Senate Committee on Canada’s Charitable Sector Calls for National Volunteer Strategy
A special Senate committee on Canada’s charitable sector has called on the federal government to bolster the country’s non-profit sector, in part by adopting a national volunteer strategy.
Among 42 recommendations in the all-party Canadian Senate report, Catalyst for Change: A Roadmap to a Stronger Charitable Sector, the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector urged that the legal and regulatory framework for charities and non-profits countrywide be modernized.
In addition, the 190-page report urged that the Canadian government “implement a national volunteer strategy to encourage volunteerism by all Canadians in their communities, recognizing that the needs of northern, rural and urban communities are unique.”
The committee estimates around 86,000 registered charities and 85,000 non-profit organizations serve Canadians, with the sector employing over 2 million people and generating more than 7 percent of Canada’s gross domestic product.
The Senate committee, which studied the impact of federal and provincial laws on charities, volunteer groups, foundations and non-profit organizations heard from Canadians during 24 public hearings and as part of around 90 written submissions received.
“While the sector is resilient and innovative, its potential is limited by what are seen by many stakeholders as complex, outdated rules and a lack of coordinated support within the federal government,” the Senate committee said in its report.
Their findings indicate Canada’s charity sector underlining challenges in recruiting and retaining paid staff as “they struggle to compete with public- and private-sector employers in terms of pay, pension, benefits and training.”
As a remedy, the Senate committee called for “the creation of a national volunteer strategy to encourage volunteerism and a human resources renewal plan to ensure the long-term sustainability of the workforce.”
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