Facts & Stats
The Non-Profit Sector
There are an estimated 20,000 non-profit organizations in B.C. with 85,550 full-time employees, 61,792 part-time employees and 1.5 million volunteers.* Twenty-three per cent of those people work in hospitals, colleges and universities – the remainder make up a workforce larger than the total employment in forestry, fishing, mining and oil and gas combined.
The non-profit sector has a substantial economic presence, contributing 6.9 per cent of the provinces GDP and employing 7 per cent of the provincial workforce.
Most non-profit agencies (82%) in BC serve local and/or regional needs, operating at a grass roots level where they are able to galvanize communities through volunteerism and fundraising.
The majority of these smaller volunteer agencies have average revenues of less than $250,000 annually, yet they count for more than 65 per cent of the province’s volunteer capacity.
A small group of larger agencies (18%) accounts for 92 per cent of sector revenue, 90 per cent of paid staff and 35 per cent of volunteers.
Government
Nearly half of government’s total expenditures ($17.6 billion) goes toward health and social services.
In 2007-08, eight government Ministries encompassing sixteen core business areas and dozens of programs transferred $1.7 billion into communities via grants and transfers under agreement.
The proportion of government social and health service contracts held by the non-profit sector varies from just over one-third in employment programs to more than 85 percent in housing programs.
* Stats Canada, 2003
