Community Matters March 2024

Welcome to the Spring Edition of our quarterly publication, Community Matters.

Community Matters aims to inform the community about social issues that impact the public and connect the dots between social issues, evidence, and policy. We aim to use this space to give local agencies, ESPC volunteer writers, and staff members a voice.

Each edition will spotlight a specific social issue and demonstrate the intersectional nature and impact on equality. Our goal is to use evidence as we continue to inform on the issues affecting individuals and families.

For our March 2024 issue, we are focusing on the current state of the non-profit sector and the changes and challenges ahead for it. The ecosystem of the non-profit sector is diverse and provides invaluable services to the broader community, which can include arts & culture, social services, child care, education, housing, and beyond.

This issue will focus specifically on incoming changes and the current state of community non-profits and will provide relevant discussion on a range of matters such as working conditions, the diversity of its workforce, challenges with funding structures, efforts to unionize non-profit staff, overreliance on unpaid labour, collaboration between non-profits, and more.

The non-profit sector is an important segment of our society. Not only does it contribute to our economy, but at its best the sector helps build and bring together communities and promotes social cohesion. It is up to all of us to nurture this sector for the mutual benefit of everyone.

I hope you find this issue illuminating and that it contributes positively to the discourse surrounding the role of non-profits, their impact, and challenges for the future.

Susan Morrissey, Executive Director 
Edmonton Social Planning Council