Imagine Canada announces Canada's first-ever Chief Economist for the Charitable and Nonprofit Sector

Mr. Brian Emmett joins Imagine Canada in the unique role of chief economist for the charitable and nonprofit sector. Tasked with measuring the impact of the sector and bringing economic issues facing charities and nonprofits to the forefront of public policy decision makers, Mr. Emmett will analyze and provide advice about related policies, programs and legislation.

“This considerable addition of Brian to our team will enhance the discussion at the national level of the impact charities and nonprofits have across the country,” says Marcel Lauzière, President and CEO of Imagine Canada. “As the saying goes, we measure what matters.”

In Canada, more than 165,000 organizations work in areas ranging from healthcare to sports, the arts, social services, education, international development and the environment, yet the true impact and contribution of the charitable and nonprofit sector - 7.8% of GDP and 10.5% of the labour force - remains under-represented in the public policy arena.

Mr. Emmett is an economics graduate of the University of Western Ontario and the University of Essex in England, and has enjoyed a long and distinguished public service career. He was Canada’s first Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development in the late 1990s and worked extensively on Canada’s Green Plan. He also served as Vice-President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in the early 2000s and has been an Assistant Deputy Minister in a number of federal government departments.

His early priorities will include connecting with key influencers within government and the charitable and nonprofit sector, providing ongoing economic impact estimates of policy proposals, and undertaking original research about the sector’s contribution to Canada’s economy.

Imagine Canada has secured funds from the Muttart Foundation, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Vancouver Foundation, and an anonymous donor to hire the Chief Economist for the Charitable and Nonprofit Sector. Additional support has been provided by the PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada Foundation.