This June, while Volunteer Canada was hosting panels on Care in 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous Communities, sharing early learnings from our research into the unique ways that 2SLGBTQIA+ communities engage in volunteering, we also began deepening our inquiry into the state of volunteerism across Canada. We kicked off our summer of pan-Canadian community-based engagements with two incredibly National Volunteer Action Strategy (NVAS) Workshops.  “Volunteers as Change-makers: Movement Building, Activism and Political Engagement” and “Decent Work and Decent Volunteerism.”  

Our goal is simple: an open invitation to the co-creation of the National Volunteer Action Strategy. Our NVAS Workshops were built with collaboration, co-creation and conversation in mind. They seek to bring volunteers, non-profit staff, social impact practitioners, volunteer centers and volunteer managers together to have focused discussions about the past, present and future of volunteering in Canada.  

Workshop participants were engaged in focused discussions about volunteer experience, volunteer infrastructure, and the social dimensions of volunteering in hopes of uncovering insights into the following questions: 

• How do we understand “volunteering” in the context of activism and political participation? 

• What unique opportunities and challenges do these forms of participation create for volunteers and organizations? 

• What does “decent work” mean when applied to volunteerism? 

• How are volunteers impacted by inequities in organizational culture? What is the responsibility of volunteer managers and organizations towards their volunteers? 

• What’s does a decent volunteer experience feel like, and what do organizations need from their partners, the sector, funders and Volunteer Canada to make this experience a reality?

   

Our conversations reached far beyond the container of these reflection questions. The workshops brought together our partners from volunteer centers, staff from national health advocacy non-profits, provincial networks, policy researchers, political campaigners, board members, youth organizers, older adult service providers and everyone in between. We had registrations across 8 subsectors and 64 organizations. In Volunteers as Change-Makers participants raised concerns about the lack of volunteer management support in Canadian political campaigns, burnout and exhaustion faced by activists, and the fact that resource scarcity makes organizations risk adverse when it comes to political advocacy and makes volunteering accessible to some people over others. 

There wasn’t consensus on every topic: many participants expressed concern about the “de-politicization” of volunteering. They expressed that “we do ourselves a disservice when we divorce it from the social, political, cultural and economic dimensions…volunteering is not always good, people can volunteer from the suppression of people’s human rights.” Others expressed concern that when organizations becoming advocates beyond their mandates, they “drive the general population away.” 

But even as we worked through these tensions – participants agreed that political volunteer spaces offered opportunities for community-building, collective identity formation and reduced isolation. The volunteers that show up as advocates and changemakers deserve a volunteer sector that is working to address root causes of systemic issues while offering them opportunities to see their direct impact, and center joy in their activism. 

Key Takeaways from “Volunteers as Change-makers” 

• Reframe Volunteering: Position it as a form of civic power and social change, not just service delivery.  

• Acknowledge Politics: We can’t separate volunteerism from its political roots – volunteering is a powerful form of civic engagement and a catalyst for social change. We need to embrace its role in addressing injustice.  

• Strengthen Meaning-Making: Make volunteer impact visible through storytelling, feedback loops, and skill-building opportunities.  

• Address Infrastructure Gaps: Provide resources and training tailored to activist volunteers; rethink volunteer management to include advocacy roles and political campaign managers.  

• Foster Belonging and Integration: Promote volunteering as an avenue to build collective identity, shared purpose, and community responsibility. 

   

A strong theme throughout the Decent Work, Decent Volunteering workshop was the sector’s need for infrastructure that embeds equity. Participants highlighted how accessibility supports, such as translation and trauma-informed training, are often treated as extras rather than essential elements of design. This creates barriers for equity-deserving volunteers and places pressure on staff who are expected to fill the gaps. 

There was active discussion about how lived experience is used within volunteer programs. Some participants stressed that lived experience brings valuable insight and connection. Others raised concerns about over-reliance, especially when volunteers feel pressured to disclose trauma or represent entire communities. Several questioned the ethics of asking people to self-identify when organizations lack the capacity to support that experience with care. 

