Understanding Canada’s international cooperation landscape
Explore data on organizations, funding, geographic reach, and thematic priorities across Canada’s international cooperation community.
What we mean by the Canadian International Cooperation Sector
For purposes of this dashboard, the Canadian international cooperation sector is defined as the diversity of Canadian civil society and non-governmental organizations working across borders to address global challenges of poverty, inequalities, respect for human rights, economic development, the impacts of conflict, environmental destruction and climate change at country or regional level. The platform also includes Canadian non-governmental organizations undertaking focused Canadian global education and public engagement in international cooperation.
Why ATLAS Matters
Canada’s international cooperation sector is diverse, global, and interconnected.
ATLAS brings together publicly available data to help build a shared understanding of the sector, its size, composition, priorities, reach, and evolution over time.
Whether you are looking to inform strategy, support advocacy, identify trends, strengthen partnerships, or conduct research, ATLAS provides a new way to explore and understand the sector.
Use Cases
Advocacy & Policy Engagement
Use ATLAS to support evidence-based discussions about Canada’s international cooperation sector.
Example: A coalition preparing recommendations for the federal government can use ATLAS data to demonstrate the sector’s geographic reach, thematic priorities, and contribution to Canada’s international engagement.
Partnership Building & Collective Action
Use ATLAS to identify opportunities for collaboration and collective action.
Example: Organizations, coalitions, and networks can explore who is active in particular thematic or geographic areas and identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration.
Policy, Funding & Investment Decisions
Use ATLAS to inform funding, policy, and investment discussions.
Example: Government departments, foundations, and other funders can use ATLAS to better understand the composition, reach, and thematic priorities of Canada’s international cooperation sector when designing programs, partnerships, or funding initiatives.
Research, Teaching & Learning
Use ATLAS to support research, teaching, and sector learning.
Example: Researchers and educators can use ATLAS to explore trends in international cooperation, examine sector dynamics, and bring real-world data into classrooms, training programs, and research projects.
Strategic Planning & Organizational Positioning
Use ATLAS to understand where your organization fits within the broader sector.
Example: An NGO working on climate resilience can explore sector trends, identify areas of concentration, and better understand how its work relates to broader sector priorities.
An immersive experience
Nine years of Canadian cooperation, one moving map.
Before the figures, follow the data as a story — country by country, year by year, on an interactive map that shifts beside you as the nine years go by.
Enter the experience →Explore by year
The snapshot below reflects 2023 data. Change the year anytime with the selector in the top bar — the charts, headline figures, and labels all refresh across 2015–2023.
All dollar amounts stay in constant 2023 Canadian dollars (the reference year) no matter which year you select, so figures remain directly comparable from one year to the next.
Scale & Snapshot — 2023
$3.4 billion in reported sector revenue in 2023.
This snapshot combines 2023 revenue reported through CRA T3010 filings with Global Affairs Canada disbursement data for universities and institutions and for organizations that do not file T3010 returns. The Mastercard Foundation is presented separately.
Revenue mix — all sources
1.24B $
Contributed by individuals and communities in 2023. Combines tax-receipted donations and other public contributions reported through CRA charitable filings in 2023.
Source: CRA T3010 charitable filings. Revenue-source breakdowns are not available for non-CRA reporting organizations.
The 2023 dataset includes 408 Canadian international cooperation organizations identified through CRA charitable filings and/or Global Affairs Canada disbursement data. Foundations are presented separately due to their distinct funding models.
People working across Canada’s international cooperation sector
8,286
Full-time and part-time staff positions reported through CRA charitable filings in 2023.
Source: CRA T3010 charitable filings. Staffing data is not available for some organizations included through Global Affairs Canada disbursement data. About half of these are universities, colleges and institutions; most of the remainder are organizations whose T3010 return is not available for the year. No data is available for volunteers.
Geographic Footprint — 2023
Canadian organizations reported partnerships and activities across 112 countries in 2023.
Geographic presence reflects reported international cooperation activities and/or disbursements.
759
GAC-funded projects across 112 countries in 2023.
Source: GAC Historical Projects Dataset (HPDS). Counts only Government of Canada-funded activities — projects financed entirely from non-government revenue do not carry a GAC project number and are not included here.
74.6%
of 2023 disbursements supported programming in low- and lower middle-income countries.
Income group classifications follow World Bank and UN methodology. Figures include country-specific, regional, and global programming.
Indigenous Leadership in International Cooperation
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and organizations from Canada have contributed to international cooperation through global advocacy, partnership-building, and knowledge exchange. Indigenous leaders from Canada also played an important role in advancing international recognition of Indigenous rights, including the development of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Available data on Indigenous-led international cooperation remains limited. Recent Global Affairs Canada programming has supported partnerships between Indigenous organizations in Canada and Indigenous communities internationally, including initiatives focused on nature-based solutions and climate adaptation. In 2023/24 GAC provided $23.6 million to 32 (non-Indigenous) organizations in addressing “Indigenous Issues” in international development cooperation.
