Regional Engagement Atlas of Churches (REACH)

Volunteers play a vital role in shaping both the heart of their congregation and the well-being of the wider community. The Regional Engagement Atlas of Churches (REACH) project aims to better understand the role and impact of volunteers within and outside of churches across Canada.

Overview

The REACH project is both practical and academic. It aims to encourage and equip churches to further their mission and vision while also contributing to academic literature on volunteerism, giving, and faith in Canada. REACH is carried out through the Volunteer Impact Survey. This 25-minute online survey is available for church congregation members ages 14+ and looks at how church members impact their communities. We measure community impact socially, materially, and spiritually through survey questions about volunteering, financial giving, work, and more. Participating churches receive a detailed, multi-page Church Impact Report upon completion.

Explore your congregation's "volunteer DNA"
Learn about your congregation's community footprint, both inside and outside of the local church
Understand how your congregation is (or isn't) flourishing
Read relevant feedback based on voices from your own congregation

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I have to be an active church volunteer to participate?

No. Anyone attending a church can participate in the REACH project and Volunteer Impact Survey. Those who volunteer within or outside of their church will be invited to share about those activities in the survey, and those who do not volunteer can also participate by answering all other applicable questions.

Why should my church participate?

There are plenty of ways that our data and analysis methods could be useful for your church. For one, participating churches (provided enough data is received) will receive a multi-page analytical report, outlining:

Their volunteer DNA (‘who’ volunteers in their church; i.e., demographic data on church members)
Their community footprint (measuring the material, social, and spiritual impact of church volunteers on the surrounding neighbourhood/community)
Their congregation’s level of human flourishing

How do I get involved?

If you are a church leader looking to run the REACH project in your church, please contact wycliffe.ciecr@utoronto.ca and include ‘REACH’ in the subject line. We will get in touch with you soon and look forward to working with you!

Ethics for research involving human participants

This project has been approved by the University of Toronto’s Human Research Ethics Unit [Protocol #: 00049371].