2019 Impact Report

"My hope is that Kids Help Phone’s reach and resources will one day be known to all Indigenous youth in Canada, and that they’ll know they always have someone to speak to in moments of need or crisis."

– Jules Koostachin, Co-Chair, 2019 Indigenous Advisory Council and Member, 2019 Board of Directors

"We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to be heard and supported in their time of struggle. Kids Help Phone offers a service that is nimble, accessible, compassionate and allows young people to feel safe and protected when reaching out for help."

– Tami Cope, donor and Member, 2019 Board of Directors

"Keeping in time with our rapidly evolving, technology-based society, the decision to support chatbot technology seemed like a logical next step to be able to reach an increasing number of young people in distress in the most efficient manner possible."

– Christina Sharma, donor and daughter of Patrick and Barbara Keenan

"Kids need to know that people care, that there’s someone out there who will listen. My life path has been the result of my decision that day to call, and that’s why I’m so committed to giving back."

– Jenifer Brousseau, past service user and proud ambassador

"I feel my voice is always included and valued. It’s so important that an organization serving young people is taking into account the experiences, insights and suggestions of youth and that’s exactly what Kids Help Phone is doing."

– Matthew McLaughlin, Co-Chair, 2019 National Youth Council and Member, 2019 Board of Directors

Message from our leadership

Charles BrownChair, Board of Directors

Jules KoostachinCo-Chair, Indigenous Advisory Council

Matthew McLaughlin
Co-Chair, National Youth Council

In times of hope or crisis, optimism or despair, you show up — advocating, investing, volunteering, partnering — to ensure that Kids Help Phone can continue to be there when, where and how young people need us.

Together, we’re always there. Today, more than ever, we need to be.

Over the past 30 years, we have been there for youth across Canada through extraordinary shifts in technology, politics and culture. We’ve been there through major world events, national tragedies and local challenges.

Today, we’re here as young people grapple with climate change, cyberbullying and now a global pandemic — on top of the struggles they already face related to friendships, relationships, family, school and so much more.

In 2019, Kids Help Phone’s team of professional counsellors and trained volunteer Crisis Responders fielded a record 1.9 million interactions with young people in every part of Canada — reflecting the urgency of our role as the only 24/7, bilingual and nationally available e-mental health service in the country. It was a year of extraordinary growth as we developed increasingly innovative solutions to meet ever-growing demand.

Going into 2020, we were already on track to engage in 2.5 million conversations with kids from coast to coast to coast. And then the pandemic struck — a public health crisis, and a mental health crisis.

Once again, more than ever, we showed up together for kids across Canada. From a wave of emergency investments from our donor community to the over 6,500 people in Canada who raised their hands to volunteer as Crisis Responders so we could meet unprecedented demand, you were there so we could be there.

Always there, together.

The response we have been able to mobilize so far in 2020 could not have been achieved without the groundwork that was laid in 2019. In this report, we look back on the year that accelerated our evolution in every possible way: from cutting-edge technology to outreach into Canada’s most vulnerable communities, from expansion of services to bold new thinking that has now enabled us to respond to an unforeseen global crisis.

You make all of this possible. Thank you for showing up for youth, every step of the way.

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INNOVATION AND EVOLUTION

Video Transcript

How you
showed up for youth

In 2019, young people in every province and territory of Canada reached out to Kids Help Phone in unprecedented numbers. This surge in demand was in direct response to transformational innovations in technology and service availability that dramatically enhanced young people’s ability to access support at the moment they needed it.

As the needs of young people change and evolve, you help us change and evolve right along with them.

In late 2018, your support enabled the national launch of our innovative texting service, Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone, in response to the fact that 71 per cent of young people prefer non-verbal communication methods. Since then, hundreds of thousands of young people have reached out to us via text, signalling a bold new era for technology-enhanced youth mental health support in Canada. Also in 2018, your investments made it possible for our online Live Chat service to become available 24/7, so that young people can access the help they need at any time of day or night.

Because if we’re not there at 2 a.m., who else will be?

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By the numbers: Your impact on youth in Canada

71.5%

increase in overall demand from 2018 to 2019

increase in phone and Live Chat sessions

199000

conversations with young people through phone, chat and text

1.9 Million

contacts with young people, or 5,270 daily interactions (19% increase from 2018)

increase in visits to self-directed online tools and resources

1.7 Million

visits to self-directed online tools and resources, or 4,700 visits per day (53% increase from 2018)

Your support makes it possible for us to be there, always. Thank you for showing up for youth, every day.

Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation invests in the next phase of technology-driven evolution

In 2019, Kids Help Phone was thrilled to announce a major new investment from long-time supporter the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation to enable the next bold new phase in our evolution: the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to connect young people more effectively and more efficiently with the support they need at the moment they need it.

The Navigation Technology Program powered by Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation at Kids Help Phone, fuelled by a generous multi-year commitment, will see the integration of “chatbots” into our service platforms to triage conversations based on urgency, reduce wait times and ensure young people are able to quickly access the services that will best meet their needs.

Christina Sharma, daughter of Patrick and Barbara Keenan, says that her family’s decision to invest in the Navigation Technology Program came from a deeply personal place. “As a young person, I struggled with mental illness at a time when open discussion about mental health was not common and resources for accessing support were not readily available,” she says. “When I learned of Kids Help Phone, I immediately felt compelled to support it so that today’s young people would have access to help when they need it most."

“Keeping in time with our rapidly evolving, technology-based society, the decision to support chatbot technology seemed like a logical next step to be able to reach an increasing number of young people in distress in the most efficient manner possible.”

We look forward to sharing more details about this revolutionary new phase in our history and future as it rolls out in the coming months. To our friends and partners at the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation, thank you for your generosity and for sharing our vision to change and save more lives through the power of technology.

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Jenifer’s story: A moment of crisis, a lifetime of impact

“The healing I received that day from Kids Help Phone has carried me through to the present,” she says. “Had I not contacted Kids Help Phone, I would have missed out on a really cool life.”

George and Tami Cope: Pioneers of the mental health revolution

Long before mental health was a mainstream conversation in Canada, Tami and George Cope were pushing for action — and asking people to talk.

Always there:
30 years of Kids Help Phone

To mark the milestone 30^th anniversary of Kids Help Phone, we published a special history of the organization and its evolving impact on young people across Canada over the past three decades — made possible every step of the way by the enduring commitment, compassion and generosity of our extraordinary community of donors and supporters.

As the nation’s young people have changed, we’ve changed with them. Always there.

Read Now

YOUTH VOICES AND HUMAN IMPACT

Kids ask teens questions about bullying CBC Kids News

Video Transcript

Meet National Youth Council Co-Chairs Matthew McLaughlin and David Fan

The state of youth mental health in Canada today

Less than 20%

of young people in Canada in need of mental health support are able to receive it.

First Nations youth

Rates of suicide among First Nations youth are five to six times higher than the general population, while suicide rates among Inuit youth are up to 25 times higher.

Young people

between the ages of 15 and 24 are more likely to experience mental ill-health than any other age demographic.

Suicide

is the second leading cause of death for young people in Canada between 10 and 24.

Help us show up for youth today and every day. Learn more and donate.

COMMUNITIES MOBILIZED

Kids Help Phone’s incredible community of donors, volunteers and supporters showed up for youth with courage, conviction and determination like never before in 2019. Here, we’ve put the spotlight on a few of the champions who made a difference and achieved major milestones in their support for youth mental health.

Walk so Kids Can Talk presented by BMO

On May 5, 2019, people across Canada united in support of Kids Help Phone at the 18^th annual Walk so Kids Can Talk.

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Boston Pizza Foundation "Future Prospects"

Boston Pizza Foundation is showing up for youth! Since 1995, Boston Pizza Foundation’s Future Prospects giving program has raised $4 million for Kids Help Phone as part of its mission to inspire kids across Canada to achieve their greatest potential.

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The Grocery Foundation’s Night to Nurture Gala

2019 marked the milestone 40^th anniversary of The Grocery Foundation’s Night to Nurture Gala, one of the largest fundraising dinners in North America.

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15^th annual Homes for the Holidays

In late November 2019, Vancouverites participated in the 15^th annual Homes for the Holidays, a two-day self-guided home tour and Kids Help Phone fundraiser that’s become a beloved annual tradition.

