The Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP) published insights into service demand volatility & predictive planning in the Canadian charitable sector. According to the research, over the past 12 months, nearly half of participating charities noted that their demand has increased and remained relatively predictable (46%), meanwhile, a quarter of participating charities noted that their demand has remained predictable and stable (25%).  

In the last 12 months, more than half of charities report serving more people, while nearly half report increasingly complex client needs:

• 55% report an increase in the number of clients served or engaged
• 47% report an increase in the complexity of clients’ needs or the severity of issues they face

Based on the CICP research, charities use the following to monitor, anticipate, or forecast changes in service demand:

• Staff experience and professional judgement (65%)
• Feedback from clients, communities, or partner organizations (59%)
• Program intake, referrals, or waitlist tracking (52%)
• Internal administrative, client, or case management data (51%)
• Financial or budget forecasting tools (37%)

For further insights into the data, click here.