Coalitions in the Charitable Sector: The Need for Community Building

September 18, 2025

Time to read: 5 minutes

In our recent survey on coalitions (CICP 3.03.08, March 2025), we found that 42% of charities reported being part of one or more coalitions, 37% had never been a part of any, and 16% were unsure of what constituted a coalition. These survey results inspired many questions.

Why Ask about Coalitions?

The research literature defines coalitions as two or more organizations collaborating to achieve a common goal or goals, often to advocate on a shared public policy agenda. They are rooted in shared interests, collective action and mutual trust, rather than being constituted as formal, incorporated entities. Coalitions may be like-minded charities working in the same field, or a more diverse group of charities and nonprofits with some overlapping but also some divergent interests. Or they may be cross-sectoral, involving charities/nonprofits and businesses that normally exist as two solitudes but come together around a common goal. They may work at any scale, from the grassroots to national and international levels.

Coalitions are not a modern invention. They follow a long lineage of organized mutual support. Émile Durkheim, in Professional Ethics and Civic Morals ([1992]2018), described medieval guilds as more than transactional units: they were moral communities, grounded in solidarity, shared responsibility, and civic ethics. A vivid historical example comes from Richard Mackenney’s Venice as the Polity of Mercy (2019) which explores how confraternities (charitable guilds) in Venice between the 13th and 17th centuries helped structure civic life around compassion and care. These lay ‘brotherhoods’ were not top-down institutions, but self-governing, community-based collectives rooted in neighborhoods and trades – an early form of what we might now call sector-based or mission-aligned activity.

In Canada, coalitions have long existed in many subsectors. These are as far-reaching as youth, human rights of Indigenous Peoples, housing, humanitarian assistance, ocean literacy and many more. From the mid 1990s to early 2000s, the Voluntary Sector Roundtable (a collaboration of 12 umbrella organizations) was instrumental in advocating for and leading a major initiative with the federal government aimed at policy and regulatory reform and raising awareness of the charitable sector.

During the pandemic, sector-wide coalitions were established in several countries to provide a coordinated voice for charities to governments, which in the UK has morphed into a 50+ member Civil Society Group. While two such coalitions sprung up in Canada during COVID, both were short-lived.

This sparked our curiosity: to what extent do Canadian charities participate in coalitions and what benefits do they provide? In a broader sense, we are interested in understanding why Canada has not produced sector-wide policy leadership coalitions as other countries have.

Important cues from the survey responses

In the March 2025 survey, 42% of the participants indicated they are currently members of a coalition; 4% had participated in the past, and 37% have never been part of a coalition. The overwhelming majority (80%) of coalitions are with charities in the same subsector, 37% of which are grassroots-based. About a third of coalitions are a diverse mix of charities (or nonprofits) across subsectors. Only 11% participate in coalitions with business or corporate partners and 9% with unions or professional associations. The coalitions are Canadian-focused, with only 9% involving international organizations.

The survey indicates that participants get multiple benefits from coalitions. The most important benefit is the value of networking (80%) and its associated access to information (52%). Stronger advocacy efforts and policy influence are highly valued, as noted by 71%. Instrumental benefits such as greater access to resources (67%), increased efficiency in achieving the mission (35%) and funding opportunities (32%) are also at play, but not primary rationales. Coalitions also provide valued non-tangible rewards such as a ‘sense of community’ (62%) and learning and professional development (55%). As noted by some respondents:

We work together across different groupings to address sustainability in all senses of the word – financial, environmental, relevant – and to hold each other in hope and courage.

A lack of information and awareness stands out as the main reasons for not participating in coalitions – charities are unaware of relevant ones (48%). Lack of time or capacity was a much less significant impediment (cited by 22%), while 17% said they aren’t sure why they don’t join coalitions.

Coalition as a Fuzzy Concept

What isn’t captured in the general questions but stated in the 122 open-ended responses is perhaps more telling of how coalitions are viewed. 43 of 141 coded comments (31%) revealed confusion about what “coalition” actually means. Many participants questioned whether partnerships, working groups, sector tables, or memberships counted while others described rich forms of collaboration that they hesitated to label as coalitions:

I am not sure what a coalition would be in the charitable sector. Our organization often partners with and collaborates with other organizations. Is that a coalition? We are also a paying member of organizations who advocate on our behalf […]. Are these coalitions?

Some understood coalitions primarily as advocacy mechanisms:

I’m not sure what is meant by coalitions. We work in partnership or collaboration with other organizations. Coalition seems to suggest multiple organizations coming together for advocacy.

These findings invite us to step back and ask a bigger question: What are we really talking about when we talk about coalitions, and how might we better differentiate among different types of coalitions? Are coalitions simply vehicles for advocacy, or can they be something deeper: living networks of solidarity, mutual support, and shared action? Could coalitions better describe what they are and why they might be relevant to more charities?

Conclusion

This reflection doesn’t offer answers to these questions: it simply opens a space for deeper thinking and shared exploration. In a fragmented and resource-strained sector, especially during this time of political and economic uncertainty, perhaps we might begin to revisit what coalitions could mean not only as vehicles for advocacy, but also as spaces for solidarity, shared learning, mutual aid, and community resilience. What if we returned to more foundational questions:

Why do we build coalitions?
What forms might help sustain the deeper social fabric of our sector?
How do we nurture community, not just visibility?

When charities come together in networks of shared interests and identities – locally, sectorally, or in other ways – they may be tapping into a deeper civic tradition, where charitable action and advocacy reinforce one another rather than compete. Could recovering that dual vision help us reimagine the future of Canada’s charitable sector – not only louder, but stronger?

We will keep pondering about the issue that Phillips and colleagues (2022, 2024) raised: why hasn’t Canada produced sector-wide policy leadership coalitions as other countries have, and what would be the value and potential in doing so?

Authors

Phillips, Susan

MPNL Director & Policy Lead
Email Susan
613-520-2600 ext x 2633

Nguyen, Thi Kim Quy

Postdoctoral Fellow
Email Thi Kim Quy

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