Summary
Future of Good is a Canadian digital media, learning, and research organization dedicated to building a smarter social purpose sector. In partnership with Environics Research - a consultancy specializing in data-driven, strategic insights - they developed the Changemaker Wellbeing Index, the first comprehensive and representative randomized panel survey focused on the well-being of Canada’s nonprofit workforce.
The Index Report centers well-being in nonprofit work by equipping sector leaders with robust data to inform decision-making. Drawing on responses from over 1,100 nonprofit workers, it explores eight key indicators of well-being: mental health, burnout and exhaustion, anxiety at work, life satisfaction, job satisfaction, loneliness, household income sufficiency, and food insecurity. The full report is available for download on the Future of Good website with a free account required for access.
Policy & Practice Implications
- Organizations can use the findings to better understand structural factors impacting the well-being of non-profit workers, particularly those in frontline roles, community-based settings, and early-career positions.
- The Index highlights the importance of investing in foundational Human Resource practices - such as fair pay structures, performance evaluations, onboarding, and equity policies - as practical steps organizations can take to improve job satisfaction, reduce burnout, and increase staff retention.
- Sector leaders can reference the Index to advocate for predictable, inflation-adjusted funding models that support stable employment and allow organizations to provide adequate wages and benefits, especially for small and under-resourced nonprofits.
- Funders and policymakers can use the data to tailor support for younger, lower-income, and racialized non-profit workers - groups shown to face greater well-being challenges - by prioritizing mental health, food security, and professional development opportunities in funding criteria and program design.
Image source: https://wellbeingindex.ca/