Mentorship and flexible pathways were seen as essential but often neglected. Many participants shared that volunteers move in and out of programs depending on life circumstances. Volunteer roles should reflect this reality, with low-barrier entry points and meaningful ways to stay involved over time. Mentorship was described as one of the first things to disappear when staff face burnout or limited time, even though it can make a lasting difference. 

Recognition was also a point of reflection, with many feeling that appreciation efforts fall short when volunteers are seen as helpers rather than collaborators. Several participants described a need for shared leadership and stronger feedback loops, so that volunteers feel a sense of belonging and purpose in shaping the work. 

Key Takeaways from Decent Work and Decent Volunteerism 

• Design for Equity. Accessibility supports like language translation and trauma-informed training must be built in from the start. Treating them as optional burdens volunteers and staff, especially in equity-deserving communities. 

• Honour Lived Experience. Volunteers’ experiences are shaped by caregiving, trauma, and migration. Requests to share these stories must be handled with care to avoid tokenism and protect dignity. 

• Prioritize Mentorship and Flexibility. Flexible roles, mentorship, and skill-building help volunteers engage meaningfully across different life stages and capacities. 

• Community Partnerships Matter. Collaborating with local organizations, especially those within social services (newcomer, or older adult supports) can offset costs, expand support networks, and increase access for folks navigating new and complex systems. 

   

We want to thank all of the incredible participants for showing up, sharing their expertise, and working to build this strategy. It’s not too late to be a part of the conversation. 

Building New Models 

In between this summer’s heatwaves, holidays, and vacations, Volunteer Canada’s National Volunteer Action Strategy (NVAS) team was sharing stories and thinking ahead.  

As many Canadian cities celebrated pride to commemorate the 1971 We Demand Rally – Volunteer Canada amplified stories of participation, community care and mutual aid in Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities. Sumptuously, our mid-summer workshops have been a space for learning, strategizing and building. As we plan for NVAS implementation we are beginning to build the tools and resources we need to bring everyone along on the journey of revitalizing the volunteer eco-system. In the first half of August, we held two workshops that brought together a Pan-Canadian audience of 80 partners and co-creators to re-imagine future models of volunteering: 

• August 6 – Rethinking Group Volunteering: From Transactional to Transformational  

• August 13 – Co-Creating a Community-Based Volunteering Model 
  
  

Rethinking Group Volunteering: From Transactional to Transformational 

On August 6th, the NVAS facilitation team was joined by Volunteer Canada’s Manager of Corporate Citizenship, David Vandenberg, and Engagement and Events Coordinator, Zaahy Ali. The Corporate Citizenship team set the groundwork for an impactful and impassioned conversation about the need for group volunteer experiences that are grounded in community impact, respect the labor and coordination that goes into event planning, and leads to lasting civic and community engagement for employees.  

The workshop brought together a diverse mix of corporate partners, charities, nonprofits, and volunteer centers, creating space for cross-sector dialogue between staff, decision-makers, and social impact leaders.  

Workshop participants engaged in breakout room conversations that focused on two distinct lines of inquiry: 

• How can volunteer centres and the volunteer sector better support non-profits in designing impactful, community-centered group volunteering models? 

• How do we build authentic, mutually beneficial relationships between corporate teams and community organizations? 
  
  

Much of the discussion centered on instances where there can be a mismatch between corporate expectations and nonprofit capacity. Some participants noted that corporations can sometimes arrive with expectations for ready-made, one-day experiences, but rarely account for the timelines, screening requirements, and resource demands of nonprofits, particularly those working in the emergency or vulnerable sectors. The “hidden labor” of event coordination was highlighted, underscoring that nonprofits cannot realistically provide large-scale programming free of charge, which is, at times, new information to prospective corporate collaborators. 

