Knowledge Centre
Browse our latest insights on on behavioural science, job loss, job search motivation, wellbeing, and more.
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
Stabilization Is Progress: Rethinking Success Through Leading Indicators
Stabilization Is Progress: Rethinking Success Through Leading Indicators In This Article: Where Progress Begins Walk into any stabilization-focused nonprofit on a Tuesday morning and you’ll see the invisible work in motion. A young parent juggles a stroller and a housing form, unsure which line to stand in. A coach reschedules a session for the third time, trusting that showing up—eventually—will mean something. A manager updates their monthly funder report, wishing there were more to say than “referred to services.” This
Intervention Brief— Bringing Mental Health to the Frontlines: What Community Organizations Can Learn from PM+ and Step-by-Step
Bringing Mental Health to the Frontlines: What Community Organizations Can Learn from PM+ and Step-by-Step Intervention Brief Introduction In Canada’s social sector, front-line staff are stretched thin. Coaches and advocates often find themselves supporting clients facing housing instability, food insecurity, trauma, and extreme stress—without adequate tools, training, or time. As demand for mental health-informed approaches rises, so does the need for interventions that are evidence-based, scalable, and designed for delivery by non-specialists. That’s why two innovations from the World Health
Why Aren’t More People Accessing Support? Rethinking ‘Take-Up’ with Behavioral Science
Why Aren’t More People Accessing Support? Rethinking ‘Take-Up’ with Behavioral Science Overview Many community programs offer life-changing support—ranging from help with groceries and job applications to budgeting assistance, housing navigation, and financial aid. Yet, despite the clear value of these programs, nonprofit leaders and frontline staff often encounter a persistent and troubling pattern: some of the individuals most in need of support are the least likely to access it. This gap between eligibility and participation is often referred to as