Sector Collaborations
National Standards Designed by and for the Sector
Led by Imagine Canada in partnership with Volunteer Canada and the HR Council, the Standards Initiative has evolved over several years through a series of meetings, consultations, and one-on-one discussions with leaders of charities and nonprofits from across the country and the sector.
Founding Members
In 2010, 52 charities and nonprofits became Founding Members of this sector-driven initiative. This group agreed to a shared leadership approach and contributed financial support to the development of the Standards Program. Twenty-seven of the Founding Members participated in the Standards Steering Committee and worked with Imagine Canada to shape the development of the Program and shepherd it to a 2011 launch.
The Standards Steering Committee collectively contributed thousands of hours of time on 25 conference calls throughout the summer of 2010 to chair and participate in Working Groups that advanced the structure of the initiative by:
- developing a model outlining how organizations will be accredited;
- updating and revising the Standards;
- identifying capacity-building activities to complement the Standards;
- proposing a governance structure and budget for the Program;
- providing input on brand identity for the initiative;
- and assisting Imagine Canada in identifying sources of funding to seed the Program.
The commitment of both staff and volunteers to the development of the Program over the past year was exceptional. The members of the Steering Committee collectively contributed thousands of hours of time to steward the initiative to its upcoming launch.
The dedication, engagement, and support of those Founding Members that contributed their time and shared their input were instrumental in defining the structure of the Standards Program.
This is an exciting time for the charitable and nonprofit sector in Canada and the Standards Initiative is a concrete example of how we are working collaboratively to better serve Canadians.
Learn more about the Founding Members
Did you know that there are 161,000 nonprofilts and charities in Canada?
Did you know that Canada’s nonprofit and voluntary sector is the 2nd largest in the world?
The sector represents $79.1 billion or 7.8% of the gross domestic product
The sector is larger than automotive and manufacturing. It generates $112 billion in revenues and employs 2 million people
Canadians donated $10 billion in 2007
Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have the highest donor rates.
Canadians volunteered 2.1 billion hours in 2007
Young Canadians aged 15 to 24 are more likely to volunteer than Canadians in any other age group
One percent of nonprofits command 60% of all revenues flowing to the sector
Canadians with the lowest household incomes give a greater percentage of their income than others
Saskatchewan has the highest volunteer rate in the country, followed by the Northwest Territories and the Yukon
Those exposed to giving and volunteering activities early in life are more likely to continue those behaviours as adults
