Letter to the Prime Minister: Dedicate a unit in government to the non-profit sector

Dear Right Honourable Mark Carney, 

Congratulations on your election as the Prime Minister of Canada. As an organization committed to strengthening communities across Canada we are excited to work in partnership with your government to build a future that makes Canada strong. Like you, we believe every Canadian deserves to thrive in a safe, vibrant, and healthy community. 

Whether we are fostering a sense of belonging through arts and sports programs or ensuring families have access to nutritious meals through food banks, we stand with Canadians in their time of need.

The non-profit sector is also an economic powerhouse. Each year, it employs 2.8 million people and contributes $211 billion in economic activity, representing 8.3% of Canada’s GDP. In addition, 13 million volunteers dedicate nearly 2 billion hours annually to building stronger communities. 

However, potential threats such as a recession caused by American tariffs will likely decrease donations to charities, decrease spending at social enterprises and reduce corporate giving and funding from philanthropic foundations. 

This will result in the sector having fewer funds to meet demand for service and program delivery. 

As your government begins its mandate, we have developed a non-profit platform which outlines key recommendations and areas of focus for your first 100 days of government to help foster a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous future for the non-profit and charitable sector.

As you set the vision for a stronger Canada, we urge you to take critical action to strengthen and support non-profits and charities by implementing and resourcing a dedicated unit in government for the non-profit sector. 

Charities and non-profits are crucial parts of Canada’s economic fabric. Despite the government’s reliance on the sector to deliver on many promises and programs, there has been a disconnect between the government’s ability to realize its goals through programs and services delivered by the non-profit sector and the wellbeing, capacity and financial sustainability of this sector.  

The absence of formal representation in government often constrains the sector’s ability to fully deliver programs in communities across Canada.

We can cite numerous pieces of legislation and regulations that have been introduced without considering the impact on the non-profit sector. As a result, government officials, Members of Parliament and charitable and non-profit leaders invest extraordinary efforts to ‘undo’ or ‘rollback’ problematic measures. 

The non-profit sector is deeply interconnected with almost every area of government. Organizations in the sector work closely with a wide range of federal departments to deliver programs and services and to advance public policy, including the Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Health Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Finance Canada, Canadian Heritage, and Women and Gender Equality Canada.

As you formulate the new composition of cabinet, we urge you to establish and adequately resource a unit within the federal government to act as a champion for the non-profit sector. This will ensure there is coordination across departments, drive efficiency, reduce redundancies, and deliver significant cost savings for our sector. 

Imagine Canada remains committed to collaboration, and we look forward to working with your government to find mutually beneficial solutions for the charitable and non-profit sector.

Sincerely,

Bruce MacDonald

President & CEO, Imagine Canada

Editor’s note: This is an abbreviated version of the open letter. To read it in full, visit ImagineCanada.ca.

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