Toronto, ON – More than one million people work in Ontario’s nonprofit sector. They are highly skilled, well-educated, and widely credited with helping the most vulnerable in our communities, especially through the pandemic. But, unlike essential frontline workers in other sectors, nonprofit staff go unrecognized for their contributions. That changed when Bill 9: An Act to Proclaim Nonprofit Sector Appreciation Week passed third reading in the Ontario legislature with unanimous, all-party support. 

“We all need to appreciate the hard-working professionals in the nonprofit sector, especially during the pandemic period when its services are so much needed and volunteers and donations have dropped,” said Daisy Wai, MPP for Richmond Hill. “The Nonprofit Sector Appreciation Week will help ignite the passion and the performance of workers who are understandably exhausted and feeling burned out. We need to celebrate these Invisible Champions in our communities. Their sense of dedication, powered by their personal vision and mission has supported them through many challenges, but our appreciation and support for them will go a long way.”

The week is intended to recognize the exceptional individuals in the nonprofit sector whose work transforms the lives of individuals, families, and communities, as they work alongside communities.

Nonprofit workers play the role of connectors: they are deeply embedded locally in communities, and often the first point of connection with solutions for opportunities and challenges. Nonprofits are the bridges between government and communities, amplifying voices of community and identifying is province.

Ontario’s nonprofit sector is the largest in Canada. There are more than 58,000 registered charities and nonprofits in the province, employing more than 1 million people and contributing over $50 billion annually to the economy.