2022 Annual Report | Full Edition

2022 REFLECTIONS

Determination and optimism We have more than 20 million reasons to celebrate, plus a new strategy to increase our impact, says CEO Lindsay Glassco.

Transitions and Transformations After seven years with Plan International Canada, board chair Patsy Anderson reflects on her experiences and hopes for the future.

of Fame. I’m grateful for the efforts of everyone at Plan International Canada in creating a strong culture, the true foundation for growth, innovation and sustainability. This year we also enhanced our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, completed a digital transformation and established PlanCatalyst, a for-profit subsidiary that creates partnerships and revenue-generation models that build impact. GOVERNANCE, GRACE AND GRIT I want to offer my deepest thanks to Patsy Anderson. After seven years on our board of directors, she is handing over the role of chair to the Honourable Rona Ambrose. Patsy is a true champion of our mission to make the world an equal place for all children. We are thrilled to welcome Rona, who brings with her a wealth of experience. Thanks, as well, to our board of directors and to our generous and loyal supporters for joining us on this journey to create a world in which children’s rights are respected and there is equality for girls.

Sandengomusa and her father, Leonard. They attended seminars where they talked about topics that some consider to be taboo, like menstruation. YOUTH VOICES We consult youth when we design programs, and now, for the first time, we have a youth voice on our board. Paula Sahyoun joined this year as a full director. I thank her and all the board members for generously sharing their experience and passion. A special thanks to David Adams, who, like me, is departing this year. He has been an exemplary leader. TRANSITIONS Finally, a successful and energetic board requires term limits and succession planning. What a home run to have the Honourable Rona Ambrose succeed me. Being chair has enriched my life, and I will continue to support Plan International Canada because I love its work. It is meaningful and innovative and leads to sustainable change for millions of children and their families worldwide.

IMPACT AND SCALE “We are happier, there is more love in the household and I have much stronger relationships with my children and wife.” This personal reflection, shared by Moussa*, was a standout moment for me in Senegal last year, when I visited our programs with the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Canada’s minister of international development. Moussa participated in a Fathers Club, a Plan International program that is sensitizing men to their wives’ health needs and the importance of their participation in household chores. It was also wonderful to hear from Senegal’s minister of health that this program has been integrated into the health system nationally. It’s a sign of the sustainability of Plan International’s work. MILESTONE MOMENTS This year, we also successfully completed our five-year strategy 20 Million Reasons and approved our next five-year strategy, All Girls Standing Strong. Over the past five years, even through pandemic-related challenges, we persevered and achieved significant results: We reached 31 million children and raised $1.23 billion. FUTURE-PROOFING In March, we became the first NGO to be inducted into the Waterstone Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Culture Hall

LOYALTY AND GRATITUDE These words come to mind when I think about what we learned as an organization last year – or, indeed, what we learned throughout the pandemic. Our supporters stayed with us during difficult times. It’s moving and inspiring because they chose to use their discretionary dollars to support us. SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPACT Our work is meaningful for children worldwide because when we have completed a program and it’s time to leave a community, we know the children and families will continue to thrive and have been forever changed. I get goosebumps when I recall a conversation I had with a 14-year-old girl during a board trip to visit our programs in El Salvador. She told me that one day she “will be the first female president of El Salvador.” This is the lifelong confidence that participation in one of our programs has inspired in this young woman, and it’s exceptional. INCLUSIVE We are successful because we believe that the whole boat rises when men and boys are part of the change. You can see the power of that approach on page 30 where we meet

STANDING STRONG In Senegal, the Honourable Harjit Sajjan (pictured above) and I met youth advocate Khadyja Sy. We spoke about how hard-won gains in gender equity are now in jeopardy because of the pandemic and other factors. After the trip, we wrote a joint op-ed about this issue. There’s great joy in seeing youth have such a powerful impact. You can read about the $72 million Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women project in Senegal on page 36. Senegal was one of the five countries included in this project, our largest one to date. THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT We’ve created our most comprehensive Annual Report ever. It showcases our impact-related storytelling and areas of expertise. You can read the digest version (44 pages) or this full version at plancanada.ca/AnnualReport .

“Paula reminded us that when you teach one child, her circle of friends learns, her family learns, her village learns and her country learns.” – Patsy shares the advice she received from Paula Caldwell St-Onge, who was the Canadian ambassador in Haiti when she and the board visited in 2016.

Patsy Anderson Board Chair Plan International Canada

Lindsay Glassco President & Chief Executive Officer Plan International Canada

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*This is a pseudonym.

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