In Alberta there is a VLT for every 607 Albertans but one social service non-profit for every 1,750 Albertans. 

There is a lawyer for every 455 Albertans but one environmental non-profit for every 7,872 Albertans. 

There is one restaurant/bar for every 486 Albertans but only one arts and culture non-profit for 1,574 Albertans. 

Do we have too many non-profit organizations? If so, what criteria led to that conclusion? 

How many non-profits should we have?

Who knows the correct number? 

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In 2010 I published a short piece called “Are There Too Many Non-Profit Organizations in Alberta Duplicating Services?” which attempted to increase the public’s understanding of the make-up of the voluntary sector while also challenging the facile notion that so many of society’s problems would be solved if non-profits stopped all their duplication of services.

While the focus here is on Alberta, I used national data to construct it and my sense is that general findings for Alberta would be quite similar to other provinces and the overall Canadian experience.

My thesis is that duplication is not a problem; it is a must-have.  Let me know what you think.

Mark