Imagine Canada’s Research Program has focused on a number of projects in addition to stand alone reports.  Outlined below are our current, ongoing projects. Visit our page describing previous research projects and reports for more information. Search Imagine Canada's research collection to find some of the most comprehensive research on Canadian charities and nonprofits. 

    Research Bulletin

Research Bulletins distill research on the charitable and nonprofit sector into an easily-understood news brief.  Our latest Research Bulletin, Trends in Individual Donations (1984 to 2010), presents an overview of trends in charitable donations from 1984 to 2010, drawing on a number of data sources derived from Canadian personal income tax returns.

Read previous Research Bulletins here.

    Sector Monitor

The Sector Monitor survey program was launched at the end of 2009 to regularly monitor the state of charities across the country and their ability to deliver their missions.

The goal of the Sector Monitor program is to provide relevant and timely information on the issues facing charities and nonprofits to the sector itself and to various sector stakeholders, including Imagine Canada members, policymakers, business leaders, the media and the Canadian public.

For more information on the Sector Monitor and to read all of the issues published to date, visit www.imaginecanada.ca/sector_monitor

    Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (CSGVP)

The Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (CSGVP) provides the most comprehensive overview of the contributions of time and money Canadians make to nonprofit and charitable organizations and to each other. Conducted in 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2007, the CSGVP surveyed a random sample of Canadians on how they:

• Gave money and other resources to charitable and nonprofit organizations;
• Volunteered time for charitable and voluntary organizations and for individuals directly; and
• Participated in organizations by becoming members.

To read the reports, factsheets, and other associated materials developed from the CSGVP, visit www.givingandvolunteering.ca

    Business Contributions to Community (BCTC)

Canadian businesses are a growing source of support to the charitable and non-profit sector. Businesses not only have a large number of resources to offer to the community, they also have a lot of influence over the various stakeholders in the business, such as employees and suppliers. But who are businesses giving to, how are they giving it and, perhaps most importantly, why are they giving?

The Business Contributions to Community (BCTC) research initiative was launched in 2007, with generous support of the EnCana Corporate, to look into these and other questions about corporate community investment. The results from this initiative provide a board picture of the nature and scope of corporate community investment practices in Canada.

Read the reports and supplemental presentations here.