What Do the Alongside Hope Numbers Say?
Some people like math and numbers, and some don’t. Numbers, however, can tell a story of what an organization values and accomplishes. They can reveal the scope, effectiveness, and vision of a charitable organization like Alongside Hope (formerly called PWRDF).
Magnitude of Alongside Hope Ministry
Statistics of Alongside Hope’s work listed in its 2024-2025 annual report reveal the extent of the organization’s work. In that fiscal year, Alongside Hope
• worked with partners in 30 countries internationally and in Canada on 53 projects
• improved the lives of 288,292 direct participants through training and by providing access to resources such as clean water
Number of Direct Participants
Direct participants who benefited from Alongside Hope partnerships included:
• 342 Indigenous midwives in Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador were supported to improve health service delivery and reduce maternal mortality
• 593 adolescents in Zambia attended weekly group meetings focused on safe sexual behaviours, alcohol and drug abuse, and children’s rights
• 5,015 families in Cuba received training to increase their resilience to natural disasters
• 18,205 patients have been treated at Gaza’s Al Ahli Hospital since the beginning of the current conflict
• The Ecclesiastical province of BC/Yukon received a $50,000 grant to respond to wildfire emergencies
Effectiveness of Programs
While the sheer number of participants is impressive, the 2024 report for Charity Intelligence Canada also cites the effectiveness of individual programs.
• programmes in Guatemala resulted in improved food security for 375 Tzeltal Indigenous families, with half of the families achieving self-sufficiency in producing grain, vegetables, and fruit
• the Goat Seed project in East Africa improved the retention rate of community health workers to 97%
Doubling Alongside Hope’s Fundraising Efforts
Alongside Hope has long had ways of doubling donations, often through an anonymous donor. Two recent examples are matching of donations up to $250,000 for the Resilience Fund (in light of substantive USAID cuts) until June 30, 2025, and matching of donations up to $150,000 for the recent Solar Suitcase project until October 31, 2025.
Doubling Your Tax credits: Two Tax Advantages for One Gift
Alongside Hope also welcomes legacy gifts and reminds donors of two tax advantages when they donate stocks or mutual funds: first, you don’t pay taxes on the capital gains, plus, you receive a charitable receipt. For further information, contact [email protected].
The Power of One
Big numbers in and of themselves don’t necessarily change the world for the better. Contributions by a single individual can also make a significant difference: e.g., the two paintings by Bishop John Watton of Central Newfoundland, for this year’s Alongside Hope Christmas cards. It Happened in Bethlehem represents light and hope, but also the violence that pushes grace into the shadows, while Winter Light recalls the beauty of farming in Central Newfoundland. And if the postal workers’ strike is over by the time you read this, there will still be time to send these cards to family and friends.
