The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance invites Canadians to share their thoughts on the government's federal spending priorities each year. With the release of the 2024 Federal Budget just around the corner, below is a summary of what the nonprofit sector is asking for in the 2024 Federal Budget.
Number of submissions from charities and nonprofits:
- 2019: ~100
- 2020: ~300
- 2022: ~200
- 2023: ~300
- 2024: ~400
Trends in Sector Priorities
Increased Number of Joint Submissions
Each year, the number of joint submissions made by nonprofits and charities increases. It is incredible to see organizations in the sector rally behind important issues, such as advocating for a Home in Government for the nonprofit sector, improvements to the Nonprofit sector’s funding environment and more niche issues, such as those associated with the Alternative Minimum Tax.
A Nonprofit Sector Labour and Workforce Strategy
The nonprofit sector employs over 2.4 million workers. During this year's pre-budget consultation process, a significant number of calls were made for the government to invest in a comprehensive workforce strategy to contribute to staff training, recruitment and retention in the nonprofit sector. Organizations asked that the government work to strengthen initiatives like the Student Work Placement Program and the Canadian Apprenticeship Service program. There were also calls for the government to develop a comprehensive recruitment and integration plan for international students, which predates the announcement of the 2-year cap on foreign student visas. Several organizations in the sector also advocated for strategies to attract and retain volunteers. Among all sub-sectors, nonprofits want the government to take more action in recruiting and retaining talent for the immediate future and the long-term needs of the sector.
Program and Income Supports
Among all subsectors, there were several calls for the government to implement income supports for Canadians. Several organizations included recommendations for Employment Insurance reforms, implementing a Guaranteed Adequate Livable Income and funding for the Canada Disability Benefit. There were also calls for continued support for programs such as the Canada Summer Jobs Program and $ 10-a-day child care.
Funding
Several organizations, including The National Alliance for Children and Youth, Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, Health Charities Coalition of Canada and Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Canada, included recommendations to improve government funding. The recommendations included the provision of predictable core funding, allowing more project-based funding to be used for operating costs, increasing multi-year funding, and increasing funding flexibility.
Emergent Issues
Over the last year, the sector has had to deal with several emergent issues. These range from responding to the cost of living crisis across the country to ensuring that the implementation of changes to the Alternative Minimum Tax does not produce an unintended effect on donations revenue in the sector. Organizations from several sub-sectors included recommendations asking the federal government to fund affordable housing and shelter spaces. There were also significant calls for the government to provide funding and supports to the Immigrant and Refugee-Serving sector. These recommendations indicate that organizations offering frontline services may be experiencing increased demand.
While the 2024 budget consultation process has closed, the 2025 budget consultation process is just around the corner. We encourage all organizations in the charitable and nonprofit sector to make a submission to ensure the sector’s voice is heard!
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