[Guide] Data Governance standard for the non-profit and charitable sector

Canada’s first data standard for the non-profit and charitable sector was published May 7, 2025. Entitled CAN/DGSI 100-11: Data Governance – Part 11: Delivery of Community and Human Services (see attachment below for the standard and checklist), the standard outlines minimum requirements to help organizations responsibly collect, store, and use personal information from the communities they serve. It comes after years of non-profit networks and professionals seeking solutions to address the sector’s data deficit and limited data coordination.

The document covers five sections: governance and oversight, data collection, data storage, data access and use, and data sharing and publishing.

In 2021, the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) introduced data as an agenda priority and created a proposal for the Data Evidence-Use Learning (DEAL) framework to outline how the sector’s data can be used ethically. In 2022, the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience was established with a mission to help non-profits thrive in a tech-driven world. The same year, the Charity Insights Canada Project launched its pilot to transform how the sector uses its data about itself. Last year, the Federal Nonprofit Data Coalition celebrated its first large-scale survey of the sector in 20 years but determined that it needed more support to address its data deficit. The standard will help to consolidate data knowledge and improve data maturity across organizations.

DGSI, an organization that develops digital-technology governance standards globally, supported the development of the standard. Drafted primarily by a voluntary team of non-profit organizations, networks, and funders across Canada, it was then reviewed by DGSI’s technical committee on data governance – approximately 250 participants in total. The draft will be open for public review for 60 days so people outside of the technical committee – such as other non-profit professionals across Canada – can review it and provide feedback before it is published as a complete standard. It will undergo review every two years.