In 1995, the internet was a fledgling experiment, and most nonprofit organizations relied on printed newsletters and in-person events to connect with supporters and clients. That same year, CharityVillage.com launched as Canada’s first online job board dedicated to supporting the nonprofit sector.
Fast forward 30 years, and the world of work, including in the nonprofit sector, looks almost unrecognizable. Along with transformational technology, the sector has had to contend with ups and downs in the economy, global disruptions and pandemics, and an ever-evolving approach to integrating EDI, Reconciliation, and social justice into its work. As we celebrate CharityVillage’s 30th anniversary, we thought this would be a perfect moment to reflect on the past 30 years and consider just how far we’ve all travelled.
Here are seven key trends and turning points that have shaped the Canadian nonprofit landscape since 1995, along with how CharityVillage has worked to meet the sector’s changing needs.
1. The birth of the internet and the rise of digital tools
When CharityVillage first launched in 1995, the internet was still a curiosity rather than a workplace essential. Most nonprofit organizations didn’t have a website, and email was only just beginning to appear in office workflows. Technology was viewed with a mix of skepticism and wonder. In that landscape, our founding mission was both simple and bold: to create an online “village” where nonprofit staff, volunteers, and leaders could find resources and connect with one another.
In those early years, it wasn’t unusual for CharityVillage staff to physically bring computers into nonprofit offices to demonstrate what the internet could do. We weren’t just a job board or resource centre, we were digital guides, helping organizations imagine and embrace new possibilities. Slowly but surely, more nonprofits began to adopt online tools, especially for hiring and learning. CharityVillage became a trusted online home, offering a growing list of online services to help nonprofits.
It’s easy now to take technology for granted, but the transformation over the past 30 years has been profound. Consider something as simple as a job posting: what once required a phone call to the local newspaper and a mountain of incoming faxes can now be managed entirely online in just a few clicks. Today, a single CharityVillage job posting can reach thousands of qualified candidates across Canada in minutes. Built-in applicant tracking tools help store resumes, shortlist applicants, and streamline communications, all in one platform. What was once a multi-day administrative task is now a seamless digital workflow.
Throughout three decades of change, technology has remained a core pillar of CharityVillage’s work. We’ve continued to adapt and evolve, launching tools to support online recruitment, offering digital learning opportunities, and even developing an online fundraising platform. Looking ahead, innovations like AI and automation are already beginning to shape the future of nonprofit work. Whatever comes next, our commitment remains the same: to help nonprofit organizations stay informed and equipped to do their best work, powered by the tools of the day, and grounded in the values that brought us together in the first place.
2. The growth of the nonprofit sector
The late 1990s and early 2000s marked a period of remarkable growth for the Canadian nonprofit sector. Organizations across the country expanded their reach and deepened their impact, responding to rising community needs and new opportunities for funding and collaboration. As nonprofits grew, so did their teams, as more organizations began hiring full-time staff, building internal systems for human resources, and emphasizing leadership development. This growth was also reflected in education, with more individuals pursuing certificates and post-secondary programs specifically designed for nonprofit work.
During this time, CharityVillage emerged as a central hub for job seekers and hiring organizations alike. As Canada’s premier nonprofit job board, we connected people with meaningful opportunities at a time when more and more individuals were looking to align their careers with their values. Whether someone was new to the sector or a seasoned professional looking for their next role, we became a trusted resource. At conferences, it was common to hear things like, “I found my first ever (or most recent or best) job through CharityVillage,” and that sense of shared experience continues today.
We also recognized that the sector needed more than just job listings to support its ongoing growth. That’s why we launched our first eLearning courses — just a handful at the start — to provide convenient, affordable access to practical nonprofit knowledge. Over the years, this offering has expanded to include dozens of courses created in partnership with experts from across the country. In 2011, we introduced the Canadian Nonprofit Sector Salary & Benefits Report, offering valuable insights into compensation and benefits across the sector. Updated annually, the report remains a key benchmarking tool for organizations and individuals alike.
In response to ongoing sector needs, we’ve continued to expand the supports available through our platform. From background screening and video interviewing tools to a built-in applicant tracking system for job postings, our resources help organizations find the right people, and help people find their place in the sector. Looking back, we’re proud to have walked alongside so many organizations and individuals as they’ve built lasting change in communities across Canada.
3. The 2008 global recession and funding challenges
The 2008 global financial crisis sent shockwaves through nearly every sector, and the Canadian nonprofit landscape was no exception. As governments and donors tightened their belts, nonprofits faced a sharp decline in funding at the same time that demand for services surged. Endowments shrank, capital campaigns were paused, and many organizations were forced to lay off staff or scale back programming. For those reliant on government contracts or foundation support, the uncertainty was profound, triggering a years-long period of caution in budgeting and planning. Anything about this sound familiar in 2025?
The crisis also accelerated a reckoning within the sector around financial sustainability and diversification. Many nonprofits began to explore new revenue models, including social enterprise and fee-for-service programming as a safeguard against future volatility. There was also a shift toward collaboration and shared services, with some organizations merging or forming alliances to weather the storm more effectively. These adaptations weren’t always easy, but they laid the groundwork for a more resilient and strategically minded sector.
