A Strong Voice for the Sector

Recently MoneySense released an article, titled The Best Charities in Canada to Donate to for the Most Charitable Impact 2022. AFP Canada released a response to the article and we strongly encourage you to read it. 

MoneySense’s article discusses the top charities based off of the ranking system from Charity Intelligence. AFP Canada’s response points out that only 803 out of 86,000 registered charities in Canada were reported on, which is less than 1%. They also point out that the charities reported on were mainly large organizations, missing the incredible work and impact of small and mid-size charities.

In response to the article, AFP Greater Toronto Chapter President, Jennifer Bernard said:

“AFP-GTC is pleased to help highlight the impact of the advocacy of AFP Canada on behalf of our members and profession. There are many who do not understand the complexity of our sector yet make suggestions on how to measure charitable impact.”

We agree that Canadians should learn more about charities, the causes they support, and how they are making a difference before deciding to donate or otherwise support. We also agree with AFP Canada that there are many other factors to consider than those highlighted in the MoneySense article linked above. The focus, for both donors and charities, as well as those who benefit from their programs and services, should be on the change that the charity is making in our world. This change may look different depending on the focus and scope of the charity, but all change that gets us closer to a better world is good.

The type of rating system discussed in the article focuses more on how change is demonstrated versus the change itself. There are many ways to measure change and the measurement metrics will likely be very different depending on the charity and its charitable focus, especially for historically marginalized groups.

While we agree with transparency and ensuring that donors are informed (see AFP’s Donor Bill of Rights), those are only one measure and the focus should be on the benefit to the end-user. We encourage all donors to think about where they give and to make informed decisions that are supported not just by metrics but also by the “community building” aspect of social good.

Our sincere gratitude goes out to AFP Canada for their advocacy on behalf of our members and the profession!