The recent results from the 2023 survey on Volunteering and Charitable Giving have continued to say something that we have been experiencing in the nonprofit sector for years now: volunteerism is in decline, and there is a growing need in the community for support. As a highlight from the Statistics Canada Survey, Canadian volunteers contributed 900 million less hours in 2023 compared to 2018 across formal and informal settings. That is the equivalent to thousands of full time jobs lost in the social services sector.
This is not a new issue, but it is one that is putting increased pressure on an already overburdened social support system. Cost of living, time management, and the capacity to give back are major burdens for the volunteer sector, and the typical support comes from the nonprofit sector, supported by volunteers. That is why now, more than ever, there is a need for people with the capacity to give their time to support their community, do so in whatever way they can.
Volunteerism is embedded in Canadian culture as a way to ensure that everyone who needs support in this vast and varied country can get the help they need. Ensuring a stronger and more resilient people goes beyond that of culture, religion and creed, and can build up our local communities into the amazing places we know they can be.
Find the full Statistics Canada report here.