Commonwealth _ A recent examination conducted by The Canadian Press unveiled that a select group of leaders within Canadian charities specializing in environmental, conservation, and animal welfare sectors are receiving compensation packages on par with, and sometimes surpassing, the salaries of provincial premiers. The investigation, based on filings with the federal government from 2022 and 2023, highlighted 17 charities where the top executives were drawing annual compensations ranging from $200,000 to over $250,000. These organizations, recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as registered charities within the “environment” and “animal protection” categories, include several dedicated to conservation efforts. Notably, this group of 17, with the highest salaries, represents slightly more than one percent of all charities within these categories. The chosen salary bracket of $200,000 to $250,000 was specifically identified as it mirrored the compensations of the two highest-paid provincial premiers in Canada at the time: Ontario’s Doug Ford, earning $208,974, and Quebec’s François Legault, earning $208,200. It’s worth noting that Legault’s salary has since increased to $270,120 after a 30-percent pay raise was approved for members of the legislature in June.
These findings shed light on a segment of charity leadership compensation that parallels or exceeds the earnings of high-ranking government officials within Canada. Information regarding compensation was sourced from the T3010 Registered Charity Information Return forms of each organization. The Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) definition of compensation encompasses salaries, bonuses, honorariums, and all other benefits provided to employees. Of the 864 registered charities examined within the two sectors, the vast majority rely on volunteers or have a workforce with modest salaries. Nearly 59 percent of these charities operate solely with volunteers, while 14 percent report no employees earning more than $40,000. An additional 15 percent have no employees earning beyond $80,000. The charity with the highest-paid executives identified was Ducks Unlimited Canada, situated in Manitoba. Its 2023 declaration revealed that two individuals earned over $350,000, three others received between $250,000 and $300,000, and four individuals were compensated between $200,000 and $250,000. The organization maintains a staff of 565 individuals, both full- and part-time. Government contributions to Ducks Unlimited amounted to just over $27 million for the year ending March 31, 2023, with donations contributing a quarter of its $140 million in revenue.
In defense of the remuneration packages, spokesperson Janine Massey communicated via email, stating, “Ducks Unlimited Canada is Canada’s largest nature conservancy… It is challenging to compare environmental non-profits due to the broad variation in mission, scale, and operational complexity.” Massey added, “We regularly conduct competitive compensation reviews and adjust our compensation accordingly to attract and retain highly skilled personnel.” Among organizations that responded to inquiries, the argument of competitiveness was frequently cited to justify the salaries.
Sylvie St-Onge, a management professor at Montreal’s HEC business school, specializing in compensation management, governance, and boards of directors, remarked that the green movement has evolved into a distinct industry. “When they compare themselves, they’re going to compare themselves to others in the industry who are like a core group of well-offs,” she noted. At the David Suzuki Foundation in Vancouver, one manager received compensation between $250,000 and $300,000 for the year ending Aug. 31, 2022, while three others fell within the $200,000-to-$250,000 bracket. Spokesperson Charles Bonhomme emphasized the organization’s commitment to fair employee compensation, highlighting that its offices are in Canada’s priciest cities: Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. The foundation, with just under a hundred employees, recently underwent staffing changes, rendering the salaries in the latest report outdated.
