This Summary Report offers a clear, accessible overview of the Futureproofing the Community Service Workforce initiative and its efforts to strengthen digital capacity in Canada’s nonprofit sector. Spanning four phases of research and prototyping, the project assessed the current state of digital skills across the sector, explored hiring and workforce data, and co-developed a hands-on prototype to address the most pressing digital skill gaps.
The report highlights what was learned from testing that prototype with nonprofit organizations across the country and offers strategic recommendations for funders, sector leaders, and practitioners to drive long-term digital resilience and capacity-building.
Key Highlights Include:
- A comprehensive look at the nonprofit tech workforce, including job role trends, wage gaps, and skill demand
- Analysis of top digital skills gaps: privacy and data security (32%), data-informed decision-making (24%), and data management (23%)
- 81% of nonprofit workers believe digital skills are essential—but only 14% say their organization is fully integrated digitally
- Only 0.8% of nonprofit staff hold tech roles, and those who do are paid ~33% less than in other sectors
- The DS+ (Digital Skills Plus) Framework was developed to define and organize the digital and adjacent skills needed in nonprofit settings