One exchange captured this misalignment clearly. When corporate social impact leaders asked nonprofits what they most wished companies would ask, or offer when initiating a group volunteering request, nonprofit staff had a salient answer: “When you call, give us more flexibility. It’s always on this day, at this time for this many hours.” Participants explained that by taking away the ability for charities to design group volunteer opportunities around the needs of their clients and communities, corporate partners often prioritize team building over meaningful impact. This creates what some call an  extractive volunteer experience. Several nonprofits shared that they no longer engage in group volunteering opportunities that ask them to work for free or prioritize activities without direct impact. 

At the same time, participants also emphasized the power of group volunteering and employer led volunteering programs when done well.  Nonprofit staff noted that many people who participate in corporate group volunteering are “not enmeshed in the realities of the nonprofit world” and that the experience is often one of the only chances for them to come “face to face” with the mission, the impact, or the precarity of the sector. In this way, group volunteering was seen not just as a short-term event, but as an important entry point into deeper civic engagement, raising awareness of community issues and the role nonprofits play.  

Corporate volunteer opportunities resonated with a wide range of motivations, which participants saw as an opportunity rather than a challenge. Corporate volunteers often fell into broad camps: those motivated by altruism, those seeking a fun team-building experience and those seeking professional or personal growth, mentorship, or career development. Nonprofits emphasized that recognizing these different drivers allows for more thoughtful program design and stronger partnerships. As one participant reflected “It’s not just the task, it’s the experience”.  

The workshop discussion identified several elements emphasized in the Volunteer Canada’s Corporate Citizenship team’s transformational model as key to providing impactful group volunteering experiences: 

• Connecting the work within the group volunteering to broader causes, social issues and the volunteering landscape 

• Situating volunteer efforts within community priorities to ensure relevance and impact.  

• Designing opportunities that allow employees to better understand the nonprofit sector and the systemic challenges communities face.  

• Creating pathways for contributions to align with long-term change, rather than one-off events.  

• Ensuring nonprofits feel supported in advancing their mission, not burdened by additional work. 

• Building in structured reflection and storytelling so volunteers can process what they saw, heard, and felt 

• Involving people with lived experience as co-creators or hosts of the volunteer experience 

• Co-creating the opportunity with the nonprofit from the outset to ensure capacity, culture, and community are respected 

• Following up with both volunteers and nonprofit partners to gather insights and share long-term impact through photos, quotes, reflections, storytelling and reports 

• Evaluating and improving experiences based on participant and community partner feedback
  
  

Key Takeaways from Rethinking Group Volunteering 

• Greater flexibility in how corporate partners approach group volunteering is integral. Being flexible, having a generous timeline to plan and coordinate the opportunity, and co-creating/planning volunteering opportunities is a meaningful way to ensure that opportunities are thoughtful, meaningful, and speak to nonprofit, and corporate objectives.  

• Explore ways of understanding employee goals and motivations for volunteering. By creating opportunities to learn what employees hope to gain, such as skill development, mentorship, team connection, or community contribution, corporations can work with nonprofits to find opportunities that are meaningful for staff and impactful for communities.  

• Leverage group volunteering as a skills-matching opportunity where employee expertise is applied directly to nonprofit needs, creating deeper value for both staff and communities.  
  
  

Co-Creating a Community-Based Volunteering Model 

For our second workshop of the month, we were joined by Sydney Beales, a dedicated frontline community worker with 15 years of experience supporting community non-profits throughout Winnipeg. Based at Family Dynamics’ Community Hubs within the Family Resource Centres, Sydney has leveraged her specialization in community-based programming and volunteer coordination to co-create a community centered volunteering model alongside Volunteer Canada’s research team. The model was born out of the integration between service delivery, volunteer engagement and volunteer skill development that Sydney began implementing at Family Dynamics that focuses on volunteer engagement in low-income communities. 

Sydney presented a draft of the model to participants and invited them to offer their feedback, expertise and insights to support the further refinement of the model. Participants spoke to: 

• The ways they have been implementing a community-based volunteering model informally in their own work 

• How the model might be adapted or scaled to fit different organizational contexts 

• The barriers that prevent a deeper adoption of community-first volunteering 

Several participants from the settlement sector noted that their approach already mirrored elements of the model: treating volunteers as individuals with assets, goals, and needs; embedding supports such as language learning or access to networks; and linking volunteer engagement to long-term aspirations. This reinforced that for many, volunteer engagement is most effective when reciprocal- giving back to volunteers as well as organizations.  

