Newly formed coalition of nonprofits launches collective movement seeking a ‘home in government’

Ottawa, June 23, 2021 – Today, a group of several nonprofit organizations and charities has launched The Nonprofit Coalition. Through combined efforts and resources, the Coalition is advocating for the creation of a ‘home in government’ to create a stronger, more resilient and impactful nonprofit and charitable sector for the benefit of all people in Canada.

“Nonprofits and charities are critical to ensuring community health, wellbeing and prosperity. Through COVID-19, this has never been more apparent,” said Andrea Dicks, President of Community Foundations of Canada. “We need a cohesive, strategic approach that unlocks the knowledge, expertise, local insights and data of the sector — not as a service provider to the government, but as a partner. A home in government makes economic sense and, more importantly, it will benefit the community.”

The nonprofit and charitable sector includes 170,000 organizations across this country that deliver care and support to vulnerable people. The sector accounts for approximately 8.7 percent of Canada’s national GDP, has a net value of $189 billion, features a workforce of 2.5 million, of whom 80 percent are women, and employs over 10 percent of the Canadian population. In total, charities and nonprofits are responsible for more employment and economic activity than oil, gas, manufacturing and forestry.  

“Having a home in government would strengthen the nonprofit and charitable sector as a whole,” says Bruce MacDonald, President and CEO of Imagine Canada. “It would create the kind of federal policy framework, programs and investments that have been used successfully in other economic sectors like transportation, agriculture and small business, all of which have federal department support.”

Furthermore, The Nonprofit Coalition believes that a home in government would empower the sector’s ability to access financing, offer decent work, invest in digital transformation, rely on quality data and benefit from more enabling regulation.

“The pandemic has been a global crisis playing out at a local scale, and the non-profit and charitable sector has been essential in coordinating responses that meet the needs of vulnerable individuals, families and communities,” said Dan Clement, President and CEO of United Way Centraide Canada. “An equitable recovery will require strong nonprofits and charities, and now is the time to work collectively with government to invest in and transform the sector so we can meet the needs of communities today and into the future.”

The creation of a home in government is a collaborative process, and The Nonprofit Coalition warmly welcomes the support and interest of other organizations. We know that, working together, we can ensure the continued success of a vibrant, resilient and innovative social sector which can help build a more equitable society for all people.

To learn more visit: www.nonprofitcoalition.ca.    
 
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