Question Period Note: VOLUNTEER CANADA’S ROADMAP FOR A NATIONAL VOLUNTEER ACTION STRATEGY

How is the Government of Canada supporting Volunteer Canada’s roadmap for a National Volunteer Strategy?

The Government of Canada recognizes the significant contributions that volunteers make to charitable and non-profit organizations in communities across Canada.

Budget 2024 announced $400,000 in 2024-25 to support Volunteer Canada in the development of their National Volunteer Action Strategy.

The Government of Canada is pleased to offer this support to Volunteer Canada as they work to increase the quality and diversity of volunteer experiences.

Volunteer Canada

Volunteer Canada’s mission is to advance volunteerism to grow connection, community and belonging. Since 1977, Volunteer Canada has acted as the national voice and leadership body for volunteerism. A registered charity with over 1,100 organizational members, Volunteer Canada works with a diversity of corporations, charity, nonprofit, and education partners nationwide to strengthen the quality, quantity, and accessibility of volunteering. They are the sector’s backbone organization providing leadership, expertise, standards of practice and resources for the public, private, and charitable sectors.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has a longstanding, collaborative and positive working relationship with Volunteer Canada that stretches over the past 15 years.

Employment and Social Development Canada

ESDC works collaboratively with the non-profit and charitable sectors to build capacity and support Canadians to volunteer by providing direct funding to voluntary sector organizations through grants and contribution agreements. Volunteer Canada has received a total of $2,937,289 in funding from ESDC programs since 2012.

ESDC currently has five national programs that encourage volunteerism by all Canadians:

Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP) – supports non-profits and other organizations to improve outcomes for people with disabilities, children and families and other vulnerable populations.

New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) - funding for projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and in their communities.

Canada’s Volunteer Awards (CVA) program - celebrating Canadians who make a difference through volunteerism.

Canada Service Corps - giving young Canadians (ages 15-30) the chance to participate in meaningful volunteer service opportunities.

Community Services Recovery Fund (CSRF) is a temporary $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support charities, non-profits and Indigenous Governing Bodies as they adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery.

National Volunteer Action Strategy

On December 4, 2023, Volunteer Canada announced the release of their Roadmap to Co-Creating a National Volunteer Action Strategy for Canada. With this new plan, they hope to elevate and develop the investments, methods, and pathways to build and enhance accessible movements of volunteerism and participation. The 2019 Senate Report, Catalyst for Change—A Roadmap to a Stronger Charitable Sector recommended the creation of a national volunteer strategy.

In December 2023, Volunteer Canada sent a letter to a number of Ministers summarizing their work on a National Volunteer Action Strategy and requesting $400,000 from Employment and Social Development Canada to support and advance the Strategy.

Specifically, Volunteer Canada was requesting support for research and engagement; implementation of pilot programs to develop tools, resources and scalable volunteer pathways for specific population groups; and infrastructure/operational support (20%) to Volunteer Canada.

Volunteer Canada’s Roadmap provides an analysis of the conditions for a successful National Volunteer Action Strategy alongside key assets, gaps, and opportunities. It also signals a growing crisis in volunteering and participation, marked by declining volunteer rates, increasing demands for essential services, coupled with eroding social connections, demographic shifts and the rising cost-of-living.

The Strategy will provide an integrated, consistent, and cohesive approach to:

Address the volunteering and participation crisis: A Strategy will clearly define the problem and inspire solutions, participation and engagement frameworks, and pathways. It will also illuminate barriers to participation (and how they appear across contexts, places, and demographics) and shore up support through policy, investments, and organizational service design.

Increase belonging and inclusion to address broader challenges related to democratic and civic erosion: A Strategy will position and promote volunteering as a way to combat social isolation. It will serve as a guide in modernizing how to integrate fairness and justice in volunteering and participation to break down barriers and increase accessible and inclusive experiences.

Create opportunities to address complex challenges and support future generations: A Strategy will help set the stage and forecast where and how volunteers might be needed in the future, including tactics for directing volunteer efforts toward combating poverty, inequity, climate change, and better responding to emergencies.

The 2019 Senate report, Catalyst for Change—A Roadmap to a Stronger Charitable Sector recommended the creation of a national volunteer strategy. The Government Response confirmed the support the Government of Canada provides to the sector through its grants and contribution programs and referenced the role of Volunteer Canada.

On December 4, 2023, Volunteer Canada released A Roadmap to Meet the Moment Co-Creating a National Volunteer Action Strategy for Canada to guide this work. Volunteer Canada received support from the Lawson Foundation and Canada Life for a research and consultation process to explore the feasibility and interest in a Strategy.

In 2018, over 24 million (about 8 in 10) Canadians aged 15 and over volunteered (formally and informally), dedicating around 5 billion hours (equivalent to over 2.5 million full-time jobs) to their efforts. 12.7 million Canadians aged 15 years and older (41%) volunteered formally, devoting over 1.6 billion hours to these commitments. Almost 23 million people aged 15 years and older (74%) engaged in informal volunteering, devoting over 3.4 billion hours to these commitments. (2018 General Social Survey – Giving, Volunteering and Participating (GSS-GVP)).

Canada’s charitable and non-profit sector is diverse and vibrant. From sport to social support services, an estimated 86,000 registered charities and 85,000 non-profit organizations engage in public benefit activities that touch almost every aspect of Canadian life. The sector is also a significant economic driver, generating more than 7% of Canada’s gross domestic product and employing more than 2 million people. (Imagine Canada Sector Impact Report).