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State of the Sector

Community-based organizations providing our fundamental support system are under significant strain with unprecedented demand for services.  Despite more and more people living in Toronto, fewer of them are donating to charities, but there seems to be a greater willingness to volunteer.

These organizations are best positioned to lead us through change towards a better future. Remember that you can help them help your vulnerable neighbours. Consider volunteering, donating if you can, and asking your elected officials to boost core funding and strengthen systems to address the endemic income inequality.

10 Issues-Final_Civic Engagement

Most nonprofit organizations are facing staffing or volunteer challenges, as well as increased demand, but few can fully meet that demand. Volunteer recruitment is being reported as less of a challenge here than elsewhere in Ontario although it is still down.

  • Most Toronto nonprofits (83%) have reported in 2024 that they have experienced an increased demand for their services, but only a few of them (15%) are able to fully meet their demand.xxxii
  • Most Toronto nonprofits (84%) are experiencing staffing and/or volunteer challenges, predominantly because of burnout and inadequate wages. As a result, more than half (57%) have scaled back programs, while more than a quarter (27%) have created additional waitlists. One in 10 (11%) has discontinued programs.xxxiii  
  • Nonprofits in Toronto are less likely to report challenges with volunteer recruitment and retention, with 37% of Toronto-based organizations facing these issues, compared to 50% across the rest of the province. Among those experiencing difficulties, Toronto nonprofits are slightly less likely to view recruiting new volunteers as a significant challenge (68% versus 78%).xxxiv 
  • Most (58%) of Toronto nonprofits are struggling with their space and locations, facing costs, lack of room for expansion and inadequate space as the biggest barriers. Toronto nonprofits are further limited as they are much less likely to own their own buildings than those in the rest of the province. xxxv  

Despite the huge amount of wealth in Toronto, fewer people are donating to charities. 

  • Fewer than one in five (17%) tax-filers claimed a charitable donation in 2022, down from 26% in 2005, following a trend of two decades of decline.xxxvi 
  • Overall, 34% of Toronto nonprofits report declining revenue from individual donations in 2024 compared to only 19% reporting an increase.xxxvii 

View the other issue areas

ENDNOTES:

Infographics:

1-4: The resulting behaviours described here are from question 38 which is a list of the consequences of staff and volunteer challenges and refer only to those who report challenges with staff or volunteers, not all nonprofits. The 84% figure is calculated based on the 260 respondents (out of 309 respondents) who were asked question 38, which appears to be asked of those that reported either staffing or volunteer challenges, though it was not clear if it was asked of anyone with staff regardless of whether they reported challenges. Regardless, 88% of Toronto nonprofits who responded to that question gave at least one problem they were experiencing due to staffing and volunteer challenges. Ontario Nonprofit Network (2024). State of the Sector Data Tables External. https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Ftheonn.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F10%2FONN-State-of-the-Sector-2024-Data-Tables-External-OCT-2024.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK 

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