Jan. 01 0001
According to Statistics Canada, approximately three in four people in Canada volunteer [1] to causes they believe are important. At United for Literacy, volunteers tutor math, reading, writing, and other essential skills. Others help children and adults understand financial literacy and gain valuable computer skills. In 2024-25, youth aged 15 – 30 made up a significant 73% of United for Literacy’s volunteer base.
University students are central to United for Literacy, and we are always looking for new ways to encourage youth involvement across Canada. This means looking at trends in volunteering and determining what inspires young people to give their time to an organization. We want to encourage volunteering to build stronger connections between individuals and within whole communities.
“Youth bring energy, skills, and fresh perspectives, and have enormous potential to make positive contributions to their communities,” says Franca Gucciardi, former CEO of the McCall MacBain Foundation, which supports youth mobilization across Canada. “As community leaders, it is our responsibility to find ways to involve youth in our projects, not only to support the work that we do, but to provide youth with a healthy place to come and contribute to work they care about.”
In 2018, the General Social Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating explored the ways people give back to their communities and connect with nonprofits and other organizations. Understanding the types of opportunities young people are looking for and where they find meaning helps us prepare for the future and find new ways to reach potential volunteers.
Formal volunteering: mediated by an organization
Informal volunteering: without the help of an organization
In Canada, youth participate in both formal and informal volunteering.
Most common formal engagement areas for youth:
Social services (24%)
Education and research (22%)
Sports and recreation (18%)
Religious organizations (16%)
[12 - Hahmann]
Informal volunteering activities include:
Direct help to people (74%):
Housework and home maintenance,
Shopping,
Driving to stores or appointments,
Paperwork,
Health-related or personal care, or
Teaching, coaching, or tutoring.
Community improvement activities (30%):
Maintaining a park or public space,
Participating in public meetings,
Sharing information,
Coordinating a group or event,
Developing an economic or social project,
Engaging in online awareness-building activities (online petitions, crowdfunding, hackathons, etc.) [1]
Priority Organizations and Issues for Youth
In 2020, youth 15-30 were more likely to participate or volunteer in sports or recreational organizations and cultural, educational, or hobby organizations. Women in this age group were more likely to engage in civic organizations than men. [2]
The 2021 State of Youth Report named the priority issues for Canadian youth. They are more likely to volunteer with organizations rooted in these areas:
Truth and Reconciliation
The environment and climate action
Health and wellness
Leadership and impact
Employment
Innovation, skills, and learning [3]
Youth engagement stats today:
74% feel it is important to be active in their community.
78% want to learn more about making a positive difference. [4]
The message used to invite youth to engage is critical to getting them involved. Terms like “community mobilization” and “community care” are more resonant than “volunteering.” Youth are also drawn to less formal, grassroots involvement that aligns with their values. [5],[6] These trends tell us to adapt the way we talk about volunteering. We need to find new ways to mobilize youth [7] and be clear about how their work will make an impact. [8]
Franca Gucciardi adds, “Many organizations offer the opportunity to fulfill high school service requirements. While this is an entry point, we must give youth more credit than this. All people want to feel they have something meaningful to give to others. Youth want to see how their experience feeds the bigger mission and vision of an organization. They want to see how they're doing good for the world. And they want to be part of a community that makes them feel positive and optimistic.”
These trends tell us to:
Adapt the way we talk about volunteering
Find new ways to mobilize youth
Be clear about how their work will make an impact
Read about what United for Literacy is doing to remove barriers (LINK TO ARTICLE 2) to volunteering and encourage youth to get involved (LINK TO ARTICLE 3).
[1] Hahmann, T. (2021). Volunteering Counts: Formal and informal contributions of Canadians in 2018 (Insights on Canadian Society). Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2021001/article/00002-eng.htm
[2] Ibid.
[3] Canadian Heritage, C. (2021). Canada’s first State of youth report: For youth, with youth, by youth. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/state-youth/report.html
[4] Bechard, M. (2022, November 23). Understanding Youth and Child Civic Engagement In Canada. Rideau Hall Foundation. https://rhf-frh.ca/understanding-youth-and-child-civic-engagement-in-canada/
[5] Ibid.
[6] Apathy is Boring, & Environics. (2022). Canadian Youth - A Social Values Perspective on Identity, Life Aspirations and Engagement Of Millennials And Gen Z.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/r826pfxfva6xl29/2022%20Canadian%20Youth%20Social%20Values%20-%20EN.pdf?dl=0
[7] Rodney, Y. (2023, March 14). Volunteerism: In crisis or at a crossroads? The Philanthropist Journal. https://thephilanthropist.ca/2023/03/volunteerism-in-crisis-or-at-a-crossroads/
[8] Bechard, M. (2022, November 23). Understanding Youth and Child Civic Engagement In Canada. Rideau Hall Foundation. https://rhf-frh.ca/understanding-youth-and-child-civic-engagement-in-canada/
Updated: November 2025 (originally published September 2023).
