Recognizing the impact of Canada’s secret superpower

By Raksha M. Bhayana and Michele Fisher

Canada has a secret superpower, and it is the nonprofit sector and its frontline staff-The Invisible Champions.

As a charitable foundation, you know that nonprofit organizations are legendary for doing extraordinary things with very limited budgets.

The range of what they do is gargantuan. They help vulnerable people in our communities, those who are hungry, unhoused, living with addictions, or experiencing mental health issues – in crisis or careening towards it. They boost opportunities for youth, help new Canadians settle in, and support adults with special needs. They enhance our culture with arts and festivals and strengthen our communities with affordable sports and recreation programs. They advocate for the environment, social justice and more.

They are everywhere and touch all our lives making the dreams of many Canadians come true.

As you know they even drive our economy. According to Imagine Canada, charities and nonprofits are a top 10 employer, with 2.4 million professionals and frontline staff. The sector comprises 8.3% of our GDP, more than the auto, mining, retail, transportation, accommodation, and food service industries.

And in a world that feels divided, surveys continue to show that 4 in 5 Canadians trust nonprofit organizations.

But there are worrying signs that the sector we help fund needs more of our love.

It’s been a tough few years for many charities and non-profits. They have been scrambling to address the unrelenting domestic issues and the aftermath of international challenges whilst simultaneously facing employee mental health/well being concerns and talent shortages.

As noted in the Philanthropist: “Rising costs and demands for services, increased polarization, devastating world events – all continue to take a heavy toll on the sector, its people, and the people it serves. Add in the backdrop of a record-breaking year for Canadian wildfires and other climate-related emergencies and the intense pressure on the sector is clear. Taken together, the sector is facing what’s been dubbed a “polycrisis” – a confluence of global crises with compounding effects, from climate emergencies to affordability to the housing crisis to racism to stretched healthcare systems.”

Ontario Nonprofit Network, in its 2023 report State of the Sector: At a Tipping Point, describes the sector as “running on fumes.” While the pandemic was naturally a challenging time for nonprofits, they were called on to do more but also funded to do more. By 2022, these flexible financial supports for the sector had ended. Today the sector is experiencing a sharp increase in demand for services, costs, and expenses, as well as a human resource and volunteer crisis. As the report somberly states, “We are heading into unprecedented territory.”

This is not unique to Ontario, but a story we are hearing across the country. The situation is especially dire for nonprofits that meet basic needs in our communities. One food bank executive director told us that demand had increased by a whopping 35% in 2023. Staff and volunteers worked flat out soliciting and sorting food donations, assisting clients, and fundraising to meet the need.

These are perilous times…not just for nonprofits but all of us as philanthropists. A time when philanthropy is the object of scrutiny and criticism and when commentators are moralizing both about which goals we should pursue and how we may pursue them.

Amidst all this there have been incredible successes.

Innovation and ingenuity are at an all time high. New intersectional partnerships are being forged to serve communities in more efficient and effective ways whilst saving precious resources. Organizations are merging their back offices and administrative functions. Enhanced digital offerings are reaching new segments of the populations.

Similarly, within philanthropy mega gifts are on the rise and a growing number of foundations are practicing trust-based philanthropy with its emphasis on unrestricted, multi-year grant making.

All this augurs well for the future. But the question is can we do more?

As foundations we pursue an infinite number of goals, motivated by our proclivities, experiences; by religious, political, and moral beliefs; or by a sense of where the need is the greatest. The ‘engines’ that translate our visions and aspirations are the frontline staff – they are the invisible champions.

A potential value add for us is to create recognition/appreciation events/programs in our local communities. As David Callahan says, “a value-add of philanthropy is that it can pay attention to issues that aren’t on the minds of voters and politicians (…)- Foundations (…) are good at playing the long game to make the world a better place, peering around corners and over the horizon.”

Recognizing frontline workers of nonprofits is a meaningful way for philanthropic foundations to demonstrate their appreciation, support, and commitment to the individuals who are directly involved in delivering their mission. We as philanthropic foundations can play a significant role in recognizing frontline workers of nonprofits not only by providing financial support, but amplifying their impact, building capacity, advocating for their recognition, collaborating with nonprofits, and offering long-term support.

As you may know nonprofit professionals tend to be highly educated and skilled. Despite this, they also tend to be lower paid than colleagues in other sectors. They work long hours and pour heart and soul into their jobs. They are mission-driven and the social architects of our communities – the “invisible champions” of our society.

For all these reasons, we invite you, as a foundation leader, to join our advocacy to create a Nonprofit Day of Appreciation in Canada. Currently as a result of our advocacy with our partners there are recognition days/weeks in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. A Canada-wide day will knit these initiatives together and provide cohesive recognition for nonprofits and their staff in every province.

Recognition might seem like a small thing, but it really is meaningful, especially to a group of people who rarely receive it. Research shows it is valued highly by employees and that it has a multiplier effect as well, contributing to innovative thinking and creative problem solving.

National nonprofit recognition will also help to:

Increase morale and reignite motivation for nonprofit staff.
Attract leaders and community members to volunteer their time.
Create role models, especially for young people interested in a social change career.
Help nonprofits with talent recruitment as more job seekers see the sector as an attractive option for their careers.
Influence giving as it reinforces donor confidence in the sector.

The campaign for a national recognition day has gained much momentum in a short period of time. National supporters include Imagine Canada, Community Foundations of Canada, United Way Centraide, Philanthropic Foundations Canada, Volunteer Canada, and the Bhayana Family Foundation. The initiative Is endorsed by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, RBC, TD Bank, Uber, YWCA Canada, Canadian Council for Christian Charities, Canada Helps, Capacity Canada, Telus Foundation, Inspirit Foundation, Laidlaw Foundation, Canadian Women’s Foundation and many more organizations and influencers, including prominent politicians.

It is almost impossible to imagine our communities without the scope of the programs offered by nonprofits. Heroism comes in many forms. A Nonprofit Day of Appreciation in Canada will give us the opportunity for a united front of gratitude to our nonprofit heroes, locally and across the country. Let’s work together to make the invisible champions visible.

Raksha M. Bhayana is the CEO and co-founder of the Bhayana Family Foundation, whose mission is to close the recognition gap for the nonprofit sector. For more information visit www.bhayanafoundation.org.

Michele Fisher is the Executive Director of Dufferin Community Foundation, which has been working with local partners to raise awareness of the nonprofit sector’s impact. Visit www.dufferincommunityfoundation.ca.