According to Vantage Point’s June 2024 report on the state of the non-profit sector in BC, Under Pressure (the “Report”), there are close to 33,019 charities and non-profit organizations in the province representing 360,000 jobs and contributing $30 billion to our economy in the reported year, 2022.

And yet, of course, this substantial piece of our economy — distinguished by its various missions, mandates, and good intentions — is forever facing uncertainty and scrutiny. How do they spend their money? What exactly is their purpose? The current trends, according to the Report, appear to be updated variations on abiding themes, and they are concerning. 

I imagine you understand the importance of the sector if you are reading this issue of BarTalk.

Their missions and mandates are key. Since their goal is not maximizing profit for shareholders, what is their collective mission? I would argue that they respond to need most of all, including for legal services, and what these organizations learn can better inform our institutions.

The Report outlines the current struggles in the sector, including, of course, the impacts of inflation on everything. Climate change is having an impact: extreme weather events prompt “an increase in need for supports and services, from cooling and heating centres to emergency spaces such as evacuation centres.” People seem to be volunteering and donating less. While government funding has remained relatively stable according to participant organizations included in the Report, the funding reporting requirements have become increasingly onerous. Demand for services has increased but so has the cost of living and housing for workers. 

It has long been a trend in the non-profit sector that funding is uncertain and diversification of revenue streams has been a goal. It has also long been a trend that donors want to imagine that every cent they give a charity goes to exactly the program or impact they want to see — indeed, as a one-time fund developer, I thought of my role as offering donors the opportunity to make an impact in the world, not soliciting for pocket change. And yet the costs of administration, of strategic planning in uncertain times, of increased reporting to funders, are also foundational. There is no organization if there are no funds to cover a sustainable administration.

The Report’s authors stress this is an acute moment in time, despite the continuity of the general trends: “It is imperative to pause and consider that while BC’s non-profits appear to be stable in capacity, the sector is stretched to its limits.” 82% of Canadians donated to a charity in 2013, but this dropped to 60% in 2023. Volunteerism has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

Volunteering is not simply transactional, as work too often is. Naturally, volunteering may look good on a CV or indicate to a prospective employer that one is “well-rounded” or enjoys “giving back.” Yet the motive to volunteer is a bit intangible. It is dialogic and social: one asks, “How can I help?” The currency is not money, it is a sense of connection to others with a common purpose. And that can give people a sense of meaning.

Volunteering, being the person you are, using the skills and education you have, is a restorative and human thing to do in the face of AI and the reduction of everything to data.  Asking how we may help (without reward) shakes us loose of equivocations, abstractions, meaninglessness — gets us on our feet and shows us community and smaller, more intimate worlds where everyone is important and has a part to play.

We all know organizations, legal or otherwise, that rely on volunteers and struggle to find them. I wonder if we can change this statistic?