COLUMNIST
WEALTH MANAGEMENT MALCOLM BURROWS
Too Many Charities?
D
BY MALCOLM BURROWS
Malcolm Burrows 8
FOUNDATION Magazine
January/February 2022
GARY TANNYAN
oes Canada have too many registered charities chasing too few dollars? This is a complaint that is often heard. There is simply too much competition and not enough entities with scale that are effective. Or so goes the narrative. I think it’s the wrong question to ask. Those asking are big funders, efficiency experts, fiercely competitive fundraisers, and policy wonks. It reflects a profound misunderstanding about charities and their role in society. In January 2020, Canada had 85,756 registered charities. That one big number tells us very little. We need to understand how charities are organized, why they are important, and how the numbers are trending. Trends The trend line is clear. The number of registered charities had been climbing since Federal registration was introduced in 1967. It peaked at just fewer than 87,000 in 2017, and for the last two years has been declining. foundationmag.ca
