Governance
Trust. Transparency. Leadership.
Meet our Board of Directors, read our annual reports and review our financial statements.
Backpack Buddies is a Five-Star, Top 100 Charity
You can read our full report on Charity Intelligence.
Our Vision
End the weekend hunger gap for children in British Columbia
Our Mission
Our mission is to ensure food security for every vulnerable child in British Columbia.
Board of Directors
Meet our experienced Board of Directors who are passionate about feeding hungry children across BC.
Community Impact Reports
We want you to know the impact of every dollar you give and invite you to explore our recent community impact reports.
-
Community Impact Report 2024-25
Read MoreBackpack Buddies acknowledges with gratitude that our work takes place on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and the Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim-speaking Skwxwú7mesh Uxwumixw (Squamish) Nations.
-
Community Impact Report 2023-24
Read MoreWe are excited to share our 2023/24 Community Impact Report with you. Inside, you’ll find highlights and achievements from the past year, stories from kids and families you have helped, and so much more.
-
Community Impact Report 2022/23
Read MoreDear Backpack Buddies Community, We are excited to share our 2022/23 Community Impact Report with you, and show you the difference you have made helping to feed hungry kids across BC this past year.
-
Community Impact Report 2021/22
Read MoreHi There! Through your support of Backpack Buddies you have put hope back on the table for thousands of families across BC this past year.
-
Community Impact Report 2020/2021
Read MoreThis past year, amidst unprecedented circumstances and uncertainty, you stood firmly with us and helped to get Backpack Buddies into the hands of hungry kids across BC.
-
Community Impact Report 2019/20
Read MoreWhat a year this has been for us all – especially for hungry children across the province.
-
Community Impact Report 2018\2019
Read MoreThanks to the generous support of people like you, 2018/19 was a banner year here at Backpack Buddies. Together, we raised more funding to deliver more bags of food to more students than ever before.…
-
Community Impact Report 2017/18
Read MoreA LETTER FROM OUR CO-FOUNDER, JOANNE Someone asked us recently what Backpack Buddies was all about. Without a moment of hesitation, I said, “Community.”
HOW WE PUT YOUR GIFTS TO WORK
Financial Reports
Below you’ll find our most recent financial statements as well as some of the most frequently asked questions about our finances.
DIG INTO OUR FINANCIALS
Financial FAQs
Want to learn more about our financials? Explore our FAQ below to discover how we approach fiscal responsibility, transparency and sustainability.
- We believe it is possible for every child in BC to have enough food to eat.
- We believe that when we promise to provide food for a child, they can count on us for as long as they need us.
These two principles guide the use of every dollar we raise. It means that we manage every dollar with great care. We invest in the health of our organization so that good people stay with us for the long term and we have a stable organization that families can count on to be here for years to come. It means that we invest in fundraising and the care of our donors so that we can continually grow to reach more and more children. We make sure to speak for children that cannot speak for themselves, encouraging governments, large companies, and our communities to support the most vulnerable children. It means we must keep reserve funds on hand so that we can keep our promise to children to support them, as long as they need us, no matter what unexpected financial storms arise. We make sure that every dollar provides food security for children in our program today and helps us reach more children across BC every year.
We make sure every dollar helps to get food into the hands of BC’s most vulnerable children. When you make a $25 donation to Backpack Buddies:
- $13.01 pays for food
- $7.34 pays for the warehouse, vehicles, and people that get the food into the hands of children
- $4.16 helps to raise more money so we can help even more children
- $0.49 makes sure we fulfill our responsibilities like providing tax receipts and managing our finances properly
We make sure that every dollar provides food security for children in our program today and helps us reach more children across BC every year.
* Based on our 2024/25 financial statements
Families, companies, foundations, and government have stepped up to help vulnerable children have enough to eat. We are grateful for all our generous supporters.
- 67% of our funding comes from individuals and companies
- 33% of our funding comes from grants
* Based on our 2023/24 financial statements
Children in the Backpack Buddies program live in food-insecure families – they do not have enough food to eat and struggle with the devastating and lifelong impacts of hunger and nutritional deprivation. When Backpack Buddies steps in, we offer our promise that we will be there for them, providing a source of food every weekend that they can count on as long as they need us. Keeping this promise means establishing financial stability in our organization to weather financial fluctuations that could otherwise threaten our ability to support children counting on us.
Our goal is to hold a cash reserve equivalent to 12 months of the cost of food for our program and 6 months of operating expenses, ensuring that children in our program will not be affected by fluctuations in donations from month to month.
Today, there are nearly 288,000 children in BC who are going hungry. One day, we hope to be able help them all.