A Calgary Herald piece written by a pair of people working in the non-profit sector in Alberta implies this fall’s referendum will harm their industry, with the headline, “Alberta separatism could have deep impact on non-profits”

The op-ed is long on anecdotes, but short on evidence that any harm has come, or will come, to Alberta’s non-profit sector. The authors speak to economic and social instability in broad terms but can’t tie those to the referendum.

Over half of the government funding directed to the non-profit sector in Alberta is from the provincial government. Greater provincial autonomy over resources could, in principle, allow more direct allocation to local priorities like social services, community facilities, and mental health programs.

Federal funding tends to come with strings and doesn’t focus as effectively on local needs and interests. If the province were to become independent, the province could effectively fill any federal funding shortfalls, and likely more efficiently than Ottawa does today.

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The state of non-profit groups is most reliant on the management of the groups themselves and how much local support they can garner in the community. There's no indication that holding a referendum will reduce volunteerism or make supporters less inclined to contribute to their preferred local non-profit organizations.

Alberta’s resource wealth and fiscal position give the province significant ability to support community services. This is a point often overlooked in fear-based narratives. The fiscal imbalance of the status quo puts prosperity at risk for all Albertans, including non-profit operators. If anything, the long-term picture looks brighter for non-profits in an independent Alberta.

The op-ed is just another sky-is-falling piece aiming at the independence movement with little in the way of facts to back it.