Seven luxurious homes in West Vancouver opened their doors to a team of professional designers, home décor retailers and florists to get ready for the festive season and inspire visitors with holiday cheer. In just two days, over $113,000 was raised to advance reach and impact in communities from coast to coast to coast — contributing to a grand total of more than $1.07 million raised since the event’s inception.

Thank you to all of our incredible sponsors, guests, homeowners, designers and decorators for making this special event possible and showing up for youth!

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10^th annual Ruth Goldbloom Ladies Golf Classic

The 10^th annual Ruth Goldbloom Ladies Golf Classic was another wonderful day on the green in support of Kids Help Phone!

Held in honour and memory of celebrated community leader Ruth Goldbloom, O.C., who dedicated so much of her volunteer career to supporting a wide range of youth-related causes, this impactful event has raised over $1 million since 2009.

In 2019, this milestone event raised over $190,000 to help young people access crisis support through phone, text and chat services. Ruth’s Eagles, a group of eight individuals who each committed to a gift of $10,000 or more, contributed significantly to this incredible result. Thank you, Ruth’s Eagles!

We extend our deepest gratitude to all guests and sponsors of the 10^th annual Ruth Goldbloom Ladies Golf Classic, including Presenting Sponsor BMO Bank of Montreal and the entire Goldbloom family.

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Singer Shawnee on being an advocate for LGBTQ2S+ youth

“I want youth to feel in charge of their own well-being, even when the world in their moment is not something they have control of."

These are words shared by Shawnee, an Indigenous singer/songwriter, youth mental health ally and Kids Help Phone champion. In the lead-up to Pride Month 2019, Shawnee — who is Mohawk and identifies as two-spirit — spoke with our team about the challenges she faced growing up as an Indigenous member of the LGBTQ2S+ community and how other LGBTQ2S+ youth who may be struggling can find strength and hope.

We are deeply grateful to Shawnee for sharing her story and showing up for youth. Read her full interview here.

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We Need to Talk

In November, our founding partners — Bell, BMO, Nestlé Canada and Parmalat Canada — came together for an unforgettable evening of conversation about the state of youth mental health in Canada today, 30 years after they first joined forces to help launch Kids Help Phone.

National Hockey League Players’ Association

Beginning with the 2017-18 hockey season, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) launched a three-year partnership with Kids Help Phone to show up for youth by raising awareness about youth mental health in communities across Canada.

Sipology by Steeped Tea

On the surface, Tonia Jahshan seemed to have it all. Her premier tea business — Sipology by Steeped Tea — was booming thanks to her successful 2012 pitch on Dragons’ Den, which won the support of investors Jim Treliving and David Chilton. She had three beautiful children. She was a role model for women entrepreneurs everywhere.

Message from Kathy

Katherine Hay President & CEO

It takes a nation to show up for youth.

Young people in Canada are facing a historic mental health crisis. From cyberbullying to climate change, economic uncertainty to a global pandemic, the challenges facing young people today are greater and more complex than ever before.

But they are never alone. With your support — your tireless generosity, advocacy and volunteerism — Kids Help Phone is there, always, in every moment of need and at any time of day or night. We are there because you make it possible for us to be.

Together, we are igniting tectonic shifts in the landscape of youth mental healthcare in Canada, just as we have since day one.

But there is still so much work to be done. That’s why, in 2019 — the year of our 30^th anniversary and the year that laid the groundwork for what’s to come — we launched our Innovation Imperative to guide us through to a new era of unprecedented impact as we continue to manage unprecedented demand.

Most ambitious and necessary of all, by 2030 we envision having the capacity to be there for all 8.2 million young people in Canada if and when they need us.

This goal can only be achieved with your support, which powers cutting-edge, data-driven technology and targeted strategies that make it possible for us to keep up with the rapidly changing needs of young people in the 21^st century. Your generosity is also what enables us to deepen our reach into communities of young people who are potentially vulnerable — those who are Indigenous, LGBTQ2S+ or living in remote or rural areas. Whether you are a donor, a volunteer or a passionate advocate, your partnership is the catalyst for profound, long-term impact for young people in every part of Canada.

And so, just as we have for the past 30 years, we must continue to show up for youth — together, as only Canada can!

Thank you for being there for the millions of young people who turn to Kids Help Phone year after year. Thank you for your compassion and generosity. Thank you for helping us to be there, always, so that young people in Canada are never alone.

We’re all in this together.

