With more than 170,000 registered charities across Canada accounting for 8.7% of Canada’s GDP, the charity sector is undeniably an essential element of Canada’s economy, employing more than 2.5 million Canadians. The most recent Blumbergs’ Snapshot of the Canadian Charity Sector reports that registered charities generated “revenue of over $321 billion and expenditures of about $283 billion.”
Along with the economic impact, Imagine Canada indicates that charities play an essential role in communities across Canada, providing expertise and support in every aspect of our lives and contributing to Canada’s public policy process. This includes services and supports in social, religious, educational, healthcare, settlement, poverty reduction, social justice, and environmental causes. Simultaneously, for the sector to be truly reflective of the needs within communities, organizational leadership must represent Canada’s diverse communities.
As vital as the charitable sector is in combating Islamophobia in society, it must consider the reforms that are required within the sector itself in order to effectively address the issue.
No Diversity Policy
Islamophobia remains absent in institutional vocabulary and EDI policies and resources.
In 2021, Statistics Canada released its Diversity of Charity and Non-Profit Boards of Directors: Overview of the Canadian Non-Profit Sector report, based on a crowdsourcing survey of nearly 9,000 individuals involved in the governance of charities and non-profit organizations across Canada.
The study shows that 47% of the respondents indicated that their organization does not have a written policy related to diversity, and 23% did not know if one even exists. This points to two key factors in addressing diversity within organizational leadership: the need to purposefully develop a plan of action to increase diversity and then champion that plan of action and ensure there is adequate education and understanding of it.
Islamophobia, like anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, antisemitism, and other forms of structural and systemic racism, is compounded and becomes more complex when it is considered in the context of issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Yet unlike other forms of racism, Islamophobia remains absent in institutional vocabulary and EDI policies and resources – and most importantly, debate and discussion.
Capacity Canada recognizes that, for any non-profit, the board of directors plays a critical role in making a powerful and positive impact as it advances an organization’s mission. Without the right education, resources, and guidance for their directors, boards may fall short of reaching their organizational goals.
In its December 2021 Board Governance Bootcamp, Capacity Canada brought together more than 200 sector leaders to discuss emerging issues. Led by Indigenous, Black, and Muslim speakers, a discussion around “transforming governance” brought together presenters who authentically and unapologetically spoke to current realities and challenges of anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, and Islamophobia.
Studies show that diverse organizations outperform their peers by 35%.
The presentation by MAC on “Perspectives on Islam and Muslims in Organizational Leadership” sparked a conversation on the fundamental understandings of Islam, what drives Islamophobia, and how to counter it.
Embracing Change
MAC believes the following considerations are required for boards to effectively embrace changes toward greater board diversity:
Conviction that diversity is necessary: To effect real change, organizations must reach a collective understanding and be deeply convinced that diversity and inclusion are not only important or good to have but necessary as a means of positively impacting decision-making, management, and evaluation criteria for success within an organization.
Diversity creates success: An organization that understands diversity in its external service offering and internally in its culture will have a better reach and a higher chance of success. Studies show that diverse organizations outperform their peers by 35%.
Diversity drives growth: Diversity and meaningful inclusion are effective ways to challenge the status quo and drive change and growth – and provide a better chance of surviving societal change.
Meaningful inclusion has a chance only when the participants believe that the value of diversity is higher than the cost that comes with it. In its presentation, MAC stressed the importance of bringing together leaders of organizations to envision systemic and long-term change. This will result in a more prosperous charitable sector.
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