The Nonprofit Sector In Canada

Governments see not-for-profit agencies as an alternative mechanism for delivering public services. Activists see voluntary organizations as instruments of change. Analysts see community organizations as sources of trust and social cohesion. Despite these heady expectations, we know remarkably little about the not-for-profit sector in Canada. In this book a group of scholars respond to the need for basic research in this field, exploring the scope of the not-for-profit sector, the diverse roles that such organizations play, and their relationships with other sectors.

Canadian advocacy has evolved over the past few decades. A core function of the nonprofit sector, advocacy endures in an unsympathetic neoliberal landscape – one dominated by a rise in government surveillance, ongoing government funding cuts, and confusion over what activities are permissible. Exploring the unpredictable and fluid nature of public policy advocacy work carried out by nonprofit organizations across Canada, The Shifting Terrain sheds light on the strictures and opportunities of this crucial aspect of the voluntary sector. Authors from diverse backgrounds, including academics, activists, practitioners, and legal experts, illustrate what the shifting course of advocacy means in philosophical, theoretical, political, and practical terms. Offering a critique of advocacy practices directed at the nonprofit–provincial/territorial government interface and beyond, this anthology outlines regulatory changes made by the Canada Revenue Agency, exposes the conflicted internal structures and processes of advocacy work, challenges "permissible advocacy activities," presents provocative thinking about alternative ways forward, and proposes recommendations for improvement. A comparative historical study and a contemporary examination, The Shifting Terrain invites readers to contemplate the implications of advocacy for public participation, the shaping of public policy, and Canadian democracy.

Funding Policies and the Nonprofit Sector in Western Canada offers a detailed yet accessible account of nonprofit funding policies in a region characterized by fiscal conservatism, a cyclical resource-based economy, and a growing share of Canada’s population and GDP. The chapters in this collection offer compelling and candid analyses of the realities of nonprofit funding in Western Canada. Each combines practical insights with academic rigour, providing critical historical context and an up-to-date profile of funding for services. For each province, a leading practitioner has provided an insider perspective into a specific regime or organization: nonprofit housing in British Columbia; the politics of social policy in Alberta; sport, culture, and recreation, and lottery funds in Saskatchewan; and community economic development in Manitoba. Written by leading researchers and practitioners, Funding Policies and the Nonprofit Sector in Western Canada offers a solid foundation on which policymakers, scholars, and practitioners alike can examine the challenges and opportunities of the contemporary funding environment.

"Funding Policies and the Nonprofit Sector in Western Canada offers a detailed yet accessible account of nonprofit funding policies in a region characterized by fiscal conservatism, a cyclical resource-based economy, and a growing share of Canada's population and GDP. The chapters in this collection offer compelling and candid analyses of the realities of nonprofit funding in Western Canada. Each combines practical insights with academic rigour, providing critical historical context and an up-to-date profile of funding for services. For each province, a leading practitioner has provided an insider perspective into a specific regime or organization: nonprofit housing in British Columbia; the politics of social policy in Alberta; sport, culture, and recreation, and lottery funds in Saskatchewan; and community economic development in Manitoba. Written by leading researchers and practitioners, Funding Policies and the Nonprofit Sector in Western Canada offers a solid foundation on which policymakers, scholars, and practitioners alike can examine the challenges and opportunities of the contemporary funding environment."--

Relying upon the traditional virtues of innovation and commitment, these organisations are redefining their relationship with governments, forging new intrasectoral alliances, learning new virtual realities, and altering their behaviour to suit shifting funding and policy imperatives. In The Nonprofit Sector in Interesting Times the authors capture this changing environment and evaluate its effects on voluntary organisations as they strive to serve Canadians better, whether at the federal level, across the provinces, or in rural communities. The cases explored here include internet regulation and privacy legislation, conservation efforts and biodiversity, the savings behaviour of NPOs, the breast cancer policy community, and voluntary sector-government compacts. Contributors include Kathy Brock, Philippe Barla (Universit Laval), Malcolm Grieve (Acadia), Femida Handy (York University), Alison Li (York University), Agnes Meinhard and Mary Foster (Ryerson University), and Susan Phillips (Carleton University).

Why nonprofit sector advocacy persists in Canada, despite the ongoing threat of regulation.

Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy, officially bilingual (English and French), and one of the most multicultural countries in the world. Indeed, more than one-fifth of Canada’s population consists of first-generation immigrants, and a similar percentage classify themselves as visible minorities. A confederation of ten provinces and three territories, Canada has a current population of over 36 million people who live across an expansive geographic area that constitutes the second largest country in the world. In this multifaceted context, the social economy of Canada plays an important role in bridging the public and private sectors to form a strong social infrastructure (Quarter, Mook, & Armstrong, 2018). It constitutes a vast range of organizations guided by social objectives including nonprofit organizations such as charities, foundations, and social enterprises; and cooperatives both non-financial.There are distinct traditions of the social economy in anglophone and francophone parts of Canada. There are also traditions specific to particular populations, such as the Black social economy (Hossein, 2013); and the Indigenous social economy (Restoule, Gruner, & Metatawabin, 2012; Sengupta, Vieta, & McMurtry, 2015; Wuttunee, 2010). In this review, we look at the anglophone research on the social economy, noting that there are also French-language research institutions and educational programs focusing on the social economy; however, a review of these is beyond our scope.After providing an overview of the concept of social economy in Canada, we summarize research on its scope and size in the Canadian context. Next we focus on voluntaristic behaviors of giving, volunteering (formal and informal), and participating. Our focus shifts to describing the infrastructure supporting research of the sector, including key academic and umbrella associations and networks, as well as formal and informal education programs. Finally, we describe key funders of social economy research including government and foundations.