Katherine Hay Signature

Katherine Hay President & CEO

Read more

FINANCIALS AND DONORS

In 2019, Kids Help Phone’s team of professional counsellors and trained volunteer Crisis Responders fielded a record 1.9 million interactions with young people across Canada. Thanks to our dedicated donors and government partners, it was a year of extraordinary growth as we developed increasingly innovative solutions to meet ever-growing demand.

Thank you for showing up for youth!

2019 Revenue	Amount	% Total of Revenue
Events	$6,183,930	29.8%
General Donations and Grants	$6,483,880	31.3%
Government Grants
— Service Delivery	$4,539,184	21.9%
— Good2Talk*	$3,373,452	16.3%
Other	$149,549	0.7%
	Total$20,729,995

2019 Expenses	Amount	% Total of Expenses
Service Delivery
— Kids Help Phone	$10,693,495	52.4%
— Good2Talk*	$3,373,452	16.5%
Fundraising	$4,585,920	22.5%
Administration and Other	$1,770,788	8.7%
	Total$20,423,655

*Good2Talk: Kids Help Phone provides professional telephone counselling 24/7 to post-secondary students as a project partner in this Ontario and Nova Scotia Government-funded initiative.

Kids Help Phone is proud to be accredited with the Imagine Canada Standards Program, which holds us to the highest standards of ethical and financial accountability. The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under license by Kids Help Phone.

If you have any questions about how we fundraise, please contact us at 1-800-268-3062. Complete audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 are available upon request and on our website.

Since 1989, Kids Help Phone has shown up for youth by advocating for their mental health and pioneering new technology to offer them support. Our supporters ensure young people are never alone by providing them with 24/7 access to e-mental health support.

Thank you to all of our wonderful donors and government partners who ensure young people get the support they need, when they need it most.

Government Partners

The Government of Canada

The Government of Alberta

The Government of New Brunswick

The Government of the Northwest Territories

The Government of Nova Scotia

The Government of Ontario

The Government of Saskatchewan

Founding Partners

Bell Canada

BMO Financial Group

Lactalis Canada

Nestlé Canada

$500,000+

Anonymous

Canada Health Infoway

The Grocery Foundation

$250,000+

Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects

IWK Health Centre

Marshalls, a division of TJX Canada

RBC Foundation

The Slaight Family Foundation

$100,000+

AIR MILES® Rewards Program

Anonymous

The Co-operators Group Limited

Dalhousie University

Sophie Desmarais

Great West Life / London Life / Canada Life

Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation

Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

The Source Bell Electronics

SYNNEX Canada

$50,000+

Canada Post Community Foundation

Estate of Jane Cox

The Walt Disney Company

Facebook

Farm Business Consultants Inc.

Landmark Cinemas

Steve Laut, Lori Egger, Danae and Tristan Laut

Ledcor Group

Vale

The Werklund Foundation

W. Brett Wilson

$10,000+

American Eagle Outfitters Foundation

Anonymous

Aon in Canada

Salman Asaf

The Azrieli Foundation

Bell Media

Bereskin & Parr LLP

J.P. Bickell Foundation

Bluenotes

Charles and Kathryn Brown

The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited

Calgary Foundation

Campbell Company of Canada

CCL Group

CIBC Children’s Foundation

CKNW Kids' Fund

Coaching Association of Canada

George and Tami Cope

Desjardins Foundation

Pamela Dillon & Family Gift Fund

Laura Dobson

Dominos Pizza of Canada

Earlston Investments Corp.

Russell A. Farrow Limited

Jane Filbee

First Choice Haircutters

Greg Flannagan

Ronen Fleischmann Memorial Fund

Friends First Organization

General Mills Canada

Frederick Ghahramani

Giant Tiger Stores Limited

The R K Grant Family Foundation

Paul and Sue Griffith Foundation

Halifax Youth Foundation

Kathy Hay

Audrey S. Hellyer Charitable Foundation

Husky Energy

Ted and Enid Jansen Fund at the Calgary Foundation

Kal Tire

KPMG Vaughan Metropolitan Centre

Lang Family Foundation

Bernard le Duc and Femke De Meester

LifeLabs

Tom Little and Ann Sutherland

Jack and Faye MacDonald

Macdonald Youth Services

Paul and Lia Marcotte

MaxWell Realty Inc.

