The voluntary sector is made up primarily of not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations that engage with social issues. Voices from the Voluntary Sector contains reasoned reflections by practitioners on some of the significant challenges faced by today's not-for-profit organizations in Canada. Broad in scope, these essays present a rich, multi-dimensional set of vignettes that as a whole express the vitality and humanity of the voluntary sector in Canada.The contributors discuss organizational and managerial challenges, social entrepreneurship, and how to foster effective global movements. The essays include a reflection on the ways that young people can find the courage to become leaders, an exploration of the absence of First Nations peoples within voluntary sector organizations, and a consideration how parental incarceration affects the life prospects of children. Voices from the Voluntary Sector is a valuable resource that addresses a wide range of concerns related to the responsiveness, character, and leadership of third sector organizations.
Frederick Bird is a research professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo and a distinguished professor emeritus at Concordia University.Frances Westley is a professor and J.W. McConnell Chair in Social Innovation at the University of Waterloo.
’If you are interested in reading 15 well-written, diverse, stimulating, and sometimes moving essays from Canadian nonprofit leaders, this is your book... A refreshing combination of nonprofit leadership experience and well-digested management theory and research.’ - Michael O’Neill (Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol 20:10:2011)