Funding accountability

Every day, four million people diagnosed with diabetes in Canada face countless moments of decision, courage, and hope. Those that support people with diabetes, from the researcher to the healthcare provider, have the power in any moment, to transform lives through a breakthrough or through a decision to act. In 2024, our focus was clear: rise to the moment. At every step, Diabetes Canada is there with all of them. Our 2024 annual impact report reflects not just our impact, but our growing momentum toward a future where diabetes no longer defines anyone’s life. With one diagnosis of diabetes every three minutes, we know the work must continue, and thanks to the generosity of donors, we’re meeting the moment together.

Read the report
 

Diabetes in Canada

More than 4 million people in Canada diagnosed with diabetes.

Every three minutes one person in Canada is diagnosed with diabetes.

80% of people living with diabetes in Canada have at least one health complication.

Living with diabetes can double the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious vascular conditions.

People in Canada living with diabetes may need to pay between $10,000 - $18,000 per year out of their own pocket for diabetes medications, devices and supplies.

Nearly 90% of people living with type 1 diabetes and 70% of people living with type 2 diabetes experience shame and blame for having diabetes.

Diabetes disproportionately impacts racialized and Indigenous communities in Canada, with South Asian and Black adults facing up to two times higher prevalence than white adults.

Over the past 50 years, Diabetes Canada has invested $166 million into ground-breaking research.

In 2024, total diabetes-related health expenditure in Canada is estimated to be 18.2 billion CAD annually — or approximately $50 million per day.

Where does support come from?

Diabetes Canada generates revenue from a diverse range of sources, including individual and corporate donations, government grants, and fundraising events.

What does funding support?

Where your donations make an impact

Research and Science

In 2024, thanks to donor generosity, Diabetes Canada’s actively invested in 83 diabetes research projects in Canada, including:

• 18 projects aiming to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
• 31 projects that hope to develop better diabetes treatments.
• 25 projects to address diabetes complications.
• 9 projects targeting a cure for diabetes.

Improving Management and Prevention

In 2024, Diabetes Canada worked hard to improve the management and prevention of diabetes, including by:

• Releasing a first-of-its-kind national survey on the prevalence of diabetes stigma to change the conversation around diabetes.
• Leading in our advocacy for improved access to diabetes medications, devices and supplies, resulting in the national pharmacare program and the diabetes device and supplies access fund.

Drive for Excellence in Diabetes Care

In 2024, Diabetes Canada drove excellence in care by:

• Responding to more than 16,000 inquiries from people living with diabetes and those that care for them were addressed through our 1-800-Banting line.
• Convening 1,600+ healthcare providers, scientists, researchers and more in Halifax, NS for the Diabetes Canada/CSEM Professional Conference to facilitate knowledge sharing and innovation. 
• Publishing Diabetes Canada’s Clinical Practice Guidelines to inform general patterns of care, inform public policy, empower people living with diabetes and more.

Helping Children and Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

In 2024, Diabetes Canada continued a 60-year tradition of offering a fun, medically supervised summer camp experience to more than 1,100 children and youth living with type 1 diabetes through our D-camp programs. Highlights include:

• 95% of camp attendees felt that the experience had a positive impact on their confidence. 
• 97% of caregivers indicated they made a special connection with another family.

How our mission pillars are reported 

Over the past few years, we have better articulated our mission work through the five pillars. To reflect this clarity, we're evolving our financial reporting to better align our program expenditures with our strategic priorities. For example, "Drive for excellence in diabetes care" now includes both our Diabetes Knowledge & Connection and Healthcare Provider Engagement & Education mission pillars.  

To ensure consistency and accuracy, this year's financial report includes reclassifications of the 2023 program results. These updates may differ from figures published in our 2023 annual impact report. As we implement our new strategic plan, we'll continue to review how our mission work is classified to ensure our reporting gives the most accurate picture of our impact.