Why are there so many nonprofit/voluntary sector organizations? Isn’t there a lot of duplication and waste of resources?
There are 600 nonprofit/voluntary sector organizations for every 100,000 citizens in Alberta. These organizations represent a wide range of interests from health and social services to religious and cultural issues; from trade associations and environmental groups to minor sports and provision of long term care. Citizen’s expectations for choice, coupled with funding practices that reward development of new projects rather than sustaining existing organizations, contribute to this development. Nearly 50% of all revenue required by non-profit organizations is self-generated, suggesting the sector is neither a burden to society or government. It is in fact highly entrepreneurial, creative and efficient. According to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), the net number of new registered charities created in Canada in the past 12 months is only 99. (2027 new applications were approved however 1928 organizations were dissolved or registrations revoked in the same period). At the same time a rece