Geographic distribution of programming
Countries with the largest reported Canadian international cooperation disbursements in 2023, from the ATLAS dataset
Based on the ATLAS dataset, in 2023 a significant share of reported international cooperation disbursements was concentrated in a small number of partner countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
| Rank | Country | Investment | Orgs | Income Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ethiopia | 84.9M $ | 50 | LDC |
| 02 | Mali | 71.5M $ | 26 | LDC |
| 03 | Kenya | 71.4M $ | 72 | LMIC |
| 04 | South Sudan | 61.4M $ | 15 | LDC |
| 05 | Somalia | 60.9M $ | 13 | LDC |
| 06 | United Republic of Tanzania | 60.4M $ | 42 | LDC |
| 07 | Ukraine | 57.6M $ | 26 | LMIC |
| 08 | Senegal | 56.4M $ | 33 | LDC |
| 09 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 54.6M $ | 37 | LDC |
| 10 | Uganda | 52.6M $ | 58 | LDC |
Top country-level programming allocations in 2023
Countries with the largest reported international cooperation programming in 2023
Ethiopia
East Africa — international cooperation programming focused on food security, health, and humanitarian response.
Mali
West Africa — programming focused on governance, community resilience, and youth engagement.
Kenya
East Africa — programming focused on health, gender equality, and innovation initiatives.
South Sudan
East Africa — humanitarian programming responding to displacement and conflict-related needs.
Somalia
East Africa — humanitarian and resilience-focused programming supporting communities affected by crisis.
Behind the data
Understanding Canada’s international cooperation landscape through public data
Built as a public resource, ATLAS combines publicly available CRA and Global Affairs Canada data to map organizations, funding patterns, and geographic reach across Canada’s international cooperation landscape from 2015 to 2023. ATLAS reflects currently available public administrative data and will continue evolving as additional datasets and methodologies become available.
About the Dashboard
A public data resource that brings together information on organizations engaged in international cooperation, including organizational types, funding patterns, geographic reach, and thematic areas of work.
Designed to support greater understanding of Canada’s international cooperation landscape and trends over time.
About the Data
Methodology
- Per-year scope
- Counts reflect organizations included in the selected year.
- Foundations
- Foundations are presented separately due to differences in their funding structure.
- Inflation
- All financial figures are adjusted to constant 2023 Canadian dollars using Statistics Canada CPI data.
Acknowledgements
Developed through collaboration and shared expertise
Funding
ATLAS was developed with support from Global Affairs Canada. The findings and interpretations presented do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Affairs Canada.
Strategic Advisory Committee
An advisory committee provided guidance throughout the development of ATLAS, including feedback on its approach, methodology, and usability. We gratefully acknowledge its members:
- Sharon Armstrong — Director General, International Assistance Partnerships and Strategic Coordination, Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
- Jodene Baker, Ph.D. — Vice-President, Research, Advocacy & External Relations, Imagine Canada
- Jessica Ferne — Director, Global Health Impact, Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH)
- Maggie Gorman Vélez — Vice-President, Strategy, Regions, and Policy, International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
- Katharine Im-Jenkins — Managing Director, Equality Fund
- Jean-Marc Mangin — President and CEO, Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC)
- Kevin McCort — President and CEO, Vancouver Foundation
- Solange Mudahogora — National Program Manager, Inter-Council Network of Provincial & Regional Councils for International Cooperation (ICN)
- Paloma Raggo — Associate Professor, Director of Charity Insights Canada Project, Carleton University
- Fraser Reilly-King — Senior Analyst, Policy & Evaluation Division, International Development Research Centre
- Mandeep Tiwana — Interim Co-Secretary General / Chief Officer, Evidence and Engagement, CIVICUS
- Kristel Véliz A. — Senior Analyst, Strategic Program Policy and Partnerships, Global Affairs Canada
- Mike Wright — Director of Membership and Communications, Bond UK
Project Team
Cooperation Canada Lead: Andy Ouedraogo, Government Engagement and Civic Space Lead, with support from Shannon Kindornay, Deputy CEO
Consultants and Contributors
The development of ATLAS and its supporting analysis was informed by external consultants and technical advisors, including:
- Sectoral Expert (Brian Tomlinson, AidWatch Canada)
- Technical Expert (L&D Strategies inc.)
Reports
Reports & Analysis
Download the Summary of trends or read the Full Analysis Report behind ATLAS.
Summary of key trends and metrics
A concise overview of key findings and trends emerging from the ATLAS dataset.
Full Analysis Report
A detailed analysis of organizational composition, revenue and expenditure trends, geographic distribution, and policy marker data from 2015–2023.
Explore the Dashboard
Dive deeper into Canada’s international cooperation sector.
Use the sections below to explore how organizations, funding, and programming are distributed across regions, sectors, and priorities.
Organizations
Organizational types and size distribution
Revenue
Funding sources and revenue trends
Geography & Programming
Regional trends and country allocations
Policy Markers
Gender equality, climate, health, and food security
Methodology & Data
Definitions, methods, and downloadable datasets