Governments see not-for-profit agencies as an alternative mechanism for delivering public services. Activists see voluntary organizations as instruments of change. Analysts see community organizations as sources of trust and social cohesion. Despite these heady expectations, we know remarkably little about the not-for-profit sector in Canada. In this book a group of scholars respond to the need for basic research in this field, exploring the scope of the not-for-profit sector, the diverse roles that such organizations play, and their relationships with other sectors.

The size and complexity of the not-for-profit sector, the role of religious organizations in the delivery of social services, the distinctive roles of not-for-profits in caring for the elderly in Ontario and Quebec, the advocacy role of ethno-cultural organizations at the national level, and accountability dilemmas facing not-for-profit organizations are just some of the topics tackled in this book, illustrating the rich diversity of the not-for-profit sector.