During this time of uncertainty, access to practical guidance and sector-specific information became more important than ever. CharityVillage’s written content, shared freely with the nonprofit community since our early days, proved to be an essential resource. Articles offering timely strategies, funding tips, and HR advice helped organizations navigate these turbulent times. Village Vibes, our weekly newsletter, delivered new, relevant content each week to thousands of nonprofit professionals across the country. It became a lifeline for many, offering knowledge, reassurance, and community. Today, nearly two decades later, Village Vibes continues to serve the sector, reaching more than 120,000 subscribers every Tuesday morning with updates on Canadian nonprofit news, free learning opportunities, and sector insights.
Despite the hardship, the recession became a crucible of innovation for Canadian nonprofits. It pushed organizations to rethink assumptions, invest in leadership capacity, and build stronger infrastructure for the long term. The scars of the downturn were real, but so too were the lessons, many of which helped shape a more agile, financially conscious, and mission-driven sector better prepared for the challenges that lay ahead, some of which we’re facing today.
4. The rise of social media and new forms of engagement
It might be hard to imagine now, but when CharityVillage first launched, social media didn’t exist, and neither did Google. In fact, we predate both by a number of years. Today, it’s difficult to picture nonprofit work without social media, given how central it has become to communication, fundraising, and advocacy. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter (now X), LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok are now woven into the daily operations of many organizations.
Over the past 15 years, social media has fundamentally reshaped how nonprofits engage with the world. What began as a tool for updates and announcements has evolved into a dynamic space for storytelling, mobilization, and influence. For small and grassroots nonprofits in particular, social platforms have, at least in some ways, leveled the playing field, enabling them to build visibility, fundraise, and shape public discourse alongside much larger institutions. Campaigns like #IdleNoMore, #BellLetsTalk, and #BlackLivesMatter have shown how social media can spark national conversations and galvanize communities around urgent issues.
But the rise of social media has also introduced new complexities. Online spaces have become more polarized, and many nonprofits, especially those advocating for equity or social justice, have been targeted with harassment, trolling, or misinformation. The pressure to maintain a constant online presence, manage reputational risk, and respond swiftly to crises has added to staff workloads and, in some cases, affected mental well-being. These realities have prompted many organizations to adopt new digital safety protocols, invest in community moderation, and rethink how they communicate in volatile online environments.
Still, despite its challenges, social media continues to offer unparalleled opportunities for connection and impact. Canadian nonprofits are finding innovative ways to use these platforms with intention and in ways that protect their staff and volunteers. As new technologies emerge, from AI to platform decentralization, one thing remains clear: the digital landscape will keep evolving, and the sector will evolve with it.
5. COVID-19: Disruption and reinvention
No recent event has impacted the Canadian nonprofit sector as deeply and universally as the COVID-19 pandemic. When lockdowns began in early 2020, nonprofit organizations were thrust into a storm of rapid change, with programs paused or shut down entirely, in-person fundraising events cancelled overnight, and staff quickly shifting to working from home, often without the infrastructure or training to support that change. At the same time, community needs intensified. Food insecurity, isolation, mental health crises, and housing challenges surged across the country, and nonprofits were expected to respond with fewer resources and more uncertainty than ever before.
The pandemic didn’t just create new problems; it also accelerated long-standing shifts that were already underway. Digital service delivery and hybrid work models moved from the margins to the mainstream. Organizations that had been slow to adopt digital tools found themselves fast-tracking all things virtual. The learning curve was steep, but the response was marked by creativity and collaboration across the sector.
CharityVillage moved quickly to support this period of rapid adaptation. We launched a dedicated COVID-19 Resource Hub and focused our free webinars on topics that would help organizations navigate crisis fundraising, mental health challenges, virtual leadership, and more. We expanded our eLearning offerings to include timely courses on virtual events, remote volunteer management, and adapting to remote work culture. Our platform introduced new digital hiring tools, such as video interviewing, to help organizations continue building their teams in a physically distanced world. As a fully remote company since our inception, we were in a unique position to share our experiences and best practices with the sector, supporting nonprofit professionals as they built their own remote-ready cultures from the ground up.
The pandemic was a defining moment for the sector. It was a time of disorientation, yes, but also of innovation and recalibration. While the long-term impacts of the pandemic remain, so too does the sense of possibility it sparked: that change can happen quickly, that collaboration can carry us through crisis, and that technology, when grounded in purpose, can help nonprofits reach further and serve better than ever before.
6. Equity, diversity, and inclusion: A sector-wide imperative
In recent years, the call for greater equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) has become a driving force for transformation across the nonprofit sector. Sparked and sustained by movements like Black Lives Matter, Indigenous reconciliation efforts, ongoing advocacy for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, and calls for greater accessibility, organizations have been challenged to confront inequities both within their structures and in the communities they serve. This shift has moved beyond symbolic gestures, instead requiring deep reflection, systemic change, and a reimagining of what it means to build truly inclusive and just workplaces.
