Knowledge Centre
Browse our latest insights on on behavioural science, job loss, job search motivation, wellbeing, and more.
The Quiet Case for Brief Coaching in Community Resource Centres
The Quiet Case for Brief Coaching in Community Resource Centres What the evidence says — and what it looks like in practice Front-line advocates are busy. Most carry more cases than anyone intended, navigate systems that weren’t built with their clients in mind, and are asked to do more with less — every year. In that environment, adding a new practice framework can feel like one more thing on an already full plate. But what if it wasn’t something to
The Long Middle of Winter: Behavioural Science for the February Trough
The Long Middle of Winter: Behavioural Science for the February Trough Why momentum thins out—and how supportive practices help people move forward By February, many people start telling a harsh story about themselves. “I had momentum in January.” “Now I’m behind.” “I should be doing better than this.” From a behavioural science perspective, that interpretation is often too personal and not contextual enough. What many people experience in February is less a failure of character and more a period of
The New Year Fresh Start: Behavioral Science for Stabilization Work (and the Humans Doing It)
The New Year Fresh Start: Behavioral Science for Stabilization Work (and the Humans Doing It) January is weird in the nonprofit world. For many clients, it’s not a clean slate. It’s a pile-up: holiday aftershocks, tight budgets, disrupted routines, disrupted sleep, colder weather, and the emotional whiplash of watching “new year, new me” messaging land on a nervous system that’s already stretched thin. And for staff? Same story. Reporting, intake pressures, staffing gaps, and the quiet weight of caring work.
Acceptability of Behavioural Interventions in the Social Sector: Embracing the Complexity
Acceptability of Behavioural Interventions in the Social Sector: Embracing the Complexity Why this matters now Ask any advocate: forms and steps accumulate. A new funder brings new metrics, three questions are added; the funder leaves, the questions stay. Another consent, another upload, another ‘must-do’—until the process itself becomes a barrier. Over time, those add-ons become administrative burdens—learning costs, compliance costs, and psychological costs—that suppress take-up and widen inequities. Evidence shows that simplification and salient reminders can materially increase benefit claiming,
Because Asking Hurts: Why So Many Don’t Reach Out, and What Organizations Can Do
Because Asking Hurts: Why So Many Don’t Reach Out, and What Organizations Can Do Sometimes the hardest step is saying the words Imagine losing your job, with rent due and bills stacking up. You know support exists — financial aid, counselling, a food program — but the thought of saying “I need help” feels heavier than the problem itself. This moment of hesitation, before a request is ever spoken, is what behavioural scientists call help-seeking difficulty: the set of psychological,
Harnessing the Fall Fresh Start: Behavioural Insights for Stabilization Work
Harnessing the Fall Fresh Start: Behavioural Insights in Stabilization Practice Every September, the air turns crisp, backpacks appear on store shelves, and families across Canada brace for the back-to-school season. For many, this time of year signals renewal: new routines, new teachers, new beginnings. But for individuals and families living on the margins, fall can bring a wave of fresh stress—higher expenses for supplies and clothing, disrupted routines, childcare gaps, or even the sting of comparison as peers seem to