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Spotlights on Year 2 CICP Participants: 1,000 New Voices In 2024

The Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP) aims to support Canada’s charitable sector data infrastructure and bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and the public. The charity leaders who generously provide insights through weekly surveys are critical to our study’s success.  This year, we are thrilled to welcome nearly 1,000 new panellists to our study, joining more than 200 who are returning from last year’s panel of around 1,000 organizations. This growth showcases the value of the CICP, reflecting a process of connection and learning between our team and the sector.

Who are the CICP Panellists? A Diverse Pool

Our panellists are engaged in various sectors of activity. Roughly 52% of CICP panellist organizations fall within the charity type of ‘Purposes Beneficial to the Community.’  These include: Community Resources (27%); Public Amenities (27%); Health Care (18%); Arts (18%), Environmental (3%); Animal Welfare (3%); Relief of the Aged (2%); and others such as Agriculture, Human Rights, Foundations, CAAA, and NASO (~2%).

In future years, we hope to further engage underrepresented areas, such as agricultural and human rights organizations, which currently constitute a smaller portion of our panel. We will soon launch dashboards that will allow the public to explore the panellist sectoral data more thoroughly themselves.

Why Participate (or not) as a CICP Panellist?

One of the most rewarding aspects of our recruitment efforts this year was not only the record number of confirmations we received but the genuine conversations we had with potential panellists who were at times skeptical about the project. Our team members understand well the resource constraints, especially time, that charities face today. Therefore, we treat every response, whether a confirmation or a decline to participate, with the utmost respect and personalized attention.

In the spirit of transparency, we would like to share some of the common questions and concerns we have encountered as we continued our recruitment efforts. A successful project and meaningful impact require us to learn and adapt. Some organizations questioned the redundancy of surveying and the actual impact of academic-led projects, fearing additional strains on their already stretched resources. It is true that the academic endeavour is typically extractive. However, our hope with the CICP’s rapid response cycle, is that all participants feel as though the information they are giving us, is not only being received by our team, but transmitted to the public as quickly as possible – creating a positive collaboration feedback loop. We try to emphasize the significance of the CICP’s work in providing real-time data that directly influences policy and societal understanding. Rigorous and timely data is crucial for impactful change, and we are committed to ensuring our collaborative efforts yield tangible benefits for the sector.

Why don’t we offer financial incentives for participating in the CICP? All of our funding is used to pay our staff, support our research activities as well as our platform maintenance. We wish we had enough resources to truly compensate our panellists, but with over 1200 participants this year alone, it would be impossible to offer an adequate amount to all panellists annually. We hope we give back sufficiently with the quality of the data and our data literacy program, all of which are freely accessible on our website.

Moving Forward with Gratitude

The past year has been significant for the CICP, as we have strived to fulfill the promises made to our panellists: providing access to sector-wide insights, informing policies, and delivering detailed reports with minimal time investment and opportunities for meaningful networking and dialogue. As we continue to move into our second year, we deeply appreciate the support and interest from the numerous charities on our panel, despite their busy schedules.

“I have reviewed the background of this project and recognize the importance of this work to inform best practices.”

“We consider your project a valuable contribution to the charitable sector and we are interested in participating in the second round of the CICP.”

“Votre étude semble très pertinente, mais nous avons une charge de travail très élevée et dégager une travailleuse pour porter ce dossier n’est pas possible actuellement.”

Your enthusiasm drives us forward, and we encourage you to stay connected as we strive to make a lasting impact on the charitable sector. For those unable to participate this year, your consideration is valuable, and we look forward to your potential future involvement!

Author

Nguyen, Thi Kim Quy

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