Resources

Report

Declining Rates of Volunteerism in Alberta and the Increasing Threat to Rural Municipalities

A 2024 report produced by the Rural Municipalities of Alberta and the University of Alberta’s Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities (ACSRC) to on the state of volunteerism in rural Alberta. The research used 27 in-depth 1:1 interviews with various individuals with knowledge of volunteerism in rural Alberta as the data source, such as reeves, CAOs and a few nonprofit representatives. The report discusses the declining rates of volunteerism, the associated threat to rural communities, and recommendations for addressing these trends.

Report

Flowing Fridays (Un)learning Brief #2 (2024)

This second (un)learning brief builds on the first by reviewing what we found in our initial exploration of the connection between rest and well-being, and the resulting modification to the experiment. We share our (un)learnings and provide a closer look at the design methodologies and grounding principles that guided us in our journey.

Report

National Volunteer Action Strategy: Its Time

A 2023 report by Volunteer Canada advocating for the development of a National Volunteer Action Strategy, as well as a call to action for the sector. Currently, Volunteer Canada is assessing the feasibility of building this National Action Strategy. From the report, a National Action Strategy is essential to unify all of Canada to work toward a shared vision for inclusive participation and volunteering that recognizes, amplifies, promotes and supports the many different ways Canadians work together to build strong, inclusive and connected communities.

Report

Flowing Fridays (Un)Learning Brief #1 (2023)

In the summer of 2022, we started experimenting with the concepts of four-day work week, no-meeting days, and focus time. This brief shares our journey to explore those conditions to create more, space, time, and energy for our team to focus on wellbeing using data from surveys and external research.

Video

Changing the Conversation: Research, Surprising Findings, and the Volunteer Screening Program

During 2022, the Volunteer Screening Program (VSP) conducted various evaluations and research activities to deepen our understanding of Alberta’s volunteer screening and engagement practices and the shifting landscape that has occurred since 2017. This included identifying shared understanding, gaps in knowledge, and drawing connections between the lived experiences of the volunteers and the organizations that engage them. From these evaluative conversations, we have identified evolving good practices and issues to consider further.

Report

Changing the Conversation: Research, Surprising Findings, and the Volunteer Screening Program (Report)

During 2022, the Volunteer Screening Program conducted various evaluations and research activities to deepen our understanding of Alberta’s volunteer screening and engagement practices. This included identifying shared understanding, gaps in knowledge, and drawing connections between the lived experiences of the volunteers and the organizations that engage them. From these evaluative conversations, we have identified evolving good practices and issues to consider further.

This report details our approach, methods, analysis, and dives into what was asked and what was heard from our various evaluations and research activities, including focus groups and large benchmark surveys.

Report

2022 Volunteer Management Progress Report

In this 2022 report, VolunteerPro investigated the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and found that across the board, the capacity of volunteer-driven organizations has been significantly affected. Learn more about the research they did, including how Volunteer Managers continue to adapt to keep their communities engaged.

GuideReport

Reimagining Non-Profit Governance through a Social Justice Lens

This report responds to the question: how might we use a social justice lens to reimagine nonprofit governance in Alberta? It includes an overview of trends and historical injustices in nonprofit governance and opportunities for transforming inequitable governance approaches. This report serves as both a foundational document for the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (ECVO) in charting a course for supporting Alberta non-profits in reimagining their governance approaches as well as a beginning guide for any non-profits interested in making their internal governance practices more equitable.

This report was generated through a review of academic and grey literature as well as two group conversations with ECVO staff. Themes from the literature review and ECVO conversations, as well as quotes from the conversations, are woven together in the following pages.

Book

Intersections and Innovations: Change for Canada’s Voluntary and Nonprofit Sector

The Muttart Foundation has spent many years focusing on building the capacity of charities in Canada. The publication of this collection is another contribution to that effort. By understanding more about itself, the sector can continue to develop and find new ways to serve Canadians and those in need outside our nation. The authors of these essays bring different perspectives on the role and inner workings of Canada’s charities. Collectively, they bring an unprecedented insight into the work of organizations whose diversity is exceeded only by their desire to serve.

Report

Transforming the Non-Profit Community in Edmonton

The desire to transform the non-profit community emerged early on during the COVID-19 pandemic, and came from a group of leaders who saw the need to reimagine how non-profit organizations operate. They proposed the idea of a non-profit Beveridge Report (a report that was published in Britain in 1942 and provided the foundation for the welfare state) and asked the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (ECVO) to lead the work.