Not-For-Profit Leadership Society

The Not-For-Profit Leadership Society (NPLS) is founded on a simple conviction: a thriving non-profit sector is vital to Canada’s economy and essential to building healthy communities.

The evidence supports this belief. According to a 2023 Statistics Canada study, non-profit institutions contribute 8.3% of Canada’s GDP—an estimated $182 billion. This encompasses diverse organizations: community institutions, government non-profits such as health-care providers, and business non-profits including local chambers of commerce. Beyond economic impact, the sector is a significant employment engine, providing jobs to 2.8 million people—one in every ten Canadian workers.

Yet as the sector’s importance has grown, so have its demands. Funding for leadership development has become increasingly scarce, leaving emerging leaders without affordable professional growth opportunities. The NPLS exists to close this gap.

Our mission is straightforward: make professional development affordable and accessible to emerging leaders in Canada’s non-profit sector. We focus on small to mid-size organizations across the country that lack resources for formal leadership training.

Our programs address the five core pillars of the sector:

1. Governance
2. Finance
3. Human Resources
4. Operations (Program Delivery)
5. Communications

Working closely with sector professionals, we deliver high-quality leadership training at accessible price points. Beyond classroom learning, we foster community through regular networking sessions where alumni connect, share experiences, and learn from one another.

The NPLS operates under a volunteer Board of Directors comprising of members from the private and public sectors, and is guided by an Advisory Committee of non-profit leaders.