Charity BreakdownCanadian charity filings, itemized

The Art Starts in Schools Society

Publicly funded institution · Vancouver, British Columbia · BN 897658936RR0001 · Support of Schools and Education · website

Your $100, itemizedThe Art Starts in Schools SocietyFiscal year ended December 31, 2024
Charitable programs$73
Gifts to other charities$25
Management & admin$2
TOTAL$100
RegisteredPublicly funded

Source: T3010 return, FPE 2024-12-31. Split of total expenditures ($2,433,077) as filed with the CRA.

The Art Starts in Schools Society is a charitable organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia, classified by the CRA under support of schools and education. 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 December 31, 2024, it reported $3.1M in revenue and $2.4M in expenditures.

Its funding that year was roughly 74% from government. Government funding is the majority of its budget. In 2024, 6 other registered charities reported granting it a combined $100K.

Compared with 1,247 education institutions of similar size, its share of spending on mission — charitable programs plus grants to other charities — ranked above 87% of peers. Its highest-paid positions fell in the $80,000–119,999 range (3 positions in that band). The charity reported 11 permanent full-time positions.

It reported gifts to 51 qualified donees totalling $605K in 2024, the largest being $44K to The Board of Education of School District No. 39 (Vancouver). Its filed list of directors and trustees shows 3 names.

In its own words

Artstarts in schools provides innovative arts programs for young people practical resources for teachers and artists and leadership in advocacy for arts in education. Programs and services include: booking and touring service for performance artists annual performing arts showcase professional development for artists and educators related to arts integration gallery exhibition of young people's arts with workshops and tours fee community arts programs grants to artists schools and school districts to support artistic experiences for young people.

Ongoing-program description from its T3010 filing, verbatim.

The ledger, 2020–2024

YearRevenueSpendingProgramsFundraisingGifts outNet assets
2024$3.1M$2.4M$1.8M$3,349$605K$752K
2023$2.3M$2.3M$1.7M$25K$458K$99K
2022$2.2M$2.6M$2.5M$13K—$88K
2021$2.4M$2.2M$2.1M$13K—$454K
2020$2.1M$2.1M$1.6M$32K—$236K

Revenue printed in red where the year ran a deficit. Fiscal years by period end.

Money between charities, 2024

Granted $605K to 51 qualified donees — largest 25 shown:

Full grant ledger — all 51 grants

As reported on the donors’ own T3010 qualified-donee schedules.

What it pays

Its ten highest-paid positions, by band:

  • $80,000–119,9993 positions
  • $40,000–79,9997 positions
  • Permanent full-time positions11
  • Total compensation, all staff$435K

Schedule 3 of its 2024 return. The CRA discloses bands, not names or exact salaries.

Directors & trustees (2024)

Steve Cardwell (chair); Jessica Lam (director); Alaine Brawley (treasurer).

As listed on its 2024 return.

Check the source

Every figure on this page is from The Art Starts in Schools Society’s own T3010 filings, published by the Canada Revenue Agency. Verify against the CRA’s charities listing (search BN 897658936RR0001), or read how we compute the receipt.