The Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP) published new insights into the recruitment and retention crisis in the Canadian charitable sector. The HR crisis is threatening the sector’s ability to deliver essential services to communities across the country. The root cause of these issues remains the sector’s chronic underfunding, which has led to low wages, unstable employment, and high turnover for decades, according to studies from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and the Social Planning Network of Ontario.
What CICP data reveals about employee turnover
The Charity Insights Canada Project has surveyed charities weekly to track sector-wide challenges since 2022. In March 2023 and June 2024, CICP specifically examined staff retention, uncovering a significant increase in employee turnover, primarily driven by insufficient pay, benefits, and rising burnout.
Employee turnover trends:
Charity Insights Canada Project categorized turnover into three groups:
- No turnover
- Low turnover (1-20%)
- High turnover (21-100%)
The data shows a worsening trend over time. Organizations reporting no or low turnover decreased between 2023 and 2024, while high turnover jumped from 27% to 39%.
Check out the CICP data for further insights, click here.