Professional Development in Charities: Shifts & Challenges
Since the launch of the Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP) last year, our surveys have consistently revealed that staff-related issues, particularly the skill vacuum caused by recruitment and retention challenges, are major concerns among charity executives, as synthesized in our 2023 Mid-Year Report. Professional development is recognized as a critical strategy to alleviate these pressures. However, significant research into this area has been scarce, with the last comprehensive study conducted by the HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector in 2011 (the Current State of Skills Development Report). To address this knowledge gap, our recent survey (CICP 2.5.17) examines the current professional development needs and the challenges faced by charity managers in providing these opportunities. Keeping the findings of the 2011 report in mind, this blog explores the shifts in priorities for professional development, changing preferences in training delivery modes, and highlights the pressing need for coordinated support from funders and sector bodies to overcome these challenges.
High Demand for Fundraising and Digital Skills
We asked which specific areas of professional development or training charities would like to receive at the moment. Based on the survey results, we have categorized the training areas that charities are currently interested in into three groups, defined by the percentage of respondents expressing interest: high-priority (40% and above), moderate-priority (30%-39%), and low-priority (below 30%), as shown in the table below:
| Priority levels | Knowledge or skills areas |
|---|---|
| High priority (40% and above) | Fundraising Strategies and Donor Engagement (57%) Grant Writing and Proposal Development (47%) Digital Marketing and Social Media (45%) Program Evaluation and Impact Measurement (40%) |
| Moderate priority (30%-39%) | Nonprofit Leadership and Management (38%) Governance and Board Development (38%) General Marketing and Communication Strategies (36%) Volunteer Management and Coordination (35%) Community Outreach and Partnership Building (34%) Data Management & Security (33%) |
| Low priority (below 30%) | Financial Management and Budgeting (28%) Risk Management and Crisis Response (28%) Legal and Regulatory Compliance (25%) Environmental Sustainability Practices (16%) Artificial Intelligence (7%) Other (mostly profession-specific skills) (7%) |
Our survey indicates a notable shift in the training priorities of charties: fundraising and digital proficiency have now become top priorities. This represents a significant change from the findings of the 2011 Current State of Skills Development Report, which primarily emphasized strategic leadership skills, and where digital capabilities were confined to basic IT skills and received minimal focus. Meanwhile, the low-priority category suggests that charities might perceive these areas as adequately managed or not immediately critical. However, this lower prioritization could also indicate that charities are potentially underestimating the importance of risk management and compliance that are crucial for long-term sustainability and ethical operations. It may also suggest a slower adaptation to emerging technologies and sustainability practices which are essential for staying relevant and efficient in a rapidly evolving sector.
From Formal Courses to On-the-Job Learning
Charities are adopting a diverse array of training modes for professional development, which can be distinctly categorized based on the nature of delivery: Internal Informal, Online, Internal Formal, and External Formal. Each mode represents a specific approach to how training is conducted, as detailed in the table below:
| Category | Training approaches |
|---|---|
| Internal Informal | On-the-job training and mentoring (82%) Peer learning and knowledge sharing (47%) |
| Online (internal/external) | Online courses and webinars (70%) |
| Internal formal | In-house workshops and seminars (44%) Professional development resources (40%) Regular performance reviews (34%) Dedicated training staff (9%) |
External formal | External training programs and conferences (60%) Reimbursements for training courses (39%) Certification programs (22%) Subscriptions to professional publications (21%) Partnerships with educational institutions (9%) |
Our survey reveals a significant shift in training preferences within these categories. Notably, the internal informal mode, such as on-the-job training and mentoring, now lead with an 82% adoption rate, marking a stark contrast to the 2011 State of Skills Development Report, where externally formalized courses that did not lead to accredited qualification was the most frequent type. The preference for informal training, as noted by the authors of the 2011 report, might reflect efforts by charities to manage costs effectively and might indicate the perception that internal staff training better addresses the specific organizational needs.
It is noteworthy that the Online mode has seen a dramatic increase in adoption, with 70% of charities now utilizing online courses and webinars, compared to only one-third in 2011. However, partnerships with educational institutions remain underutilized, with only 9% engagement, echoing the 2011 findings where 88% did not have active educational partnerships.
A Call for Funders and Sector’s Unified Support in Professional Development
The findings from our survey demonstrate a persistent issue across the charitable sector: while the desire for professional development is strong among charities—with only 10% reporting low staff interest or engagement—the reality is that 80% face financial constraints and 62% struggle with scheduling conflicts, the two most prominent barriers that prevent the full realization of these training initiatives. This mismatch is especially prevalent in smaller or rurally located organizations, as shared by some respondents:
“All the training needs you listed are needed to some degree or another. We tend to approach training on a reactive basis -either to an emerging situation or to a low-cost opportunity. In a small organization, I don’t know how else we’d approach it.”
“We are remote and in person training is very costly with travel, accomodation, and food added to the cost”
Moreover, the challenge of integrating new skills post-training reflects another layer of complexity, as one organization expressed:
“The biggest issue is not access to education for us. It’s that to implement what we learned, we would need triple the funding we currently have for new staff.”
To effectively tackle the professional development challenges within the nonprofit sector, a unified approach is crucial. This approach should facilitate easy access to training and also help in identifying necessary funding to support these initiatives. One respondent highlighted:
“If there is a hub or platform that can provide specific training to non-profits in Canada and then identify related funding for those training courses or the organization as a whole, that would be incredible.”
We suggest that funders and sector bodies recognize and act on the necessity of professional development as a critical investment in the future of the charitable sector. Only through a concerted, structured support system can we ensure that our charities are not only prepared for the challenges of today but are also equipped to sustainably grow in the future.
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