Funding Matters: The Impact of Canada's New Funding Regime on Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations

Summary Report, Canadian Council on Social Development, 2003. 

The erosion of the financial capacity of nonprofit and voluntary organizations
has prompted particular interest and reflection on the part of the sector and its
funders. Divergent funding policies, regulations and practices work singly or in
combination to facilitate — or hinder — nonprofit and voluntary organizations in
pursuit of their missions. Recent trends in funding, however, appear to threaten the
continued viability of the sector. Much organizational time is now devoted to
chasing short-term sources of funding, often at the expense of the organizations’ mission
and core activities. The primary objective of this study is to document the changing funding landscape in Canada and to assess the impact of these changes on the financial capacity and long-
term sustainability of nonprofit and voluntary organizations. Through our study, we
hope to bring to light the challenges and opportunities that nonprofit and voluntary
organizations across a range of sectors face in trying to fulfill their missions.