Pan-Canadian organizations, however, raised questions about how a deeply local, community-responsive model could fit within a top-down structure where consistency and compliance are prioritized. This surfaced a broader conversation about the complexities of ensuring flexibility while managing a need for standardization. Across these varied experiences and subsectors, a key question was brought to the forefront of everyone’s minds: “How do we offer volunteer opportunities that gives back to volunteers?” 

Workshop attendees noted that the process of triaging and building pathways for volunteers to take leadership roles requires dedicated staffing. Volunteer engagement professionals were identified as critical agents rather than “nice to have” additions to teams. They also expressed that offering opportunities for skill development and community responsive programming requires flexibility and trust on the part of funders. 

Ultimately, the integration of a community-based model starts by interrogating what assumptions are we making about what prospective volunteers do or don’t have access to. Are we assuming that they’re fed? Are we assuming they have access to social and recreational opportunities? To networking and professional skill development? To bus fare or gas money? To additional funds for criminal record checks? If we start by closing those gaps organizations can move towards a community-based volunteering model. 

Key Takeaways from Co-Creating a Community Based Volunteering  

• Take organizations through a step-by-step process of implementation to meet them where they’re at and chart growth 

• Develop tools for “triaging” to identify volunteer aspirations early, redirect them to the best-fit opportunities, and track how volunteering contributes to long-term community engagement and growth.  

• Recognize volunteering as a free social space (“third space”) where people gather, belong, and connect. Supplement the model with a “social infrastructure” lens that positions volunteering within public health and community well-being systems, with tools to measure social connectedness and reduced isolation. 

• Acknowledge volunteer managers as critical staff roles, ensuring dedicated leadership, sustained relationships, and community capacity-building.  

• Acknowledge how funder and policy requirements (e.g., screening fees, rigid criteria) limit flexibility. Leverage the model as a tool for advocating for systemic changes to reduce these external barriers.  

We want to thank all the workshop attendees and guest facilitators that joined us for these informative sessions focused on building models to support the volunteering eco-system of the future. To participate in future engagement sessions focused on the development of the National Volunteer Action Strategy see our NVAS Engagement Calendar.

A Volunteering Landscape for the Future 

The final weeks of August were a reflective period for the Volunteer Canada team. As we prepared to release our annual report and host our Annual General Meeting, we looked back at the past year of activities and felt how quickly the volunteering landscape is changing. 

In our final summer National Volunteer Action Strategy (NVAS) workshops, attendees echoed this reflection as we discussed the lessons learned from COVID-21, the country’s wildfire and flood responses, and the sector’s data collection practices. 

• August 20 – Measuring What Matters: Data, Impact, and the Future of Volunteerism 

• August 27 – Volunteers in Times of Crisis: Building a More Resilient Sector 

We kicked off both workshops with presentations from experts and leaders in their respective fields. They expressed gaps within our sector’s current approaches and presented exciting opportunities to innovate, integrate and drive change. 

Measuring What Matters: Data, Impact, and the Future of Volunteerism 

Over the last several months of NVAS engagement, it has become clear that the data and evidence-based advocacy is a sector wide priority. Number of participants joined Measuring what Matters to discuss their data needs, capacity gaps and learn about new data practices within the volunteer sector. Volunteer Canada was joined by Cara Eaton, Volunteer Toronto’s Senior Director of Strategy and Growth to discuss the role of Volunteer Center’s in collecting up to date and wide-ranging data on non-profits, charities and volunteers within their operating areas. What surprised participants most was how many insights could be gathered from very few data points when collected and analyzed well.  

Participants were eager to hear about their peers’ data practices. In brainstorming mode, attendees suggested that reflecting on why you’re collecting the data, ensuring you have a rationale for all the questions you’re asking, interrogating how data collection aligns with your organizational mission and vision, and aligning with data equity strategies were all important. 

