Community Participation Program

• Canada Volunteerism Initiative (CVI)
• Celebrating volunteerism
• Where can I find information on volunteerism?
  
  

Through the Community Participation Program, the Department of Canadian Heritage works with other government departments and the voluntary sector to promote citizen participation and engagement in Canadian society.

The specific objectives of the program are to:

• raise awareness of the contributions of volunteers and the voluntary sector to Canadian society;
  
  
• promote citizens' participation and engagement in Canadian society; and
  
  
• strengthen the capacity of voluntary organizations to provide programs and services for the benefit of Canadians.

To achieve these objectives, the Community Participation Program established the Canada Volunteerism Initiative.

The Canada Volunteerism Initiative

The Canada Volunteerism Initiative (CVI) aims to improve the capacity of organizations to recruit and retain volunteers, to encourage Canadians to participate in voluntary organizations, and to enhance the experience of volunteering. Announced in December 2001, the CVI represents the first ongoing program to be implemented under the broader Voluntary Sector Initiative.

The CVI established three national centres and thirteen local networks, one in each province and territory. The national centres deliver a range of programs and services related to volunteerism, as follows:

• The Knowledge Development Centre provides support for both local and national research to improve our understanding of volunteerism. The Centre is operated by Imagine Canada (formerly the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy).
  
  
• The Information, Capacity-Building and Awareness Centre. manages a resource centre, an awareness campaign, and a capacity-building program. The Centre is operated by Volunteer Canada.
  
  
• The Community Support Centre provides support for organizations to develop and test innovative methods for sustaining volunteerism. This Centre is also operated by Volunteer Canada.
  
  

The local networks ensure the CVI responds to the needs of voluntary organizations and volunteers in each province and territory. Through these networks, voluntary organizations of all sizes and representatives from various levels of government meet to exchange ideas and better understand local priorities. Each network has developed a volunteerism action plan and community investment strategy for their respective region.

A Strategic Management and Coordination Committee oversees all aspects of the CVI. The Committee is co-chaired by Volunteer Canada, on behalf of the voluntary sector, and the Community Participation Program at the Department of Canadian Heritage, on behalf of the federal government.

The CVI is managed by the Community Participation Program.

Where can I find information on volunteerism?

Youth Cyberstation

Discover the latest information about youth volunteerism and the voluntary sector in Canada. The Youth Cyberstation is a super way to connect with your community, interact with other volunteers and find links to valuable sites to improve your skills and gain experience.

Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating

The Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (formerly the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating) provides information on the charitable giving, volunteering and civic participation of Canadians. Civic participation refers to how Canadians support individuals and communities on their own or through their involvement with charitable and non-profit organizations. Data include donations to voluntary organizations, volunteering activities and other forms of civic participation. The Survey was first conducted in 1997 and again in 2000 as the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (NSGVP).

The 2000 NSGVP provided basis for concerns about the increased load borne by volunteers and the capacity of voluntary organizations to fulfill their missions. From 1997 to 2000:

• While the Canadian population grew by 2.5%, the number of volunteers declined by 13% (from 7.5 million to 6.5 million)
• The proportion of Canadians volunteering dropped from 31% to 27%
• The total number of volunteer hours declined by 5% to 1.05 billion hours
• The average number of hours per year contributed by individual volunteers increased from 149 to 162
• About ¼ of volunteers continue to carry ¾ of the load, but their annual average hours are up 10% from 431 to 471

In December 2001, the Prime Minister announced that the survey would receive permanent funding and would be renamed the Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating to differentiate it from similar surveys in other countries. The Survey is conducted by Statistics Canada and is overseen by a Steering Committee composed of government and voluntary sector representatives.

For further information about the survey, please go to www.givingandvolunteering.ca