Nonprofits across Canada have responded by reassessing hiring practices and revisiting board and leadership composition, all while listening more closely to the voices of equity-deserving communities. These efforts, while ongoing, reflect a growing commitment to embed equity not as a one-off initiative but as a guiding principle woven into daily operations, programming, and strategy. The journey has been complex and at times uncomfortable, but it has also opened new space for honest dialogue and innovation.
At CharityVillage, we’ve worked to meet this moment by creating a suite of resources to help organizations navigate their EDI journeys. Our eLearning platform includes a growing library of courses focused on anti-racism, inclusive hiring, unconscious bias, allyship, and accessibility. We also partnered with CivicAction to introduce HireNext, a practical tool designed to help organizations reduce barriers for equity-deserving job seekers and adopt inclusive recruitment practices. From job postings to candidate evaluation, HireNext offers actionable guidance that supports equity at every stage of the hiring process.
It’s important to acknowledge that many persistent and structural barriers remain. Reports like Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy have shed light on the severe underfunding of Black-led organizations, showing that despite their critical role in addressing systemic racism, they continue to receive disproportionately low levels of charitable and philanthropic support. This reality mirrors the experiences of many equity-deserving groups whose leadership and knowledge are often undervalued in traditional funding models. Research also shows that Indigenous-led charities receive less than one cent for every dollar received by non-Indigenous organizations. While grassroots movements such as Idle No More Every Child Matters have brought Indigenous-led advocacy to the front page of Canadian news, the sector is still playing catch-up in addressing this structural underfunding and in shifting power toward Indigenous-led priorities.
As the sector continues its path toward greater justice and belonging, we remain committed to being both a partner and a platform for progress. We will continue to foster space for dialogue, amplify diverse voices, and provide the tools nonprofits need to take meaningful, sustained action. The work of equity is never finished, but with humility and a collective effort, it can continue to move forward.
7. AI is here: The next big shift for the nonprofit sector
If the COVID-19 pandemic was the last great disruptor of the nonprofit sector, artificial intelligence is poised to be the next. Seemingly overnight, AI has moved from science fiction to everyday reality, writing emails, analyzing data, brainstorming content, and even drafting grant proposals. For many in the nonprofit world, it feels like both a thrilling leap forward and a looming unknown. Will it streamline our work or complicate it? Will it level the playing field or deepen existing divides?
What we do know is this: AI isn’t going away. Just as the sector adapted to social media, remote work, and digital fundraising, we’re now on the brink of another transformation. Nonprofits are already beginning to explore how AI can help automate repetitive tasks, sharpen messaging, and unlock capacity for deeper, more strategic work. But alongside the excitement comes real questions about ethics, bias, transparency, and the role of human judgment in mission-driven spaces.
At CharityVillage, we’re meeting this moment head-on. Our newly launched job board platform includes built-in AI tools that allow employers to generate tailored job descriptions in just a few clicks. And this is just the beginning. We’re actively exploring new eLearning courses to help nonprofit professionals confidently integrate AI into their day-to-day work, including how to use AI to streamline grantwriting, enhance storytelling, and improve digital workflows, without losing the human touch that defines this sector.
AI might be the flashiest technological tool to arrive in decades, but with the right guidance, it can be more than hype. With the right tools and thoughtful leadership, the nonprofit sector is well-positioned to harness AI not as a threat, but as a powerful ally in advancing its missions.
8. Looking ahead: A sector poised for transformation
As Canadian nonprofits look to the future, they do so amid an increasingly complex and unpredictable environment. Economic uncertainty, including fears of a looming recession, continues to affect donor giving, government funding, and operating budgets. Tariffs and inflation are driving up costs for goods and services, even as demand for frontline support grows. At the same time, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are reshaping how people work, communicate, and make decisions. These technologies offer powerful opportunities but also new ethical, operational, and employment-related questions for the sector to navigate.
And yet, if the past 30 years have shown us anything, it’s that the nonprofit sector is remarkably adaptive. From the rise of digital tools and the crash of 2008, to the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the social reckoning around equity and reconciliation, nonprofits have consistently met uncertainty with creativity, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to community. These past challenges have laid the groundwork for more agile and inclusive organizations that are better prepared to face whatever comes next.
CharityVillage’s role in this future is clear. We are committed to evolving alongside the sector, offering cutting-edge tools and resources that help organizations thrive in a changing world. A major step in this direction is the launch of our redesigned job board platform, featuring powerful new capabilities. This includes an AI-powered job description generator that helps hiring managers quickly craft inclusive, role-specific postings. It’s one of several innovations that signal the next chapter in our support for the sector.
As we move forward, our founding vision remains the same as it was in 1995: to strengthen the nonprofit sector by helping its people thrive. While challenges will undoubtedly continue, so too will the passion, ingenuity, and resilience that have always defined this sector. Together, we look ahead not with fear, but with determination, and a deep belief in the collective power of nonprofits to lead meaningful change in every corner of Canadian life.
This article was created with the assistance of AI.