Summary
Canada's voluntary sector, consisting of approximately 175,000 organizations, is remarkably strong. In order to thrive in a dramatically changed environment and to maintain the high levels of confidence which Canadians have for the sector, it will need to ensure that its governance mechanisms are up to the task and that accountability is both effective and seen to be effective. The Panel on Accountability and Governance in the Voluntary Sector was an initiative of the sector for the sector to aid in this process of adapting to change. In the fall of 1997, the Voluntary Sector Roundtable, an unincorporated group of national voluntary organizations, appointed six individuals, serving as volunteers, to lead a review with a threefold mandate: (1) to conduct research and present draft proposals for discussion about how to promote accountability and governance in the voluntary sector; (2) to get feedback from the sector by leading broad consultations; (3) and to present a final report containing specific recommendations.