The Digital Governance Standards Institute has announced the release of a new national data governance standard to help nonprofit and community service organizations across Canada ethically manage personal and sensitive data.
DGSI recently announced the release of CAN/DGSI 100-11:2025 – Data Governance for the Delivery of Community and Human Services. The standard is expected to provide practical and equity-driven guidance for nonprofits increasingly dependent on digital systems to deliver essential services, especially to vulnerable populations.
“This isn’t just about technology – it’s about trust, transparency, and ensuring that the move toward digital doesn’t deepen existing disparities,” said Wilfreda Edward, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience. “By embedding equity and community accountability into data governance, this standard helps create a shared foundation for nonprofits to build ethical, secure, and inclusive digital practices.”
The standard outlines sector-specific approaches to data collection, storage, access, and sharing, according to a news release. It seeks to emphasize principles of privacy, ethics, and informed consent and acknowledge the limited resources available to many small and medium-sized nonprofits.
Key features of the standard include:
- Defined roles and responsibilities for data oversight
- Requirements for obtaining informed consent and limiting data collection
- Secure storage and access control mechanisms
- Ethical guidelines for data use and equity-based governance
- Alignment with Indigenous data sovereignty principles such as OCAP®
Pamela Uppal-Sandhu, interim co-executive director of the Ontario Nonprofit Network, called the release “a pivotal moment” for the sector. “These standards are vitally important in supporting the data governance of nonprofits and ensuring ethical, secure handling of sensitive data,” she said.
The standard was crafted by a national volunteer drafting committee that included experts from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto, New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training, and other sector partners.
Katharine Bambrick, CEO of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, noted the standard’s value for organizations working with vulnerable groups. “The Digital Governance Standards Institute offers clear and actionable guidance for ethical and privacy-focused data management, tailored to the sector’s unique needs and limitations,” she said.
DGSI has also published a Data Governance Implementation Checklist to support adoption, breaking down the standard into manageable steps for governance, collection, access, and sharing.
The full standard and checklist can be downloaded from the DGSI website.