Community Sector Supports

The Problem:

Nonprofits step in when people’s needs do not present a lucrative economic opportunity. They tackle society’s hardest problems. More often than not, they do it on a shoestring, powered instead by heart, ingenuity and determination. 

Recent data from the Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia indicates that there are over 6,000 nonprofits in Nova Scotia. Each year, these organizations directly contribute over $1 billion to the province’s GDP and employ 20,000 people. The community sector also contributes an additional $1.5 billion to the provincial economy in volunteer labour. 

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Despite nonprofits’ increasing economic and social roles, they often lack the resources and capacity to do their jobs well. 

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Pressures on nonprofits and their leaders are increasing. They are held to the same legal standards as anyone else, but often lack the capacity and resources to meet these standards. They must provide healthy and safe workplaces and programming free from harassment and discrimination. They must make sound financial decisions. They’re expected to identify future problems and formulate strategic responses. Failure on any of these fronts can have financial and legal consequences. In the most serious situations, volunteer board members can be held personally liable for their organization’s missteps. 

As required by the Societies Act, leadership and decision-making rests in the hands of volunteer board members. Volunteers are expected to perform crucial functions off the sides of their desks. Many volunteers have full-time jobs, children or other dependants, and endless other things to think about. 

The result is overwhelm. Too often, nonprofit leaders are forced to make reactive decisions without the guidance of approved policies or procedures. With all the demands on leadership’s time and attention, they never get around to those crucial conversations about strategy, risk tolerance, and long-term planning.