Dr. Megan Conway is on a mission to spark creativity, curiosity and capacity to mobilize social change. As the president and CEO of Volunteer Canada, she brings 20 years of powerhouse leadership across government, charitable and academic sectors. Renowned for her ability to scale innovation and use evaluative thinking to adapt programs, Dr. Conway holds a PhD from the University of Waterloo in Urban Planning, specializing in community development and social innovations.
When she isn’t leading Canada’s national organization for volunteerism, she serves as a Fellow at Carleton University’s School of Public Administration and Policy, heading international research on place-based change and charitable sector capacity.
We sat down with Dr. Conway to get her take on the vital importance of giving back during the International Year of Volunteers.
Q: How long have you been involved with Volunteer Canada?
A: I’ve been the President & CEO of Volunteer Canada since November 2021.
Q: What volunteer roles have you had in your lifetime?
A: I’ve had several diverse volunteer roles throughout my lifetime. As a young child, I had a relative who was an elected official, and I would help do basic election campaign tasks and duties. Later, when I was in Grade 6, I started a compost club at my elementary school. When in high school, I had several volunteer roles on student council as well as on the athletic association. I also volunteered as a soccer coach in my youth, something I have recently come back to. Throughout my life, I’ve had a strong desire to participate in my community in various ways. I now spend most of my time volunteering on boards of directors and advisory committees and coaching my kids’ soccer teams.
Q: Why is volunteering so important to you?
A: Volunteering has been a way for me to connect with my neighbours and my community. I’ve also benefitted from the opportunity to gain skills that I’ve applied in career or job contexts.
Volunteering also enables me to contribute to civic life. It gives me the opportunity to have a voice in my community and a positive impact on the issues we collectively face. When we work together, we can create the communities we want to live in.
Q: What does 2026 being the International Year of Volunteers mean to you?
A: 2026 is an opportunity to get loud and to put volunteering front and centre. Volunteers do so many things across our communities, they are woven through the fabric of our communities. Yet, the work of volunteers is often unseen, and this contributes to them not being valued.
Further, volunteering rates are on the decline. During the last five years, the overall volunteering rate dropped by eight percent, according to the 2023 General Social Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating.
2026 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to celebrate the power of civic participation and renew Canada’s culture of volunteering. It’s a call to action for the future of volunteering.
Q: What role does volunteering play in our society today?
A: Volunteering is omnipresent—from healthcare, to sports, to the environment and arts and culture—it’s the connective tissue of our communities. Volunteers play an essential role in solving complex problems, providing critical services, strengthening civic ties and reducing isolation and loneliness.
Q: What do you think is the biggest misconception about volunteering?
A: There are many different understandings of what it means to volunteer, and we need to create a new narrative of volunteering that brings together these understandings and all the diverse ways of participating.
There’s also a significant misconception that volunteering is free. That no resources are required to support volunteers and the work that they do. This contributes to volunteering being devalued economically, culturally and societally. Volunteers deserve strong infrastructure to support them as they contribute their time and expertise.
Q: What would you say to encourage someone to volunteer?
A: Tap into your motivation and find your thing! Talk to your friends and family about how they volunteer, visit your local volunteer centre, library or community centre for ideas, or tap into your passion explore your own unique way of contributing your gifts to your community.
Follow us on your favourite social media platform and get inspired by great stories about how people are volunteering across the country, and what volunteering means to them.
Q: What would you most like people to know about Volunteer Canada?
A: Our mission is to advance volunteerism to grow connection, community and belonging. Since 1977, our organization has acted as the national voice and leadership body for volunteerism. Ultimately, our role is to be a bridge and build capacity across our network by providing research, standards of practice and resources for the public, private and charitable sectors.
Q: In your role as a volunteer leader, what are you most proud of?
A: I don’t see myself as a volunteer leader but rather someone who leads an organization that is dedicated to strengthening volunteerism. Leaders of volunteers play an important role providing the support system for both organizations and volunteers. Responsible for recruitment, retention and recognition, leaders of volunteers are relationship builders, coaches and teachers. They are doing huge work within organizations and within communities creating welcoming spaces and meaningful opportunities; training, motivating and inspiring people to share their time and talents; and at the same time as coordinating timetables and managing risks! It’s massive.
What I’m most proud of in my role is helping to lead an amazing team of people who care deeply about the work.
Q: What is the most challenging part of your role?
A: Balancing resources and capacity while maintaining momentum and progress towards the core mission is hard in today’s world where the landscape is changing rapidly. It can be challenging to secure funding for volunteer infrastructure and capacity building. As with most nonprofits, raising resources to support the work is a significant effort.
Q: What is a quote or motto that helps guide you in your life?
A: “Hope is a verb.”
Q: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
A: As we approach National Volunteer Week (NVW), I’m excited to share information about our NVW Celebration that I’ll be hosting on April 23 from 9:30 to 11 am. This online celebration features a keynote address by Senator Farah Mohamed who will share her insights on volunteering in Canada and beyond. Senator Mohamed will be joined by two 2024 Canada Volunteer Award recipients, Udlu Hanson and Priscilla Ojomu, who will share their stories of volunteering and advocating for social justice, inclusion and their communities’ most pressing needs. This engaging conversation will be followed by a Q&A with participants. Please join us! Register at tinyurl.com/33hkm9m6.
