Early in this century, visionaries in Canada's volunteering sector decided to go beyond intuitive recognition of what was working well for community service organizations. The Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement (CCVI) was published in 2001, with the latest version released in 2017, during Canada's 150th anniversary.

The importance of knowledgeable, consistent application of the Code's "Standards of Practice" cannot be overstated, and a brief overview of the 10 "Standards" provides ample evidence why: Mission-based Approach: (governs and guides what volunteers do) Human Resources: (enlightened treatment of volunteers as entitled to rights as part of an organization's team) Infrastructure for Volunteer Involvement: (adoption of standardized policies and procedures designed to secure volunteer involvement, plus promote diversity and inclusiveness in a safe environment) Evaluation: Tracking, Measuring and Reporting: (obligation to establish systems by which volunteer involvement can be tracked, measured, and evaluated, in order to benefit in particular the volunteer) Volunteer Roles and Recruitment: (recognition and analysis of effective volunteer roles, plus putting in place recruitment that incorporates a broad range of strategies to reach out to diverse sources of volunteers) Risk Management: (appreciation of risks associated with a volunteer role and other functions of an organization, combined with analysis, education, and measures in loss prevention) Screening: (implementation of a clearly communicated and transparent process, allied to Risk Management, that will attract volunteers who are the most suitable to fill the roles intended) Orientation and Training: (orientation necessary to inform a volunteer about the organization's values, mission, and goals, together with policies and procedures; training as applicable to the safe, effective, and meaningful performance of a volunteer role) Support and Supervision: (beyond the training process, a framework focused on the role, with opportunity for mutual feedback) Recognition: Valuing Volunteer Involvement: (ongoing means in place to recognize a volunteer's efforts associated with a role and contribution, a demonstration that volunteers are valuable)

Just as the "Charter of Volunteerism" is a living document, the CCVI's latest version also "contains updated standards, reflects the current social context" (per its Background) for the purpose of standing as both a contemporary, visionary statement and assertion of principle. The keys to "Best results", upon reflection about the 10 "Standards", are committed formulation of "practices" and their application. Attracting and retaining a superior volunteer through "best practices" assuredly yields the results that community service organizations aim for and define as unqualified success.