Discussions also highlighted the importance of data sharing and integrating data collection into daily operations as a method of combatting pervasive sector-wide survey fatigue.  

Attendees joined from across the sector. We were joined by volunteer centres, charities and nonprofits, volunteer managers and coordinators, and organizational senior leadership. This range of positions allowed for in-depth and far-reaching conversations about the state of data on the ground. For example, we heard that for charities involved in direct service to low-income communities, data collection and analysis are often the first thing to go when faced with decreased capacity. 

While we had a frank conversation about gaps, there were hopeful feelings too. A number of Volunteer Center attendees were surprised to learn they were already collecting data that can help tell the story of their impact. Volunteer Centres represent a vast network of organizations across the country. Attendees were also excited to learn more about how Volunteer Centres could play a role in tracking the same indicators and analyzing data centrally for collective reporting and storytelling.  

Key Takeaways: 

1) Data is essential to telling the story of volunteering in Canada, but current approaches are too limited. 
 
2) Most organizations still measure hours and headcounts rather than capturing the deeper meaning of volunteerism, such as belonging, purpose, and skills gained. 
 
3) Many groups do not have the time, resources, or expertise to collect data consistently, which means gaps remain in understanding who volunteers, why they volunteer, and what barriers they face. 
 
4) There is strong interest in shared measurement frameworks that could strengthen advocacy and create a collective narrative about the sector’s impact 

5) We need to invest in training and capacity building to support our data needs as a sector. Those that are closest to the data collection within charities and non-profits often don’t realize the power of the data they do collect. 

This workshop had the highest request for follow-ups and further training, which speaks to the urgency and the importance of building our sector’s literacy, capacity and shared practices around data collection, analysis and sharing. In the near-term, it reinforces the importance of data as key element of the NVAS.    

Volunteers in Times of Crisis: Building a More Resilient Sector 

As the NVAS team prepared for our final workshop of the summer, we were struck by a thought: there is no good time to speak about crisis preparedness in Canada. Not in the summer, where much of the country is afflicted by “wildfire season.” Not in the spring or fall, when the public health sector attempts to mobilize the public around cold and flu prevention. Not in the winter, when many parts of the country are facing unprecedented snowfall, ice storms and unseasonable climate conditions. Yet, across all regions and all crises – volunteers, community members and neighbors are there to lend a helping hand on the forefront of emergency response. Amidst constant change, their consistency reminds us that while there may not be a perfect time to speak about preparedness, there’s every reason to invest in it.  

Volunteers in Times of Crisis gave some insight into the opportunities, coordinating gaps, and capacity building needs related to mobilizing volunteers and building emergency resilience. Volunteer Canada was joined by Amy Avis, Chief of Operations for Red Cross Canada; Ashley Seymour, Executive Director of Volunteer Manitoba and Louis-Philippe Champagne, Associate Vice-President of Public Affairs & Industry Practices at the Canadian Construction Association, and Volunteer Canada Board Member, to anchor our conversations in the various dimensions of the emergency response landscape. 

As a search and rescue volunteer and a medical first responder, Louis-Philippe has witnessed the profound impact of volunteers in our communities. He pointed to the capacity gaps linked to high operating costs of emergency management and response, emphasizing that a strong, well-coordinated volunteer force is a necessity in filling these gaps. 

Ashley Seymour spoke to the provincial volunteer emergency response coordination in Manitoba following the most recent wildfires that devastated the northern part of the province. She spoke of the added support and coordination needed to support northern remote communities, where many people had to be on guard for the duration of the summer as they were often evacuated multiple times. Approximately 90% of Manitoba’s fire departments are volunteer-led, and the effectiveness of fire and immediate response efforts often depends on people’s knowledge of the local geography and infrastructure. There is work to be done to better coordinate and allocate this people power. As Ashley stressed, summer was a reminder that neighbours will always step up to support each other, and that there is a greater role for Volunteer Centres and employer-led volunteer programs in coordinating these efforts in emergency response situations. She added that preparing civilians during non-emergency seasons will help to ensure they can mobilize safely and effectively during future crises.   

