The Non-profit sector plays a critical role in building healthy communities by providing vital services. In Canada, Ontario’s non-profit sector is one of the largest among all other provinces. A big part of Ontario’s population works in the non-profit sector, that is, more than a million people. This highly-skilled population is credited with working with the most vulnerable population in our communities. However, the non-profit sector’s staff effort and work often go unrecognized and unappreciated.
With the unanimous passage of Bill 9 – an Act to Proclaim a Week of Appreciation for the non-profit sector – this changes. Ontario has become the first province to host a Non-profit Sector Week of Appreciation. Every third week of February will henceforth celebrate non-profit staff throughout the province. The inaugural week is February 14-20, 2022.
The Bhayana Family Foundation, in partnership with United Way of Greater Toronto and the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN), originally hatched the idea for a province-wide week of recognition for the staff in their sector. Not an easy feat to achieve, Daisy Wai, MPP for Richmond Hill, passionately championed Bill 9 and ensured the non-profit sector was honoured for its social and economic contributions to society.
According to Raksha M. Bhayana, CEO of the Bhayana Family Foundation, “The staff of Non-profits are extraordinary. They are deeply caring, guided by a mission to enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities. Staff in the sector are driven by the best parts of the soul and a passion for social impact.”
Non-profit leaders are the voice of the people and the communities they serve. Identifying early on that there was a need to honour and celebrate our non-profit staff for their contributions to society, Capacity Canada introduced its Hall of Fame last year. “It is important to recognize the leaders that make a difference in our communities and positively impact change. Capacity Canada is committed to appreciating the hard-working professionals in our non-profit sector,” says Cathy Brothers, CEO, Capacity Canada.
As part of the Hall of Fame, Capacity Canada has honoured several non-profits with its Social Innovation Award, Governance Excellence Award, and Capacity Builder Award, among others. Last year, Leadership Waterloo Region was recognized for its outstanding work in the community and awarded Capacity Canada’s prestigious Governance Excellence Award. Similarly, DataStream, a charity launched by The Gordon Foundation to promote knowledge sharing and advance collaborative water stewardship, was recognized for its work and commitment and awarded the Social Innovation Award. Some of the other organizations that have been awarded for their outstanding contribution to the communities they serve over the past few years include Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region, St. John’s Status of Women Council / Women’s Centre, and the Suncor Energy Foundation, among others.
By publicly recognizing the important work of our non-profit sector, we are letting them know that our lives would not be the same without their support.
