Some people call us a “have-not” province, but when it comes to the voluntary sector, we provide a brilliant example of how to build a vibrant society and citizen participation in organized and informal activities.

We have a long history of people helping people build better communities; (some thank the harsh prairie weather extremes for this – people who’ve survived floods, droughts and blizzards know how much they depend on each other!)

Manitobans have often turned their community skills to staging stellar events like the Pan Am Games of 1967 and 1995….and of course, Folklorama a multi-cultural fund-raising festival attracting crowds for 25 years.

No less than 40% of Manitobans routinely volunteer their time and skills, and at the turn of the millenium, there are more than 4,000 active charities, 10,000 non-profit corporation and at least 30,000 grass roots groups, and funds raised to the tune of $4.5 billion dollars. (That’s 15% of our GDP! )

But, in Manitoba, as in the rest of the world the need for voluntary social activity is increasing. Special challenges are emerging and include: