Blind Beginnings Society
Charitable organization · Vancouver, British Columbia · BN 813290616RR0001 · Core Health Care · website
Source: T3010 return, FPE 2024-12-31. Split of total expenditures ($706,635) as filed with the CRA.
Blind Beginnings Society is a charitable organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia, classified by the CRA under core health care. In its fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, it reported $625K in revenue and $707K in expenditures. Spending exceeded revenue that year — the gap came out of reserves.
Its funding that year was roughly 17% from donations, 49% from government, 25% from other charities. In 2024, 19 other registered charities reported granting it a combined $177K.
Compared with 1,130 health charities of similar size, its share of spending on mission — charitable programs plus grants to other charities — ranked above 47% of peers. Its fundraising cost per donated dollar was higher than 78% of that peer group. Its highest-paid positions fell in the $80,000–119,999 range (2 positions in that band). The charity reported 8 permanent full-time positions.
Its filed list of directors and trustees shows 10 names.
In its own words
In 2024 Blind Beginnings continued to offer programs workshops counselling and support groups for children and youth who are blind or partially sighted in BC and their families. Our programs are delivered virtually and in person. We ran our in person summer camp for children teens and their parents/guardians and siblings We ran our virtual Creating Confidence workshop series and an in person LIFT (Life Skills Instructions for Teens) We continued our Community Discovery program in the Lower Mainland and Interior of BC and on Vancouver Island. We ran our Youth Leadership & Pre-employment…
Ongoing-program description from its T3010 filing, verbatim.
The ledger, 2020–2024
| Year | Revenue | Spending | Programs | Fundraising | Gifts out | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $625K | $707K | $564K | $70K | $0 | $200K |
| 2023 | $520K | $588K | $422K | $84K | $0 | $281K |
| 2022 | $565K | $532K | $397K | $70K | $0 | $350K |
| 2021 | $414K | $405K | $311K | $52K | $0 | $317K |
| 2020 | $490K | $340K | $231K | $57K | — | $308K |
Revenue printed in red where the year ran a deficit. Fiscal years by period end.
Money between charities, 2024
Received $177K from 19 charities:
- Walsh Foundation$60K
- The Jules Foundation$25K
- TELUS Friendly Future Foundation$11K
- Y.P. Heung Foundation$10K
- RBC Foundation$10K
- Canadian Online Giving Foundation$8,729
- Vancouver Foundation$7,417
- CKNW Kids' Fund$7,000
- Canadahelps Canadon$6,316
- Al Roadburg Foundation$5,500
- Chris-Spencer Foundation$5,000
- B.C. Social Venture Partners Foundation$5,000
- Face the World Foundation$5,000
- Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation$5,000
- The Hamber Foundation$2,500
- BC Government Employees Community Services Fund Trust$1,195
- PayPal Giving Fund Canada$1,065
- Nicola Wealth Private Giving Foundation$1,000
- CHIMP: Charitable Impact Foundation (Canada)$743
As reported on the donors’ own T3010 qualified-donee schedules.
What it pays
Its ten highest-paid positions, by band:
- $80,000–119,9992 positions
- $40,000–79,9995 positions
- $1–39,9991 position
- Permanent full-time positions8
- Total compensation, all staff$476K
Schedule 3 of its 2024 return. The CRA discloses bands, not names or exact salaries.
Directors & trustees (2024)
Kathie Johnson (vice president); Amit Gatenyo (member at large); Tamara Kropp (treasurer); Fernando Merino (member at large); Jordan Podealuk (secretary); Shawna Lawson (president); Peter Moroney (member at large); Leesa Schurman (member at large); Jugaad Singh (youth representative); Rob Sleath (member at large).
As listed on its 2024 return.
Check the source
Every figure on this page is from Blind Beginnings Society’s own T3010 filings, published by the Canada Revenue Agency. Verify against the CRA’s charities listing (search BN 813290616RR0001), or read how we compute the receipt.