Amy Avis spoke to the Pan-Canadian and international efforts led by the Red Cross in response to various emergencies. Amy added colour to the idea of emergencies existing in “unprecedented” times. She stressed that measuring impact requires context:  broader socio-economic trends, location, deaths, histories of community trauma, and instances of relocation all shape how we understand results. This is one of the largest operational years in Red Cross history, and that is driven by a myriad of factors. The generosity and necessity of skilled volunteers anchored these efforts: over 40% of the responders deployed during the organization’s 90 consecutive days of efforts this summer were volunteers. Ashley noted that in large-scale events, volunteers, volunteer agencies and volunteer led organizations are always the first in and the last out. She closed her remarks with an important question: How do front-line community agencies think that we can build a stronger, more resilient sector? How can the Red Cross better support mobilization and training? How do they better protect and support volunteers? 

Attendees discussed lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the missed opportunities strengthen resilience for future public health crises. We heard about the consequences of widespread layoffs of Volunteer Managers when shelter-in-place orders were introduced.  These staff members were often the relationship holders with the most active volunteers in their communities. They could have helped triage trained volunteers, directed them to organizations and initiatives in need, and worked with municipal governments and other responders to support marginalized community members.  

Attendees noted that when there is not a structure in place to direct the innate instinct of people to help in times of crisis, they will organize themselves. Care-mongering and community care groups filled an important and immediate need during the pandemic. But, without sustained support and resources, many of the champions of these community efforts burnt out. Others noted that there was a significant wave of skill-building related to emergency medic training and administering vaccinations during the pandemic – but there was no centralized system for tracking which volunteers received these trainings or got hands on experience in supporting COVID-19 health efforts.  

These volunteers will be necessary in the next public health crisis.  Without a coordinated system to maintain relationships with these volunteers, we are set to have the same conditions for future health emergencies. 

Many organizations focused on health or emergency response expressed frustration with situations of untrained civilians stepping into crisis situations. They also expressed concern at the lack of coordination between municipal and provincial governments who fail to engage trained volunteer corps. Nonprofits noted that they are taking pro-active measures to better prepare their communities for emergencies. If we know that people will want to help when a crisis occurs – we should give them the training to be more effective in those situations. They shared that up-skilling our civilian population with CPR, emergency medic training, fire safety, and other relevant regional training allows ordinary people to be mobilized as needed. 

However, professionals within the sector urged us to remember that crises are critical points when vulnerable populations are most at risk. Letting anyone who wants to help volunteer in an emergency, with any task that appeals to them, puts vulnerable populations in the position to be taken advantage of and retraumatized. Part of responsible, ethical and equitable emergency response is ensuring that we have streamlined systems in place to ensure that everyone has access to safe(r) systems of care and trauma informed follow-up supports. 

Participants saw Volunteer Centers as being well positioned to support in the volunteer coordination efforts between governments, charities, non-profits, emergency corps, police screening and local volunteers. 

Key Takeaways: 

1) Volunteer engagement is essential to crisis response but is undervalued and vulnerable to cuts during emergencies. 
 
2) Crises highlight the tension between speed and safety, especially with screening and training. 
 
3) Spontaneous and “on-demand” volunteering is rising, offering flexibility but creating coordination and safety challenges. 
 
4) Trust and communication breakdowns weaken community resilience and retraumatize those repeatedly affected. 
 
5) Equity must be central to crisis planning, as vulnerable populations face disproportionate impacts. 
 
6) Resilience requires a whole-of-society approach that integrates all nonprofits, not just emergency-focused organizations. 

We are grateful for the curiosity, engagement and passion that attendees brought to the summer NVAS workshops. They have been a critical cross-sectoral space for co-creating the strategy and reimagining the future of volunteering in Canada. 

For more additional opportunities to remain part of the conversation visit: volunteerstrategy.ca/get-involved