https://bhargava.ngo/articles/ Commentary and essays on the nonprofit sector, technology, partnership and service — written to inform, provoke thought and, now and then, to encourage. en-CA https://bhargava.ngo/brand/logo-512.pnghttps://bhargava.ngo/articles/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/why-we-are-called-bridges/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/why-we-are-called-bridges/ A bridge does not replace either shore. It simply makes crossing possible. That modest ambition is the whole of our philosophy. Leadership Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/fewer-hands-same-heart/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/fewer-hands-same-heart/ Statistics Canada’s latest survey shows formal volunteering falling from 41 to 32 per cent in five years. The figure is sobering; the response it demands is not despair but design. Sector insight Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/international-year-of-volunteers/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/international-year-of-volunteers/ The United Nations has named 2026 the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, and Canada’s National Volunteer Week asked us to “Ignite Volunteerism.” The invitation is worth accepting on its own terms. Volunteering Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/four-billion-reasons/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/four-billion-reasons/ GivingTuesday 2025 raised a record US$4.0 billion, and volunteering on the day grew by twenty per cent. The headline is money; the more instructive story is participation. Giving Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/ai-everywhere-transformation-nowhere/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/ai-everywhere-transformation-nowhere/ A 2026 study found that 92 per cent of nonprofits use artificial intelligence, yet only 7 per cent report a major improvement in capability. The gap between adoption and transformation is where the real work lies. Technology Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/resilient-not-comfortable/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/resilient-not-comfortable/ Nearly three-quarters of Canadian charities report stable or growing voluntary income. Resilience is real — but it is being purchased with effort, adaptation and a steady turn toward digital maturity. Sector insight Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/paying-the-people-who-do-good/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/paying-the-people-who-do-good/ A national survey of 924 organisations shows nonprofit pay rising faster than inflation since 2020. Fair compensation is not a diversion from the mission; it is one of its preconditions. Leadership Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-inbox-is-the-front-door/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-inbox-is-the-front-door/ Email-based threats against nonprofits rose by more than a third in a single year, and credential phishing by half. The defences that matter most are neither expensive nor complicated. Technology Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-quiet-revolution-of-monthly-giving/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-quiet-revolution-of-monthly-giving/ Canada’s online giving data point to a steady rise in monthly donations and gifts of securities. Behind the trend lies a more profound shift: from transactions to relationships. Giving Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/in-praise-of-the-two-person-charity/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/in-praise-of-the-two-person-charity/ Most of the nonprofit sector is small, local and astonishingly resourceful. These organisations deserve not our sympathy but our serious investment. Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-spreadsheet-that-ate-saturday/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-spreadsheet-that-ate-saturday/ Every organisation has a document that quietly consumes its best hours. Identifying it — and retiring it gracefully — is one of the most humane things a leader can do. Technology Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/five-questions-before-you-buy-software/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/five-questions-before-you-buy-software/ Technology decisions in small organisations are often made quickly and regretted slowly. Five disciplined questions can prevent most of the regret. Technology Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/multiplication-not-addition/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/multiplication-not-addition/ When organisations collaborate well, the result exceeds the sum of their efforts. When they collaborate poorly, it falls short of either. The difference lies in design. Partnerships Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/what-a-good-partnership-agreement-looks-like/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/what-a-good-partnership-agreement-looks-like/ The best partnership agreements are short, specific and written in plain language. They exist not to anticipate litigation but to prevent misunderstanding. Partnerships Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-volunteer-who-stays/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-volunteer-who-stays/ Volunteers rarely leave because they stop caring. They leave because the role was unclear, the welcome was cool or their contribution went unnoticed. Each of these is a design problem. Volunteering Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/your-day-job-is-someones-missing-piece/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/your-day-job-is-someones-missing-piece/ Skills-based volunteering transforms ordinary professional competence into extraordinary community value. The accountant, the designer and the network administrator may be the rarest volunteers of all. Volunteering Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/measuring-what-matters/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/measuring-what-matters/ Small organisations are asked to measure more than ever, often with no additional capacity. A disciplined handful of indicators serves both the mission and the funder better than a sprawling dashboard. Leadership Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/telling-your-impact-story-honestly/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/telling-your-impact-story-honestly/ Stories move people in ways statistics cannot. Precisely because they are so powerful, they must be told with consent, accuracy and respect for the dignity of those they describe. Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/a-small-boards-guide-to-big-decisions/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/a-small-boards-guide-to-big-decisions/ Volunteer boards govern organisations with real obligations and real consequences. A few steady practices allow even a small board to govern with confidence. Leadership Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/digital-literacy-is-dignity/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/digital-literacy-is-dignity/ When essential services move online, digital skills cease to be a convenience and become a condition of full participation. Teaching them well is an act of respect. Technology Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-laptops-second-life/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/the-laptops-second-life/ Every year, organisations retire thousands of computers that could serve students, newcomers and community groups for years. Giving them a second life requires care, security and a little logistics. Technology Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/planting-trees-with-strangers/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/planting-trees-with-strangers/ A community planting day accomplishes something beyond its environmental purpose. It turns neighbours who have never spoken into people who have built something together. Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/from-idea-to-first-grant/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/from-idea-to-first-grant/ Many worthy projects never reach funders because their founders do not know where to begin. The path is less mysterious than it appears, and it rewards preparation more than polish. Giving Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/leading-with-less/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/leading-with-less/ Nonprofit leaders are often praised for sacrifice. A sector that depends on the exhaustion of its leaders, however, is not sustainable. Caring for those who care is a strategic necessity. Leadership Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-volunteers-make-waves/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-volunteers-make-waves/ Canada’s National Volunteer Week 2025 celebrated the ripple effect of individual service, even as it acknowledged a sobering reality: most charities could not meet demand. The theme invites a practical response. Volunteering Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-trust-based-philanthropy/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-trust-based-philanthropy/ In February 2025, a three-year study of more than a thousand organisations that received large, unrestricted gifts found the effects overwhelmingly positive. It strengthens a quiet revolution in how funders relate to nonprofits. Giving Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-givingtuesday-2024/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-givingtuesday-2024/ GivingTuesday 2024 raised US$3.6 billion, but its most striking figure was a 32 per cent rise in people donating goods. Generosity, it seems, is becoming more tangible and more varied. Giving Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-hungercount-2024/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-hungercount-2024/ In March 2024, Canadian food banks recorded more than two million visits in a single month — nearly double the figure of 2019. Heroic effort has carried the sector this far; structure must carry it further. Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-jasper-2024/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-jasper-2024/ The wildfire that reached Jasper in July 2024 destroyed about a third of the town. Governments pledged to turn every dollar donated into three. The episode offers lessons about readiness and about generosity amplified. Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-hungercount-2023/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-hungercount-2023/ Food Banks Canada recorded 1,935,911 visits in March 2023 — a 32 per cent rise in a single year. Behind each visit is a person, and behind each food bank is a network of volunteers under growing strain. Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-sdg-midpoint/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-sdg-midpoint/ In July 2023, the United Nations reported that only about 15 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goal targets assessed were on track. The finding is a summons, not a verdict. Sector insight Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-wildfire-season-2023/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-wildfire-season-2023/ Canada’s 2023 wildfire season burned more than 15 million hectares — over twice the previous record. Beyond the statistics lies a question every community organisation must now ask: are we ready? Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-turkiye-syria-earthquakes/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-turkiye-syria-earthquakes/ After the devastating earthquakes of 6 February 2023, Canada pledged to match up to $10 million in donations. The response illustrated how diaspora communities and established agencies can work together in a crisis. Giving Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-community-services-recovery-fund/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-community-services-recovery-fund/ In January 2023, applications opened for a $400 million federal fund aimed not at new programmes but at the people, systems and processes behind them. It was a rare and welcome recognition of what organisations actually need. Sector insight Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-disbursement-quota/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-disbursement-quota/ In December 2022, Canadian law raised the disbursement quota for larger charitable endowments from 3.5 to 5 per cent. Behind the technical language lies a simple question: how quickly should charitable wealth reach communities? Giving Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-international-volunteer-day-2022/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-international-volunteer-day-2022/ On 5 December 2022, the United Nations marked International Volunteer Day under the theme of solidarity through volunteering. The phrase contains a quiet challenge to how we organise help. Volunteering Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-chatgpt-arrives/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-chatgpt-arrives/ When ChatGPT was released on 30 November 2022, few imagined how quickly it would enter everyday nonprofit work. The technology is powerful; the wisdom to use it well remains a human responsibility. Technology Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-hurricane-fiona/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-hurricane-fiona/ Hurricane Fiona struck Atlantic Canada in September 2022. The Canadian Red Cross later reported assisting more than 96,000 households — a reminder that modern relief is as much about systems as about supplies. Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-nonprofit-economy/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-nonprofit-economy/ In July 2022, Statistics Canada reported that nonprofits accounted for 9.0 per cent of the nation’s GDP in 2020 and employed 2.4 million people. The figure challenges the notion that charity sits at the margins of economic life. Sector insight Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-qualifying-disbursements/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-qualifying-disbursements/ In June 2022, Canadian law changed how charities may fund organisations that are not themselves registered charities. The reform rewards a virtue every organisation should cultivate: good documentation. Partnerships Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-givingtuesday-2021/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-givingtuesday-2021/ GivingTuesday 2021 raised US$2.7 billion — a record, yet the first year without double-digit growth. The moment invited an important reflection: generosity cannot depend on novelty alone. Giving Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-bc-floods-2021/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-bc-floods-2021/ The atmospheric river that struck British Columbia in November 2021 displaced thousands. The response revealed both the generosity of Canadians and the importance of organisations ready before disaster arrives. Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-uneven-recovery-2021/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-uneven-recovery-2021/ In August 2021, a national survey found more than four in ten Canadian charities still facing revenue declines while demand kept rising. The pandemic did not affect every organisation equally — and neither should our response. Sector insight Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-two-billion-trees/ https://bhargava.ngo/articles/lb-two-billion-trees/ In February 2021, Canada committed to planting two billion trees over a decade. The ambition is national; its success, I have come to believe, will be decided locally. Community Rajiv Bhargava Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT