Plan Canada is a 3-star charity with Fair Demonstrated Impact. It has an A Results Reporting grade, which is above average. For every dollar donated, 64 cents are available to go to the cause, which is outside Ci's reasonable range.

Founded in 1968, Plan International Canada, commonly known as Plan Canada, is the Canadian branch and fundraising arm of Plan International. Plan International works to advance children's rights and equality for girls worldwide. The charity reports that 130 million girls are not attending primary or secondary school. Plan Canada also reports that globally, 243 million women and girls have been subjected to physical or sexual violence in the past 12 months, and nearly every two seconds, a girl under 18 is married.

In F2024, Plan Canada spent $184.0m on its programs. The charity reached 7 million people in F2024, of which 3.1 million were children. In F2024, it cost Plan Canada $26 for every person it reached. Plan Canada’s major programs are Health, Humanitarian Response, Education, Youth Leadership and Economic Development, and Protection from Violence.

Health represented 44% of program costs ($80.9m). Plan Canada works with local partners to strengthen health systems. The charity’s health program ran 34 projects – 16 in West and Central Africa, eight in Middle East and East/South Africa, six in the Americas, and four in Asia Pacific. Plan Canada distributed 908,660 mosquito nets to 1,635,585 people in Guinea and Zimbabwe, which saved the lives of 3,020 children. The charity reached 3.9 million people, of which 2.2 million were female.

Humanitarian Response represented 23% of program costs ($42.3m). Plan Canada responds to emergencies and supports long-term recovery from disasters. The charity ran 54 projects – 31 in West and Central Africa, 11 in the Middle East and Eastern/Southern Africa, six in the Americas, five in Asia Pacific, and one in East and Central Europe. In F2024, 408,440 people received over 13,000 tonnes of food. The charity reached 2.4 million people, of which, 645,000 were female.

Education represented 18% ($33.1m) of program costs. Plan Canada helps ensure that children, especially girls, have access to quality education. The charity ran 23 projects – 14 in West and Central Africa, five in the Middle East and East/South Africa, two in the Americas, and two in Asia Pacific. In F2024, 33,918 out-of-school girls were enrolled in school. Plan Canada trained 405 godmothers who supported 5,413 girls, 901 teachers in gender-sensitive education, 162 religious and community leaders, and 135 community volunteers. The charity reached 249,460 people, including 113,460 girls. 

Youth Leadership and Economic Empowerment represented 10% ($18.4m) of program costs. Plan Canada helps women get jobs through grants and helps Canadian youth become better advocates for global issues. The charity ran 20 projects – three in West/Central Africa, two in the Middle East and East/South Africa, six in the Americas, and nine in Canada. The charity sent 273 grants worth a total of $7.7 million to Ghanian women organizations. 2,898 women in Ghana landed jobs in green businesses and soya cultivation. The charity reached 224,790 youth in Canada, of which 201,180 were female.  

Protection from Violence represented 6% of program costs ($11.0m). Plan Canada tries to keep children, especially girls, safe by preventing early and forced marriage and gender-based violence. The charity ran five projects – one in the Middle East and East/South Africa, three in the Americas, and one in Asia Pacific. In F2024, the charity prevented 12,000 marriages that included girls under the age of 18. Plan Canada reached 357,780 people, of which 55,750 were girls and 191,500 were women.

Plan Canada's audited financial statements report that 62% of donations come to Plan Canada through its child sponsorship model. When you sponsor a child, Plan Canada pools your money with that of other sponsors. It uses this money to improve the child’s whole community. This is an indirect sponsorship model. In F2024, Canadians sponsored 130,410 children.

Plan Canada received $92.3m in donations in F2024. The charity also received $81.4m in international donations (32% of revenue) and $50.5m in government funding (20% of revenue). Plan Canada spent $184.0m on its programs, which is 72% of revenue. The charity recorded a deficit of $2.0m, meaning it drew on its reserves to fund its operations.

Plan Canada spent $26.8m on fundraising, which is 29% of donations (see additional information below). The charity spent $16.6m on admin, which is 7% of revenue (excluding investment income). Total overhead spending is 36%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 64 cents are available to go to the cause. This is just below Ci’s reasonable range.

Plan Canada has $59.5m in reserve funds, of which $3.8m is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity’s reserves can cover 30%, or four months of its annual program costs. This is within Ci's reasonable range.

Plan Canada uses external fundraisers. In F2024 the charity paid external fundraisers $9.5m to collect $41.6m. It costs 23 cents to raise a dollar via external fundraisers.

The charity has committed $5.1m over the next five fiscal years.

Charity Intelligence has sent this update to Plan Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on May 8, 2025 by Liam Chapleau.

The CRA Charities Directorate gives clear guidance on how to calculate fundraising costs. Charities that receive government funding are instructed to exclude government funding from their fundraising cost calculations. It is strictly fundraising costs relative to donations. Canada's method is similar to the fundraising cost method in other countries. Here's the link to the CRA Charities Directorate's 2012 guidance (Note 83) on how to calculate fundraising costs. Charity Intelligence includes bequests, Canadian foundation grants and corporate grants. It excludes Global Affairs Canada grants and grants from UN agencies and multinational corporations that provide gifts-in-kind. This gives Canadian donors better insights on the cost to raise a dollar. Improved disclosure on Plan Canada's sources of revenues would provide greater transparency.