First Light ST. John's Friendship Centre Inc.
Publicly funded institution · ST. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador · BN 119257772RR0001 · Organizations Relieving Poverty
Source: T3010 return, FPE 2024-03-31. Split of total expenditures ($8,599,784) as filed with the CRA.
First Light ST. John's Friendship Centre Inc. is a charitable organization based in ST. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, classified by the CRA under organizations relieving poverty. It appears on the charity register the way hospitals, universities, and other publicly funded bodies do — to issue tax receipts — rather than as a donation-driven charity in the usual sense. In its fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, it reported $8.7M in revenue and $8.6M in expenditures.
Its funding that year was roughly 52% from government, 6% from other charities. Government funding is the majority of its budget. In 2024, 15 other registered charities reported granting it a combined $244K.
Compared with 1,618 poverty-relief institutions of similar size, its share of spending on mission — charitable programs plus grants to other charities — ranked above 40% of peers. Its highest-paid positions fell in the $80,000–119,999 range (7 positions in that band). The charity reported 96 permanent full-time positions.
Revenue has grown substantially over its filings on record here, from $4.3M in 2020 to $8.7M in 2024. Its filed list of directors and trustees shows 7 names.
In its own words
The charity provides support and resources to people of indigenous ancestry in the city of st. John's. The organization also promotes awareness of indigenous culture. The services provided by the organization include hospital liaison patient pickup and drop off to and from the airport and hospitals hospital visitations and interpretations prison visits accommodations meals recreation and social activities job training programs liaison with government agencies and the promotion of indigenous artists within the province. The organization also has a ten room facility to …
Ongoing-program description from its T3010 filing, verbatim.
The ledger, 2020–2024
| Year | Revenue | Spending | Programs | Fundraising | Gifts out | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8.7M | $8.6M | $7.5M | — | — | $808K |
| 2023 | $7.2M | $7.2M | $6.3M | — | — | $743K |
| 2022 | $5.5M | $5.4M | $4.6M | — | — | $719K |
| 2021 | $5.2M | $5.2M | $4.4M | — | — | $508K |
| 2020 | $4.3M | $4.3M | $3.8M | — | — | $479K |
Revenue printed in red where the year ran a deficit. Fiscal years by period end.
Money between charities, 2024
Received $244K from 15 charities:
- The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada$96K
- The Canadian Red Cross Society$60K
- RBC Foundation$25K
- Canadian Women's Foundation$20K
- Canadian Women's Foundation$20K
- Canadian Online Giving Foundation$5,702
- Canadahelps Canadon$5,174
- BenefAction Foundation$5,000
- United Way of Newfoundland and Labrador Inc.$3,031
- Aqueduct Foundation$1,282
- CHIMP: Charitable Impact Foundation (Canada)$1,155
- Women's Economic Council$902
- PayPal Giving Fund Canada$367
- The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador$250
- United Way East Ontario / Centraide Est de l'Ontario$50
As reported on the donors’ own T3010 qualified-donee schedules.
What it pays
Its ten highest-paid positions, by band:
- $80,000–119,9997 positions
- $40,000–79,9993 positions
- Permanent full-time positions96
- Total compensation, all staff$4.5M
Schedule 3 of its 2024 return. The CRA discloses bands, not names or exact salaries.
Directors & trustees (2024)
Lisa Smith (secretary); Sophie Bennett (youth representative); Emma Reelis (elder); Patricia Keough (board member); Blair Benoit (president); Hasan Hai (secretary); Charlotte Jewczyk (board member).
As listed on its 2024 return.
Check the source
Every figure on this page is from First Light ST. John's Friendship Centre Inc.’s own T3010 filings, published by the Canada Revenue Agency. Verify against the CRA’s charities listing (search BN 119257772RR0001), or read how we compute the receipt.