Data-Driven Engagement · Learning pathway
Build practical, confident data skills for the volunteering, giving, and participation sector, and earn the Certificate of Completion in Data-Driven Engagement.
Across the nonprofit and voluntary sector, organizations are being asked to use data more confidently to support planning, funding, evaluation, and community engagement. At the same time, many people working in volunteering, giving, and participation roles have limited opportunities to build practical data literacy in ways that feel relevant to their day-to-day work. This certificate was created to support that learning.
Led by Volunteer Canada, Imagine Canada, the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Canada / AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada, and Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada, with support and guidance from Statistics Canada.
What is the Certificate of Completion?
The certificate recognizes participants who complete a defined set of learning activities focused on:
- Understanding Canadian social data
- Interpreting Census and survey data responsibly
- Navigating the StatsCan website with confidence
- Applying data to real nonprofit and community contexts
- Case-study based learning
- Practical skills you can take back to your team
The certificate emphasizes applied learning and engagement, rather than technical or statistical specialization. It is designed to meet people where they are and support learning that can be taken back into organizations, teams, and communities. At its core, it’s about making data feel more usable, more human, and more connected to the real work happening across communities.
Who is this certificate for?
The certificate is designed for people who:
- Work or volunteer in nonprofit or voluntary organizations
- Manage or support volunteers
- Lead programs, strategy, or community engagement
- Use data for planning, evaluation, research, or funding applications
- Are new to working with national datasets and want a supported entry point
- Are postsecondary students building knowledge in nonprofits, giving, fundraising, and participation
No prior technical or statistical background is required. Curiosity and openness to learning are enough!
What is required to complete the certificate?
Participants complete a 10-webinar learning pathway made up of three connected components:
Statistics Canada webinars
The core foundation: understanding, accessing, interpreting, and responsibly using Canadian data. All six must be completed; they can’t be substituted with other webinars.
Required · all 6Case Study or Skill Development webinars
Case Studies show data and evidence-informed practice in real organizations. Skill Development sessions build hands-on skills in data use, Excel, and more (great for beginners!). Any mix counts.
Required · choose any 3Summary & Group Reflection
A group session led by the Data-Driven Engagement project team. Attendees are organized into groups based on their organizational role or their specific interests in the program, creating space to reflect together and plan how to apply the learning.
Required · date to be announcedJust curious? You’re welcome to register for any individual webinar without completing the full certificate.
Eligible sessions
All sessions below count toward the certificate. Please visit individual registration pages for exact timing; links are posted about three weeks before each session. Missed one? You can still catch up by watching the recording and submitting the form.
You’ve ticked off all ten. Well done! Certificates are issued based on attendance records; if you have questions, email datadriven@volunteer.ca.
Statistics Canada
Required: attend all 6
No sessions match this filter.
Case Study & Skill Development
Required: choose any 3
No sessions match this filter.
Summary & Group Reflection
Required: 1 group session to close out the pathway
No sessions match this filter.
November 24, 2026
Inform or Fool: Use and Misuse of Statistics
A data literacy session exploring misinformation, disinformation, and how to critically assess data-based claims in everyday information environments.
September 22, 2026
Communicating Data Like a Human
A practical session focused on data storytelling, visualization principles, and communicating statistics clearly and accurately.
July 28, 2026
Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub
An overview of Statistics Canada’s Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub, highlighting disaggregated and intersectional data relevant to understanding diverse populations.
June 9, 2026
Finding Indigenous Peoples Data on the Statistics Canada Website
An introductory session on locating Indigenous-related data, surveys, and reference materials, with an emphasis on responsible learning and contextual understanding.
February 24, 2026
Exploring Municipal and Rural Statistics on the Statistics Canada Website
An introduction to community-level and disaggregated data available for small and mid-sized communities, with a focus on practical local decision-making.
January 27, 2026
Getting to Know Your Community: 2021 Census of Population
How Census data can support community profiling, planning, outreach, and service design for organizations working in volunteering, giving, and participation.
July 29, 2026
Two Declines, One Story: What the Data on Volunteering and Donating Tells Us About the Future of Giving in Canada
Drawing on the GSS-GVP (the only longitudinal dataset that tracks giving and volunteering simultaneously at the national level), this session examines the parallel decline in donor and volunteer rates and what this means for concentration risk, early-career engagement, and organizations that manage volunteer and donor functions separately.
July 15, 2026
Giving in Canada: Insights from the Latest GSS-GVP on a Shifting Donor Landscape
Drawing on Statistics Canada’s most recent General Social Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating (GSS-GVP), this webinar examines giving patterns across age, gender, education, income, and more, and applies a critical lens to what the instrument can and cannot see, including forms of generosity that fall outside the formal tax-receiptable frame.
June 23, 2026
Innovative Approaches to Fundraising: Centre for Dreams
A case study in volunteer management and fundraising modelling.
March 31, 2026
Agriculture Wellness Ontario and the Guardian Network
Volunteer management supporting rural settings.
June 16, 2026
Telling Your Story With Data: Using CICP Dashboard Data
Using Charity Insights Canada Project dashboard data to communicate organizational impact and tell compelling, evidence-based stories.
May 5, 2026
Excel & Google Sheets: Level-Up Skills for Nonprofits, Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP)
A practical skill development session on using Excel and Google Sheets effectively in a nonprofit context, delivered by the Charity Insights Canada Project.
April 28, 2026
Spreadsheet Basics for Nonprofits, Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP)
A practical, hands-on introduction to working with data in Excel and Google Sheets, covering navigation, simple formulas, sorting and filtering, and why these tools are often all you need for effective data management in a nonprofit context.
March 3, 2026
What Are Data? Charity Insights Canada Project
Breaking down what “data” really means in a nonprofit context, explaining common terms in plain language, and exploring how data can be used thoughtfully and ethically to support decision-making, storytelling, and community impact.
Date to be announced
Summary and Group Reflection Session
A group session led by the Data-Driven Engagement project team. Attendees will be organized into groups based on their organizational role or their specific interests in the program, then reflect together on key themes, connect ideas across sessions, and think about how to apply what they’ve learned. Date and time will be shared with participants.
What does the certificate represent?
The Certificate of Completion signals that a participant has:
- Engaged in a sustained, multi-session learning pathway
- Built foundational data literacy
- Developed greater confidence working with Canadian survey data
- Learned from industry leaders in volunteering, giving, and participating
- Learned to apply data thoughtfully in planning, communication, and decisions
- Invested time and care in their own professional growth
It can be used to demonstrate professional development, continuing learning, or internal capacity building.
How do I earn it?
- Express your interest. Fill out the Expression of Interest – Certificate of Completion in Data-Driven Engagement form so we know you’re working toward the certificate.
- Attend the sessions. Register for each eligible webinar. Attendance is tracked through your webinar registration records. Missed one? Watch the recording and submit that session’s catch-up form.
- Receive your certificate. Certificates are issued once all ten required sessions have been completed.
Questions? Reach out to datadriven@volunteer.ca. We’re excited about this offering and look forward to learning with you!
Please note: The Certificate of Completion in Data-Driven Engagement is a recognition of participation in a structured learning pathway. It does not represent an accredited credential, but acknowledges sustained engagement and applied learning aligned with sector needs.
