The Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP) published new insights into the mental health and well-being of people working in the charitable sector. For the past three years, CICP has been tracking the status of mental health and well-being of staff and volunteers in the sector. According to the study, 55% of charitable organizations reported a moderate to major increase in mental health challenges among staff or volunteers in the past 12 months. CICP notes that these findings underscore how closely staff well-being is tied to the resilience and operational capacity of charities.
CICP reported that the main drivers of rising mental health challenges are rooted in both workplace strain and external stressors. The top five factors contributing to deteriorating mental health outcomes include:
- 66% Increased workloads or burnout
- 54% External societal pressures
- 39% Greater demand for services
- 37% Decreased or unstable funding at the charity
- 25% Organizational change (e.g., leadership transitions)
Survey highlights:
Many of the charities that participated in the survey offer some supports; only 7% of participating organizations offered no support to their staff. The most common policies and benefits are:
- 75% – Flexible work arrangements
- 55% – Mental health days or time-off
- 45% – Anti-bullying and harassment policies
- 34% – Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- 32% – Counselling or therapy (internal or subsidized external)
- 29% – Access to mental health apps or digital tools
- 19% – Staff wellness/fitness programs or incentives
- 18% – Peer support or mentorship programs
- 16% – Mental health or stress management workshops
Check out the CICP data for further insights, click here.
