During the fall of 2018, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Community Sector Council, Newfoundland and Labrador (CSC NL) are leading a series of engagements throughout the province to gather the views of stakeholders and the public on the economic impact of community sector activity in the province.
On March 23, 2018, the Provincial Government announced a partnership with the CSC NL that seeks to recognize and support the economic contribution of non-profit organizations. This initiative is supported by the Cabinet Committee on Jobs and is a commitment under The Way Forward – Government’s vision for sustainability and growth in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is therefore similar to other processes underway to develop and implement, in collaboration with industry partners and other stakeholders, work plans in the areas of mining, forestry, agriculture, aquaculture and technology.
The community sector is present and active in virtually every community in Newfoundland and Labrador and the province would not be the same without it. Like the public and private sectors, the community sector employs thousands of people across the province, but its economic role goes well beyond generating employment. The sector also:
Produces, buys and sells goods and services;
Fills gaps in services;
Is close to community and therefore responsive to local needs;
Is responsible for generating new ideas and developing local talent;
Plays a role in attracting tourists, investment and private sector business activity by providing artistic, cultural, recreational, social and economic activities, events and opportunities;
Supports Government’s Social Enterprise Action Plan and related efforts to stimulate the growth of the social enterprise model in the province; and
Supports ongoing efforts to increase immigration and repatriate Newfoundlanders and Labradorians as outlined in The Way Forward on Immigration in Newfoundland and Labrador by generally making the province a great place to live, go to school, work and raise a family.
In fact, a 2015 pilot study conducted by the CSC NL found that in the St. John’s region alone, 45 non-profit organizations generated approximately 1,200 jobs and supported $61 million in annual spending. Clearly, the community sector holds tremendous economic value. But there is also untapped potential. Through this process, the Provincial Government and CSC NL are working to better capture, understand and communicate that economic value, as well as to take tangible actions that translate the potential into measurable economic benefit.
To achieve this goal, members of the public and community sector stakeholders are invited to review the engagement schedule below and to have their say by registering for an engagement event at www.communitysector.nl.ca/publicengage or by phoning 709-753-9860.
We would also like to hear your thoughts on the importance of the community sector in your life, your community and your region, and how to highlight and strengthen the economic contributions of the sector. Please email your thoughts and ideas to [email protected] no later than November 23 or click on the link below to answer a couple of questions after reading the following Problem Statement and Engagement Objectives:
Rationale for Engagement
The community sector is not recognized as the economic contributor that it is, and there are barriers to enhancing its ability to contribute further to the province’s economy.
Engagement Objectives:
Determine how the community sector and its many objectives can achieve that recognition;
Determine what those barriers are and how we can remove them to support and strengthen the community sector’s contributions to the provincial economy; and,
Consider new approaches to building and strengthening the sector and working together.
