Statistics Canada conducted the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions from January 2nd to February 5th, 2024 to collect information on emerging business issues. This survey edition focused on business expectations and conditions across Canada, and incorporated a dedicated section for non-profit organizations ("NPOs") to address data gaps and provide better insights into the non-profit sector. On April 29, 2024, Statistics Canada published the key findings on NPOs in an infographic, summarized below.
In 2023, over 90% of NPOs had a board of directors, with less than half of the board members being women (47.3%). Other representation included members of racialized groups (9.8%), persons with disabilities (2.9%), First Nations, Métis, or Inuit (2.6%), and non-binary persons (0.8%). More than 75% of NPOs had senior managers, with women making up over half of these positions (56.3%).
The survey also made a distinction between two categories in relation to NPOs: (i) the groups targeted by the programs and activities of NPOs versus (ii) the type of NPOs/programs and activities that were provided.
In the first category, NPOs sought to meet the needs of and provide programs and activities for a wide range of diverse groups, with 42.1% of them primarily serving the general public, while others focused on children or youth (14.2%), religious or spiritual groups (9.1%), seniors (5.1%), and people in particular occupations or union members (4.7%).
Regarding the second category, the largest proportion of NPOs focused on sports and recreation (33.3%) in 2023, followed by religious organizations (19.8%), grant-making and fundraising (8.8%), and social services (8.5%). The lowest number of organizations was in health (1.0%) and environment-focused activities (0.4%).
Finally, nearly half of NPOs (46.1%) reported an increase in demand for their services in 2023, yet only about a quarter (24.3%) reported an increase in their capacity to meet this demand. This gap was more pronounced in larger NPOs, and those focused on social services and in health organizations.
Read the May 2024 Charity & NFP Law Update
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