Unison Society
Charitable organization · Calgary, Alberta · BN 118979947RR0001 · Organizations Relieving Poverty · website
Source: T3010 return, FPE 2024-12-31. Split of total expenditures ($7,598,348) as filed with the CRA.
Unison Society is a charitable organization based in Calgary, Alberta, classified by the CRA under organizations relieving poverty. In its fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, it reported $7.3M in revenue and $7.6M in expenditures.
Its funding that year was roughly 10% from donations, 38% from government, 14% from other charities. In 2024, 22 other registered charities reported granting it a combined $602K.
Compared with 1,125 poverty-relief charities of similar size, its share of spending on mission — charitable programs plus grants to other charities — ranked above 13% of peers. Its fundraising cost per donated dollar was higher than 87% of that peer group. Its highest-paid position fell in the $160,000–199,999 range. The charity reported 64 permanent full-time positions.
Revenue has grown substantially over its filings on record here, from $4.2M in 2020 to $7.3M in 2024. Its filed list of directors and trustees shows 12 names.
In its own words
Active Aging-registered and drop-in fitness & academic courses Unison Travel Wise Owl Boutique Fitness Studio/ Fitness class Membership Special Events Woodshop Wellness Connection Centre—mental health and wellness programs Seniors Supports—assistance with housing/benefits/pension applications tax filing information resources Volunteers Adult Day Program Thrive—Free Food Markets & Food Basket Delivery Community Pantry Grocery Delivery Wellness market Community Kitchen Meals on Wheels Elder Abuse Shelter
Ongoing-program description from its T3010 filing, verbatim.
The ledger, 2020–2024
| Year | Revenue | Spending | Programs | Fundraising | Gifts out | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7.3M | $7.6M | $4.9M | $540K | — | $8.1M |
| 2023 | $7.7M | $7.5M | $5.9M | $184K | — | $8.4M |
| 2022 | $9.2M | $6M | $4.7M | $120K | $11K | $8.3M |
| 2021 | $4.3M | $4.2M | $3.4M | $28K | — | $5M |
| 2020 | $4.2M | $3.6M | $2.9M | $38K | — | $4.8M |
Revenue printed in red where the year ran a deficit. Fiscal years by period end.
Money between charities, 2024
Received $602K from 22 charities:
- The Calgary Foundation$276K
- United Way of Calgary and Area$150K
- Hunter Family Foundation$75K
- Calgary CO-Op Community Foundation$20K
- Gatzsch Family Foundation$19K
- Canadahelps Canadon$11K
- Community Foundation of Medicine Hat and Southeastern Alberta$10K
- Canadian Online Giving Foundation$7,819
- United Active Living Foundation$7,500
- Wayne Foo Foundation$5,000
- Charitable Gift Funds Canada Foundation$4,400
- Aqueduct Foundation$4,000
- Food Banks Canada/Banques Alimentaires Canada$2,500
- Medicine Hat Realtors' Charitable Foundation$2,500
- ATCO Electric Epic$1,402
- Strategic Charitable Giving Foundation$1,210
- Abundance Canada$1,000
- Maunders McNeil Foundation Inc.$1,000
- United Way of Calgary and Area$1,000
- The Georgina Foundation$500
- Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire$500
- Ursuline Religious of the Diocese of London in Ontario$250
As reported on the donors’ own T3010 qualified-donee schedules.
What it pays
Its ten highest-paid positions, by band:
- $160,000–199,9991 position
- $80,000–119,9997 positions
- $40,000–79,99956 positions
- Permanent full-time positions64
- Total compensation, all staff$4.6M
Schedule 3 of its 2024 return. The CRA discloses bands, not names or exact salaries.
Directors & trustees (2024)
Richard Parker (board of directors chair); Larry Mathieson (ceo and president); Hank Heerema (director emeritus); Peter Molzan (director); Deborah Durda (director); Jacquelyn Poetker (secretary); Gord Nott (director); Marianne Rogerson (director); Gail Lai (director); Jenna Naylor (director); Rein Saar (director); Kenneth Lin (treasurer).
As listed on its 2024 return.
Check the source
Every figure on this page is from Unison Society’s own T3010 filings, published by the Canada Revenue Agency. Verify against the CRA’s charities listing (search BN 118979947RR0001), or read how we compute the receipt.