Research Outline

Toronto Immigration Charities

Goals

To vet charity organizations in Toronto that focus on immigration in order to make a decision regarding potential donations.

Early Findings

Toronto has approximately 69 charities and organizations that work within the immigration space. A few examples are Access Alliance, Lifeline Syria, Catholic Crosscultural Services, and Christie Refugee Welcome Center.

Access Alliance

  • Access Alliance, founded in 1989, provides health services and community programs to immigrants, refugees, and thier communities.
  • The organization is accredited by the Canadian Centre for Accreditation and is a United Way member agency.
  • The primary health care team provides culturally sensitive health care and education to disadvantaged immigrants and refugees.
  • The community programs include peer-to-peer outreach, prenatal support, LGBTQ+ programs, youth programs, and financial literacy programs focusing on immigrants and refugees.
  • The organizations settlement services help immigrants and refugees adjust to life in Toronto and offers resources for job hunting, language services, and housing.
  • Access Alliance has 21,121 active clients and has served over 82,000 on-demand interpreting calls.
  • In 2018, 30% of the organization's revenue was spend on service delivery.

LifeLine Syria

  • LifeLine Syria was founded in 2015 as a result of the growing Syrian refugee crisis in Canada.
  • The organization trains sponsors in the GTA to help support Syrian families during their first year in the country.
  • They also work with pro bono lawyers to help process refugee applications accurately.
  • Donations to LifeLine Syria are managed and distributed by the Toronto Foundation.

Catholic Crosscultural Services

  • CCS was founded in 1954 to help newcomers to Toronto despite "race, religion, age, country of origin, immigration status or political affiliation."
  • The organization provides settlement services, English classes, employment support, women support, and refugee sponsorship training.
  • In 2018, CCS served over 24,000 clients.
  • Roughly 13% of the organization's income was spent on service delivery including program allocations and program expenses.

Christie Refugee Welcome Center

  • The CRWC offers emergency shelter and settlement services to refugees from all ethnicities.
  • It was founded in 1989 under the umbrella of World Vision Canada.
  • The organization's shelter program runs in cooperation with the City of Toronto. It is a 76 bed unit supporting more than 25 families daily.
  • The outreach program was developed in 2006 and works to help refugees as they transition from the shelter program into their own homes.
  • In 2018, the organization had over 4,800 outreach sessions, served over 250 refugees in the shelter, and helped 100 families transition into permanent housing.
  • According to the 2017 annual report, CRWC spent 12% of its revenue on client care and another 8% on facility upkeep.