The former head of Canada’s most prominent federal consumer advocacy group says he resigned earlier this month because the organization is in dire financial straits and owes him tens of thousands of dollars in back pay.

Geoff White, who took the executive director position with the Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) organization on a contract basis about a year ago, said he has not been paid since April. He said he voluntarily went without pay to make sure PIAC stayed afloat during what he thought was a short-term financial crunch while the organization executed a turnaround plan aimed at overhauling its finances and refreshing its board.

White said he resigned after months went by without the board supporting him in implementing that plan. If he had paid himself, PIAC would not have been able to make payroll, which would have put the board at legal risk, he said.

“I couldn’t hold on any longer,” he said. “I represent the poor. I shouldn’t be going poor doing it.”

Founded in 1976, PIAC works on behalf of Canadian consumers in industries such as energy, privacy, financial services and transportation by producing research reports, providing legal services and advocating for policy changes. The organization successfully pushed telecom companies to keep paper billing for seniors and people with disabilities, was a driving force behind the airline passenger rights code and advocated for stronger powers for an ombudsman for telecommunications services when it was established in 2007.

In an emailed statement, PIAC chair Jonathan Schachter said the board asked White not to forgo his pay “on several occasions.” Asked if he disputed White’s assertion that the organization risked financial collapse if he didn’t, Schachter said, “It was his job to prioritize his payment.”

In an interview, PIAC director Fred Mills said the organization is waiting on overdue payment for some invoices. “We don’t expect to go down the tube tomorrow,” he said, adding the organization is not “in any real financial trouble.” Schachter said, “PIAC is fighting for consumers’ rights and will continue to do so.”

Two other PIAC directors have resigned in recent months. In April, the organization announced lawyer Rachel Wasserman and economist Robin Shaban had joined the board. Both of them have since stepped down and have not been replaced. PIAC also hasn’t announced a replacement for White.

Both Wasserman and Shaban declined to comment on their reasons for resigning so quickly after being appointed, or provide details about the state of PIAC’s finances. Wasserman said that if PIAC shuts down, “we lose our biggest advocate.” “The public interest has eroded immensely to corporate interests. We need PIAC now more than ever,” she said.

Shaban said in an email that Canada needs to overhaul its system for funding consumer advocacy groups to ensure they receive stable financing. “For decades, advocates have been fighting for governments to take serious action to protect consumers, often on shoestring budgets,” they said.

Schachter said the reasons people join and leave the board are confidential. “PIAC’s board has changed over time as members’ availability has changed,” he said.

PIAC has three full-time employees in addition to the executive director contract position. Its expenses have exceeded its revenue for the past two years, according to its publicly available charity tax returns. In 2024, it spent about $140,000 more than the $750,000 it generated in revenue.

PIAC receives most of its funding from government grants and a fellowship for articling students, the tax return data shows. It also receives payments for participating in Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission hearings. In 2024, it received about $54,000 from donations and fundraising.

Christian Corbeil, general manager of Option consommateurs, a Quebec-based consumer advocacy group, said all Canadian consumer groups struggle to make ends meet. Option consommateurs is advocating for the government to direct a portion of penalties levied against corporations for breaking consumer protection laws toward funding such groups.

Europe, Australia and the U.S. all have stronger and better-organized consumer advocacy organizations than Canada, Corbeil said. He added that Quebec has a relatively strong culture of consumer protection compared to the rest of the country. “It’s very important to have organizations like us to represent the interests of the consumer. If not, there is no balance of power with the industry,” he said.

Vass Bednar, managing director of the Canadian Shield Institute, a think tank, said Canada’s relatively weak and poorly funded consumer groups create a vicious cycle. If no one is informing consumers about how to identify things like junk fees and drip pricing, that makes it possible for businesses to normalize them, she said. “That’s what not having a strong culture does.”

White said the situation is getting more pressing as the economy digitizes and becomes more complex. He said he’s particularly concerned about the lack of emphasis on consumer protection as Canada creates laws and strategies around AI.

“It’s totally urgent,” he said. “We’re behind the game.”

Editor’s note: Robin Shaban’s pronouns are they/them. This story has been updated.