Canadian Cancer Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
986001242
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Toronto, Ontario, CA
Phone
4162668187
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$134,749,308
Expenses
$135,399,950
Assets
$195,992,129
Liabilities
$75,789,837

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANDREA SEALE (CEO AND SECRETARY)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANDREA SEALE (CEO AND SECRETARY): $426,623 total reported compensation
  • SARA OATES (EVP FINANCE PEOPLE OPERATIONS): $235,043 total reported compensation
  • JANE PARSONS (EVP COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP GIVING): $217,453 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The canadian cancer society is a national cancer charity. In trusted partnership with donors and volunteers our mission is to improve the lives of all those affected by cancer through world-class research transformative advocacy and compassionate support.

What it reported doing in 2024

Programs: consist of health promotion for canadians tobacco cessation healthy eating physical activity reduced exposure to carcinogens screening and of support to cancer patients and caregivers during and beyond the cancer journey. This includes information emotional and practical support programs are delivered in the community by telephone in print or through the internet website and social media. Examples of programs are community outreach workplace wellness smoking cessation information and support services lodges transportation financial assistance wigs prosthesis and related activities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 80% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 59% for direct work, and 41% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 62
  • Transparency & Controls: 67
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.3%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 66.6%; rating input score 67
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 84.2%; rating input score 84; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 85.8%; rating input score 86; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.5%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.45; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.39; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.9%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.3% of revenue deployed · 66.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $90.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $427K · 33 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $8.6M reported
  • Consistency: 48 of 51 current checks pass · 3 findings to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes foreign activity and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 13 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 52/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule G fundraiser detail did not reconcile in the filed values.