, meaning it does not separate out expenses by program, administrative, and fundraising activities. This is not a best practice.
In 2024, FFL received $1.7m of cash donations (61% of cash revenue) and $828k of government funding (31% of cash revenue). The charity also received $15.3m worth of donated food (85% of total revenue).
Administrative costs are 2% of total revenue and fundraising costs are 15% of cash donations. Its 16% overhead spending means that for every dollar donated, 84 cents are available to go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.
FFL spent $1.7m cash on program operations (8% decrease from $1.9m spent in 2023) and distributed $15.3m worth of food.
At the end of 2024, Food for Life Canada had $853k of reserve funds (cash and investments) which can cover 50% or six months of its annual program spending.
Profile updated by Julian Dranitsaris on July 3, 2025. Comments and corrections may be forthcoming.
Questions? Contact jdranitsaris@charityintelligence.ca
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending December
|
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 1.7% | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 14.8% | 21.4% | 17.8% |
| Total overhead spending | 16.5% | 23.4% | 19.7% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 49.5% | 28.5% | 52.7% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 1,665 | 1,559 | 1,925 |
| Goods in kind | 15,271 | 15,312 | 14,916 |
| Government funding | 828 | 699 | 565 |
| Other income | 217 | (50) | 75 |
| Total revenues | 17,982 | 17,520 | 17,482 |
| Program costs | 1,723 | 1,879 | 1,819 |
| Donated goods exp | 15,271 | 15,312 | 14,917 |
| Administrative costs | 309 | 356 | 328 |
| Fundraising costs | 246 | 333 | 343 |
| Total spending | 17,550 | 17,880 | 17,406 |
| Cash flow from operations | 432 | (360) | 76 |
| Capital spending | (48) | 37 | 371 |
| Funding reserves | 853 | 535 | 958 |
Note: 1. LINE-ITEM COSTING: Since FFL follows line-item costing, Ci referred to its T3010 filings with the CRA when reporting program, administrative, and fundraising expenses. 2. DEFERRED GOVERNMENT FUNDING: Since FFL follows deferred accounting, Ci adjusted government funding for deferred government grants. This shows donors the year-to-year movement of cash within the charity and affected total revenue by $28k in 2024, $3k in 2023, and ($8k) in 2022. 3. DEFERRED CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Ci adjusted donations for changes in restricted contributions meant for capital asset purchases. This affected total revenue by ($331k) in 2024, ($291k) in 2023, and ($114k) in 2022. 4. DONATIONS RECEIVABLE: Ci adjusted donations for changes in donations receivable, affecting total revenue by $33k in 2024, $40k in 2023, and ($51k) in 2022. 5. GOVERNMENT GRANTS RECEIVABLE: Ci adjusted government funding for changes in government grants receivable, affecting total revenue by $117k in 2024, $90k in 2023, and ($138k) in 2022. 6. OTHER DEFERRED REVENUE: Ci adjusted other income for deferred revenue not clearly related to donations or government funding, affecting total revenue by $164k in 2024, ($146k) in 2023, and ($32k) in 2022.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
1 |
$80k - $120k |
3 |
$40k - $80k |
6 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2024
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
Comment added by Julian Dranitsaris on 8 October 2024:
Food for Life is a lifeline for those struggling with food insecurity in communities across Halton and Hamilton, alleviating hunger while protecting the environment as the largest food rescue charity in the region.
With a dual commitment to people and planet, Food for Life rescues over 4.6 million lbs of surplus food annually from our food industry partners, grocery stores, and farms. This food is then redistributed to our network of over 100 community programs, half of which are operated by FFL, who directly support households experiencing food insecurity. Since January, we have seen a more than 20% increase in the number of households accessing our programs. Through our food rescuing efforts, over 4,000 households are supported each week, with healthy fresh groceries they might otherwise be unable to afford, while also diverting 6 million kg of GHG’s from landfill due to avoidable food waste each year.
Through our innovative approach, we can leverage every $10 invested into an incredible $63.70 worth of food and groceries to those in the community facing some of life’s greatest challenges.
Our 2023 Neighbour Survey showed us that 85% of our neighbours reported having $200 or less per month for their household food needs after paying for housing and other necessities, while 89% agreed that the food they receive at Food for Life increases their access to fresh and healthy food items. Read the full Neighbour Survey Report here:
https://foodforlife.ca/accountability/
Food for Life is revolutionizing addressing poverty, food loss, and environmental sustainability. With a passionate team of 18 dedicated individuals working hand in hand with an incredible network of 500+ volunteers, we are on a mission to make a meaningful difference in communities across Halton and Hamilton.
In these challenging times, it is more crucial than ever to support those facing hunger in our community. Food for Life believes that by ensuring that everyone has access to nutritious food, we can foster a healthier, stronger, and more resilient community.
I invite you to learn more about Food for Life by touring our warehouse or visiting our website https://foodforlife.ca/
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 905-635-1106