Brian McIntosh

The Moller Family Foundation

Mucho Burrito, a division of MTY Group

Graham Munro Charitable Foundation

National Hockey League Players’ Association

The Nicola Family

Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation

Wendy Paquette

Pitblado Family Foundation

Andree Rheaume and Robert Fitzhenry Family Foundation

Lynn Roger

Royal Bank of Canada

Richard Rudderham and Diane Kennedy

Silver Icing Inc.

SYNNEX on behalf of Y.S. Educational Foundation

TD Bank Group

ADT by TELUS

The Tenaquip Foundation

Mr. Eric Tripp and Mrs. Maria Smith

True Patriot Love Foundation

United Way Newfoundland and Labrador

Walmart Canada

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.

The Wolrige Foundation

Youth Mental Health and Technology PRISM

OUR PEOPLE

Thank you to the inspiring volunteers and staff who courageously stepped up to give young people a lifeline of help and hope.

Chair

Charles Brown Ontario President & CEOLifeLabs

Vice Chair

Lynn Roger Ontario Global Head, Employee Experience & Workplace Transformation, Human Resources (Retired)BMO Financial Group

Treasurer

Dwayne Vinck Alberta Chartered Accountant

Secretary

Hatty Reisman Ontario Lawyer Reisman Law Offices

Board of Directors

Kevin Chan Ontario Global Director of Public Policy, Canada Facebook | Instagram

Tami Cope OntarioDirector (Retired)Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Mike Davis Nova Scotia PartnerDavis Pier Consulting

Lori Egger, PhD, R.Psych AlbertaPsychologist

Carolyn P. Everson OntarioPresidentThe Everson Company

Bianca Fusco Zanatta British ColumbiaPrincipalM. Zanatta Homes & Designs

Scott Goodman OntarioChief People and Legal Affairs OfficerAvante Logixx

Michael Green OntarioPresident & CEOCanada Health Infoway

Paul Griffith Nova ScotiaFounderOver The Edge

Gordon Hicks OntarioCEOBGIS

François Hudon QuebecHead, North American Customer ContactCenters (CCC)BMO Financial Group

Jules Koostachin, PhD British Columbia PhD Candidate at UBC, Filmmaker

Christine Lithgow OntarioPresident & CEO (Retired)Aon Reed Stenhouse Inc.

Tim McGuire OntarioCEOMobile Klinik

Matthew McLaughlin New BrunswickChairKids Help Phone National Youth Council

Jennifer Mills Nova ScotiaChief Operating OfficerSmallfood Inc.

Jayne Payette OntarioPresident, Ice Cream DivisionNestlé Canada

Brian Ross OntarioPresident & CEOPrecima Inc

Dr. Valerie Taylor, PhD AlbertaDepartment Head, PsychiatryUniversity of Calgary

Sharon Wyse Hrdlitschka British ColumbiaSenior Account Executive (Retired)Bell

Iven Zanardo OntarioGeneral Manager Foodservice, Ingredients and ExportParmalat Canada

Co-Chairs

Jules Koostachin, PhD

Ashley Rose Cummings

Members

Andre Bear

Michael Redhead Champagne

Randall Crowe

Kieran B. Drachenberg

Reina Foster

Robert Henry, PhD

Evan Sault

Brittany Whynot

Roda Grey

Co-Chairs

Matthew McLaughlin

David Fan

Communication Coordinator

Julia Caddy

Members

Jahmar James

Kate Lau

Katie Clarke

Kieran Drachenber

Mehul Gupta

Nazanin Soghrati

Phyllis Huang

Maxine Chevrier

Zuhal Ahmadi

Laetitia Rajput

Harjot Kular

Hailey Noseworthy

Haley Marion McLean

River Turner

Message from our leadership

INNOVATION AND EVOLUTION

How you showed up for youth

By the numbers: Your impact on youth in Canada

Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation invests in the next phase of technology-driven evolution

YOUTH VOICES AND HUMAN IMPACT

The state of youth mental health in Canada today

COMMUNITIES MOBILIZED

Message from Kathy

FINANCIALS AND DONORS

Our financials

Our donors and government partners

OUR PEOPLE

Board of Directors

Indigenous Advisory Council

National Youth Council

How you
showed up for youth