NSNVO
National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations
The Nonprofit and
Voluntary Sector in
Ontario
According to the 2003 National
Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary
Organizations (NSNVO), there are
approximately 45,000 nonprofit and
voluntary organizations in Ontario,
which account for about 28% of the
161,000 nonprofit and voluntary
organizations in Canada.
Collectively, Ontario-based organizations have total annual revenues of
$48 billion and a total paid staff of
959,000 ($29 billion annual revenues
and 597,000 staff when Hospitals,
Universities and Colleges are
excluded). Organizations in Ontario
report a volunteer complement of
7.8 million people, who collectively
contribute about 791 million hours of
volunteer time, the equivalent of
approximately 412,000 full-time jobs.
Ontario-based organizations also
report a total membership of 69
million people, meaning that the
average Ontarian is a member of
six organizations.
Most revenues are concentrated
among a comparatively small
number of very large organizations.
Although just 1% of organizations in
Ontario have annual revenues of $10
million or more, these organizations
account for nearly two thirds (63%E)
of total revenues. The one third
(34%) of organizations with annual
revenues less than $30,000 collectively account for less than 1% of total
revenues. Hospitals, Universities and
Colleges account for almost two
thirds (59%) of the revenue in the
$10 million or more category (37% of
total revenues for all organizations).
Revenue Sources
Revenues from government account
for nearly half (45%) of total
revenues of nonprofit and voluntary
organizations in Ontario. Roughly
one third (36%) of total revenues
Activity Area
Religious organizations are the most
common type of organization in
Ontario, accounting for 23% of all
organizations, followed by Sports
and Recreation organizations (16%),
Grantmaking, Fundraising and
Voluntarism Promotion organizations (12%), and Social Services
organizations (11%). Although
Hospitals, Universities and Colleges
represent less than 1% of organizations, they account for over one third
(38%) of total revenues.
Percentage of Organizations and
Percentage of Total Revenues by Revenue Size
Revenue Size
80%
63%E
60%
40%
21%
20%
% Total
Revenues
% Total
Organizations
34%
25%
16%
11%
0%
2%
1%
0.3%
Less than $30K–
$30K
$99.9K
$100K–
$249.9K
4%
$250K–
$499.9K
7% 5% 9%
$500K–
$999.9K
1%
$1M–
<$9.9M
10M +
E= Sample size limitations affect the reliability of this estimate.
comes from earned income, 15%
from gifts and donations, and the
balance (4%) from other sources.
However, excluding Hospitals,
Universities and Colleges,
organizations receive 29% of
their revenues from government,
45% from earned income, 22%
from gifts and donations, and 4%
from other sources.
Percentage of Organizations and Percentage of Total Revenues by Activity Area
38%
40%
30%
% Total
Organizations
23%
20%
16%
12%
10%
% Total
Revenues
6%E
5%
11% 12%
6%
11%
9%
8%
4%
3%
Dev't
&
Housing
Arts
&
Culture
5%
3%
5%
3%
7% 6%
5%
0.9%E
0%
Religion
Sports
&
Recreation
Grantmaking,
Fundraising
&
Voluntarism
Promotion
Social
Services
Education
&
Research
Business
or Prof.
Assoc. or
Unions
Health
Hospitals,
Universities
& Colleges
Other
E= Sample size limitations affect the reliability of this estimate.
www.imaginecanada.ca
NSNVO
National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations
The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector in Ontario
Percentage of Total Revenues by Source
60
All Organizations
45%
Excluding Hospita
Universities
& Colleges
45%
40
36%
29%
22%
20
15%
4%
0
Government Earned Income
Gifts &
Donations
4%
Percentage of Organizations and
Percentage of Volunteers by Revenue Size
40%
37%
Other
34%
21%
20%
16%
Virtually all nonprofit and voluntary
organizations in Ontario involve volunteers, either as board members or
to help carry out their activities. In
fact, the majority of organizations
(53%) are completely volunteer run,
having no paid staff. Collectively,
Ontario-based organizations have
approximately 7.8 million volunteers, of which 386,000 are board
members and 7.4 million are nonboard volunteers.
In Ontario, volunteers tend to be
concentrated in larger organizations,
although the degree of concentration
is not as pronounced as it is with
revenues or with paid staff. The 1%
of organizations with annual
revenues of $10 million or more
% Total
Volunteers
% Total
Organizations
30%
Volunteers
(373,000 full-time and 224,000 parttime when Hospitals, Universities and
Colleges are excluded).
account for over one third (37%) of all
volunteers and the 9% of organizations with revenues between $1 and
$10 million account for 17% of total
volunteers. Conversely, the third
(34%) of organizations with annual
revenues less than $30,000 account
for just 10% of total volunteers.
11%
10%
10%
17%
15%E
8%
7% 7%E
5%
9%
Most paid staff in Ontario (53%E)
work for very large organizations
(those with $10 million or more in
annual revenues), even though these
organizations account for just 1% of
organizations. In contrast, the 34% of
organizations with annual revenues
less than $30,000 account for less than
1% of total employment. Even though
Hospitals, Universities and Colleges
represent a tiny minority of organizations, they account for two thirds
(66%) of total employment in the $10
million or more category (35% of total
employment for all organizations).
1%
0%
Less than
$30K
$30K–
$99.9K
$100K–
$249.9K
$250K–
$499.9K
$500K–
$999.9K
$1M–
$9.9M
E= Sample size limitations affect the reliability of this estimate.
Employees
Less than half (47%) of nonprofit
and voluntary organizations in
Ontario have paid staff. Collectively,
these organizations have approximately 959,000 employees (597,000
when Hospitals, Universities and
Colleges are excluded). Over half
(55%, about 531,000 Ontarians) of
these employees work full-time,
while 45% (428,000) work part-time
The National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations
(NSNVO) was conducted by a consortium of organizations consisting of Imagine Canada (formerly the Canadian Centre for
Philanthropy), l’Alliance de recherche universités-communautés
en économie sociale à l'Université du Québec à Montréal, the
Canada West Foundation, the Canadian Council on Social
Development, the Capacity Development Network at the
University of Victoria, the Community Services Council of
Newfoundland and Labrador, the Voluntary and Non-profit
Sector Organization of Manitoba, Queen's University School of
Policy Studies, and Statistics Canada.
A summary of the survey findings may be found in Cornerstones of
Community: Highlights of the National Survey of Nonprofit and
Voluntary Organizations, available at www.nonprofitscan.ca.
Percentage of Organizations and
Percentage of Paid Staff by Revenue Size
$10M+
60%
40%
53%E
34%
23%
21%
20%
14%
0%
% Total
Paid Staff
% Total
Organizations
0.7%
Less than
$30K
$30K–
$99.9K
16%
11%
3%
$100K–
$249.9K
2%
$250K–
$499.9K
7%
9%
4%
$500K–
$999.9K
1%
$1M–
$99.9M
$10M +
E= Sample size limitations affect the reliability of this estimate.
© 2005 Imagine Canada
425 University Avenue, Suite 900
Toronto, ON M5G 1T6
Tel.: (416) 597-2293
Toll free: 1-800-263-1178
Fax: (416) 597-2294
Email: [email protected]
Funded by Social Development
Canada through the Voluntary
Sector Initiative.
www.imaginecanada.ca