A celebration of a nation-wide community of people who care about ending world hunger—that’s what being named to Charity Intelligence’s list of 2021 Canada’s Top 10 Impact charities means for Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
The annual list by Charity Intelligence examines the impact per dollar donated to an organization. It’s the fourth time the organization has been named to the list.
“We’re truly proud of receiving this recognition, particularly in light of all the challenges that have marked this last year and a half,” says Andy Harrington, Foodgrains Bank executive director. “Delivering emergency food in times of humanitarian crisis is rarely smooth and straight-forward at the best of times, and doing so in a global pandemic has only intensified how difficult this can be.”
Some Foodgrains Bank-supported projects focus on providing emergency food assistance through distribution of food rations, vouchers redeemable at local shops, cash, or a combination of these. Other supported projects help families in the longer term, often by providing agricultural training and support to farmers working on small plots of land who struggle to produce enough crops to meet their family’s needs.
“Being mindful of the trust our supporters place in us when they choose to donate to the work of ending world hunger, this designation takes on additional meaning. We’re grateful for the added layer of trust and accountability that comes with a ranking such as that of Charity Intelligence,” he says.
Foodgrains Bank supporters also appreciate the added layer of accountability the ranking provides. Pearl Braun Dyck of Plum Coulee, Manitoba, organizes an annual fundraising concert on behalf of the Foodgrains Bank. For her, the ranking tells her that “the organization is good stewards of what God has given us. (As a concert organizer), I can confidently ask people for donations, and know that their donations won’t be wasted,” she says.
Charity Intelligence is a third-party independent organization that examines different Canadian charities annually and assigns ratings based on donor reporting, financial transparency, funding need, cents to the cause, and demonstrated impact. The Top 10 Impact Charity list is a subset of the larger list, and examines only one thing: for every dollar donated, what is the impact?
–Amanda Thorsteinsson, Senior communications officer
Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end hunger. In the 2020-21 budget year, the Foodgrains Bank provided $49 million of assistance for 989,000 people in 33 countries. Canadian Foodgrains Bank programs are undertaken with support from the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. Assistance from the Foodgrains Bank is provided through its member agencies, which work with local partners in the developing world.
