Copyright Kingstonist
Today, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, Charity Intelligence released its 2025 Top 10 Charities, and Kingston’s Partners in Mission Food Bank made both the Top 10 Canadian Impact Charities list, and the Top 10 Impact: Canadian Food Banks list. Charity Intelligence researches Canadian charities for donors to be informed and give intelligently, the organization stated on its website. That website posts free reports on more than 800 Canadian charities, as well as in-depth primers on philanthropic sectors such as Canada’s environment, cancer research, and homelessness. The organization’s goal is to bring transparency to Canada’s charitable sector, while also highlighting the strengths and accomplishments of charities across the country for others working in the non-profit sector to learn from. “Over $20 billion was given to charities by Canadian donors last year, and a significant portion of that is going to less effective charities. When a donor gives to a charity that creates very little change, and they could have given to a charity that would have helped significantly more people, much of their donation is wasted. Canadians need better information to help them give better. Measuring a charity’s impact helps to reduce this waste,” said Greg Thompson of Charity Intelligence. “Most charities claim that they ‘make a difference’ in the lives of those they work with, but it is very difficult for donors to tell how much of a difference any given charity is making. Charity Intelligence’s rigorous analysis measures this difference, or the impact, charities make to see how each dollar we give can create the most positive change. It’s a different way to think about giving.” According to information on the Partners in Mission Food Bank from Charity Intelligence, the local food bank distributed 1,306,598 pounds of food in 2024, almost 160,000 pounds more more than in 2023. Charity Intelligence’s data on the Kingston food bank shows that 20,399 food hampers were distributed in 2024, up 10 per cent from 2023, and that in 2024, the hampers helped 2,387 children and 6,294 adults. “In 2024, Partners in Mission Food Bank supported a total of 4,217 households,” Charity Intelligence states on its website. The organization also notes that the over 1 million pounds of food distributed by Partners in Mission in 2024 went to 9,131 people, which works out to 143 pounds of food per person served by the Kingston food bank. The following table, provided by Charity Intelligence, lists the Top 10 Impact Charities for 2025: According to a release from the Partners in Mission Food Bank, it was last named to these lists in 2022 and 2023. The local food bank said it is thrilled to be included with such impactful charities. “We are proud of the work that we do and appreciate this recognition. We want to thank our incredible 135+ volunteers and staff who enable our organization to stretch every dollar, truly making a difference in our community. They enable us to live our mission: To provide nourishment, hope, and support in our community with an opportunity for all to share,” said Dan Irwin, Executive Director of Partners in Mission Food Bank. According to the release, Partners in Mission Food Bank has been helping Kingston and Loyalist Township neighbours in need since 1984. It does not receive government or agency funding and relies solely on the community for food and financial support. Donations to the Kingston food bank can be made at: www.kingstonfoodbank.ca.
