Volunteer rates sink across Canada as inflation, affordability crisis keep people away

Canada’s leading charitable organization representing volunteers is calling for a national action strategy responding to a “perfect storm” of post-pandemic challenges.

“I think it’s time for us to collectively reimagine this work,” said Volunteer Canada President and CEO Megan Conway. 

“It’s challenging times, collectively,” she added, alluding to a post-COVID-19 affordability crisis where non-profit sectors struggle to provide front-line essential services without adequate funding. 

As demand rises, organizations face a diminished volunteer base, said Conway.

“Volunteers have not returned post-pandemic in the way that they were before.”

In 2022, Statistics Canada reported 67 per cent of volunteer organizations said they were short on volunteers, 42 per cent found it hard to find long-term volunteers, and half struggled to retain the volunteers they had. 

Meanwhile, a poll by Ipsos in May of this year found that 26 per cent of Canadians planned to use charitable services for food, clothing or shelter within the next six months, up four percentage points from the fall of 2022.

Volunteer Canada released A Roadmap to Meet the Moment: Co-Creating a National Volunteer Action Strategy for Canada on Dec. 4, one day before International Volunteer Day.

Volunteer Canada’s strategy roadmap would include updating current volunteer data, said Conway.

However, the roadmap suggests emphasizing input from Canadians across the country. Questions she wants answered, both from those who volunteer and those who don’t, why or why they are not volunteering, their experiences around volunteers, set against what’s happening in each province and territory, input from provincial policymakers around what they’re doing, and a deep dive with sector leaders on what is required to advance the process of establishing a national volunteer strategy.

“There’s also a big need to talk to government at the national level,” said Conway, noting those talks should be collaborative.

A Special Senate Committee corroborates Conway’s position in a charitable sector study released in June 2019.

Catalyst for Change: A Roadmap to a Stronger Charitable Sector recommends a national volunteer strategy “to encourage volunteerism and a human resources renewal plan to ensure the long-term sustainability of the workforce.”

Conway has seen the challenges in real life. Her grandmother Dorothy Devine volunteered as treasurer for her local hospital fundraising organization, devoting time to meetings, running bingos, counting, accounting and depositing money.

“People who have volunteered for their whole life are aging out,” said Conway.

Canadian volunteering has generally featured a significant senior component, a percentage of which has not re-engaged post-pandemic, said Conway. 

Priorities have shifted, said Conway, due to factors including health and safety concerns, seniors taking care of grandchildren as parents work more to meet the rising cost of living, or fatigue with virtual rather than in-person connection.

Younger Canadian generations have not taken to volunteerism like previous generations, she said, noting the challenges they face.

Conway’s ‘aha moment’ came while coaching soccer this past summer, reflecting on parents standing on the sidelines being pulled and stretched in multiple directions. 

Many who want to volunteer cannot because of additional work stress, financial pressures, and other priorities.

“Every parent of young kids I know is tired,” said Conway. “It can be very challenging if people don’t have enough economic stability.”

Conway hopes Generation Z and those that follow will find ‘phenomenal new ways of giving back we haven’t even imagined yet.’ But seeding and nurturing whatever that looks like is crucial.

“I don’t think it’s going to look the same in the next 10 years, but we need to figure out ways to support that re-engagement in community, issues and things that matter.”

She was also shocked by feedback indicating people don’t know how or where to volunteer, which Conway previously considered common knowledge.

“We need to think about how do we build those resources, tools, what I call volunteering infrastructure.”

Organizations with capacity are getting creative in restructuring volunteer-run initiatives, she said but noted post-pandemic volunteer shortages are sector-wide.

The 2023 Giving Report released by CanadaHelps states that more than 55 per cent of charities have fewer volunteers than before the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, 42 per cent are “highly concerned” about attracting volunteers and are worried about retaining their current volunteer base. 

Volunteer Canada’s phone has been “ringing off the hook” the past year, she said. 

Some disruptions Conway has seen include Meals on Wheels services closing, Girl Guides or Scouts facing a two-year waiting list, her local community health centre board unable to find young people to volunteer and sports leagues struggling to operate due to a lack of coaches or organizational staff. 

Conway is also concerned about an apparent upswing in individualistic thinking, seemingly polarized, disconnected communities, a loss of empathy, and a not-unrelated loneliness crisis.

“If we can’t see this is a looming crisis, we have blinders on,” Conway concluded. 

“It’s time to re-invest in this work across the country because hospital auxiliaries are dying, churches are closing, places that are supporting people … are not the same spaces and places in the community.”

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