Who are the difference-makers in your community? An outstanding volunteer? A business or not-for-profit organization? You have a great opportunity to show your appreciation by nominating them for a Prime Minister’s Volunteer Award. But there’s little time to think about it – the deadline for the second round of nominations is
April 15th.

Here’s a little-known fact that may surprise you: Canada ranks at or near the top in the world when it comes to volunteering. Almost a full third of us spend time assisting on a non-paid basis in our communities, and many of our charitable agencies are almost totally staffed by volunteers.

The Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards, 17 in all, given at regional and national levels, celebrate those people and organizations as exceptional Canadians who make a difference.

As individuals or groups, volunteers help their communities in many ways, from organizing activities for children with disabilities to fundraising for community projects. The number of hours they donate is the equivalent of nearly 1.1 million full-time jobs.

Not-for-profit organizations help build stronger communities. In Canada, 161,000 registered charities and not-for-profit organizations labour to improve the lives of others. Many regularly forge new partnerships with other organizations to find solid, creative solutions to social issues in their community.

Many businesses also make a positive impact in their communities. Some organize fundraising events to generate donations for charitable organizations. Some offer their employees paid time away from work to volunteer. In 2010, over half of all employees who volunteered said that they had received employer support to do so. 

Last year, Canadians submitted over 750 nominations for the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards. They were honoured at an awards ceremony held on December 14, 2012 in Ottawa.

The Emerging Leaderand Lifelong Achievementawards are awarded nationally. The Community Leader, Business Leader and Social Innovator, are extended regionally – one each to five Canadian regions, including the Prairies.

Each winner will be given the privilege of choosing an eligible not-for-profit organization to receive a grant for $5,000 (regional award) or $10,000 (national award).

With so many Canadians volunteering, there are many more who deserve to be nominated.

The nomination process involves several steps, so in order to meet the April 15th deadline, waste no time in submitting your choice of volunteer or organization. Go to www.pm.gc.ca and follow the links to the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards. Nomination forms are online as well as details about previous recipients.

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The audio version of Garry's April 1, 2013 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here