Though seldom sensational, Canada's charitable activities are essential to our civil society. Our charities provide meaning, purpose, and belonging amid the dark labyrinths of alienation that characterize our time. Researching, thinking, talking, building, and envisioning in this space is no esoteric investment, a quaint concession or a salve for the guilt of our overextension and collective greed. In this paper, we explore the deep renewal we need in our conceptions of the charitable sector—how we fund, empower, and even define our charities.
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Download PDF now: Charity and Social Capacity
In 2016 we asked charity experts across the land this question. Now it's your turn.
If you could have a measure right now, some data or intel on charities across the country, what would that measure be?
Charitable work significantly underwrites many valuable aspects of our common life. The charitable sector is a critical part of life in Canada. In the year 2000 Canadians contributed $4.5 billion and gave over 1 billion hours of volunteer time to organizations they believed in. Through tax credits and other methods, governments have historically nurtured these activities—the heart of Canada’s charitable "third sector."
Economic recessions hit charities harder than most. Not only do many organizations experience a decline in giving, but often demands for the services many groups provide increases dramatically. Something needs to be done. To complicate things further, the portion of the population responsible for the bulk of volunteerism and financial giving is in decline. What will happen to these public-good services and support programs if nothing is done?
We are currently exploring how and when people in Canada donate, particularly the planned aspects of giving across the country. This will help us form a more complete picture of the donations dynamics in the Canadian charitable sector.
A useful overview of charity and the civic core was presented by President Michael Van Pelt's 2008 remarks on"Renewing Canada's Social Architecture."
This piece was originally published here.
Milton Friesen
Program Director, Social Cities
mfriesen@cardus.ca