Financials
CPAWS works hard to maximize the proportion of revenue spent on our wilderness work. Our goal is a sustainable financial foundation for our conservation efforts, and sustained protection of Canada’s wilderness.
Each year, our 13 chapters and the national office devote over 70 per cent of its budget to conservation and education, spending less than 15 per cent on fundraising costs.
Financial Fitness Key Message
Despite inflation, rising interest rates, and concerns about a potential recession, CPAWS had a strong financial year and continues to maintain a healthy balance sheet. In 2024, total revenue increased to $16.96 million, up from $15.78 million in 2023. While individual and corporate contributions remained stable, providing the foundation of our financial strength, government funding saw a significant rise to $5.44 million, representing 32% of total revenue. Other income sources, including investment income and professional service fees, also grew, contributing 9% to overall revenue.
On the expenditure side, CPAWS spent $15.5 million in 2024, an increase from $14.74 million in 2023. Conservation programs remained the primary focus, accounting for 78% of total expenditures. Operational costs included a temporary $321K loss from a capital transaction by CPAWS’s wholly owned subsidiary, which is expected to be recovered in the next fiscal year.
We are incredibly grateful to our donors, whose generosity enables us to continue our essential work to protect nature. Your support, combined with careful financial management, allows CPAWS to remain resilient and focused on achieving our conservation goals, despite the challenging economic climate. We are committed to using these resources effectively to protect Canada’s blue and green natural spaces for our children and grandchildren.
Laura Cui
National Director, Finance
Financial Statements
Foundation Financial Statements
The Foundation for Canadian Parks and Wilderness was established in 1993 to promote the conservation of natural land and marine ecosystems in Canada through public education, scientific studies and protections, and to receive donations, grants, and bequests to fund its administration as well as projects undertaken directly or by other organizations promoting the same objectives as the Foundation.
The Foundation specifically supports the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in its mission to advocate for the effective, long-term protection of ecologically- and culturally-significant land, freshwater and ocean areas in Canada, working in a way that respects the sovereignty and leadership of Indigenous nations.