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Canada Council for the Arts
Canada Council for the Arts reported $296.1 million in revenue and $290.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026. Of every $100 it spent, $92.79 went to program services, $7.21 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 88.1% of the total. Government grants made up 88.1%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $245,978 (Director and CEO). 42 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 16% between FY2021 and FY2026. Source: Form 990, FY2026.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $291MFor context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $296MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2026 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 92.8% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 7.2% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 88.1% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 88.1% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.4% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $245,978 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.08% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 42 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 15.1 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 10 of 10 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2026 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseHighest reported compensation
FY2026 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director and CEO Key employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $245,978 | $0 | $0 | $245,978 |
| Chief of Staff and Corp. Sec. Key employee, former, 37.5 hrs/week | $174,020 | $0 | $0 | $174,020 |
| Deputy Director General, Arts Granting Programs Key employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $165,244 | $0 | $0 | $165,244 |
| Senior Executive LEad for Cross-Sectoral Strategy and Initiatives Highest compensated employee, former, 37.5 hrs/week | $160,569 | $0 | $0 | $160,569 |
| Director, Granting Program Operations Highest compensated employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $143,780 | $0 | $0 | $143,780 |
| Chief Information Officer Highest compensated employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $140,696 | $0 | $0 | $140,696 |
| Director General, Strategy and Public Affairs Key employee, former, 37.5 hrs/week | $139,841 | $0 | $0 | $139,841 |
| Director, Arts Across Canada & Arts Abroad Highest compensated employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $138,048 | $0 | $0 | $138,048 |
42 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Canada Council for the Arts (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.9M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2026 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b10 · 10 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 50
Largest outside contractors
FY2026 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| Deloitte Inc IT Consulting | $2,882,969 |
| LeverageTek IT Solutions IT Support | $1,424,435 |
| PrecisionERP Incorporated IT Support | $509,959 |
| Cistel Technology Inc IT Support | $419,029 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 12 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Canada Council for the Arts's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Canada Council for the Arts, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Canada Council for the Arts spent in FY2026, $92.79 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Educational Media FoundationRocklin, CA · revenue $261M · programs 69.1% · 2024
- Metropolitan Opera AssociationNew York, NY · revenue $304M · programs 85.1% · FY2025
- The Museum of Fine Arts HoustonHouston, TX · revenue $255M · programs 75.1% · FY2025
- Harvard Business School Publishing CorporationBrighton, MA · revenue $314M · programs 93.5% · FY2025
- American Museum of Natural HistoryNew York, NY · revenue $247M · programs 83.1% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in
Questions people ask
How much of Canada Council for the Arts's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, Canada Council for the Arts reported that 92.8% of its $290.7 million in expenses went to program services, 7.2% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Canada Council for the Arts pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Canada Council for the Arts reported for one person in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 was $245,978, for the role of Director and CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Canada Council for the Arts get its money?
Of $296.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, 88.1% came from contributions and grants (including 88.1% from government grants) and 0.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Canada Council for the Arts a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 98-6000843 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))). Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2026: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, object 202612269349300131 · read the filing
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, object 202512259349302171 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, object 202402289349302600 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, object 202302369349301355 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, object 202202279349304065 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, object 202122239349301837 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 98-6000843: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.