Social innovation is a hot topic in the non-profit world, aiming to improve the well-being of communities through new solutions. However, turning ideas into action has often lagged behind the discourse. Three years ago, United Way Halton & Hamilton embarked on a ground-breaking journey, recognizing the pressing need for continuous support in our communities and the demand for innovative solutions. Our mission to improve lives, build community, and ignite action necessitated social innovation.
To spearhead this effort, we secured a grant to collaborate with partners in the Halton region, focusing on enhancing access to tax-filing services for low-income residents. Our objective was to discover the most effective ways to achieve desired outcomes and drive social innovation.
The creation of the Financial Empowerment and Problem Solving Program (FEPS) emerged as a pivotal strategic initiative. Our Community Impact team convened a roundtable of partners with a shared goal: empowering Halton residents’ financial security by ensuring they received the entitled benefits through evidence-driven interventions.
Unlocking the Potential of Behavioural Insights
Our path intersected with the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) Canada, which revealed the untapped potential of behavioural insights (BI) in social innovation. BI increases access to services and benefits through a more realistic understanding of how people make decisions. Recognizing the value of this methodology, we collaborated with BIT Canada, part of a global social purpose company, to bring BI to Halton & Hamilton.
Through our three-year partnership, we witnessed the transformative impact of social innovation, particularly BI. Leveraging BI techniques enabled us to address hidden barriers to uptake of financial empowerment services available in our community. We were able to communicate the value of tax filing in a simpler, timelier, more attractive, and ultimately more compelling way. As a result, more people received valuable tax benefits that were owed.
The Power of Behavioural Science
Working hand in hand with BIT Canada, we developed and trialled new ways of reaching those who needed the FEPS program the most. Our salient, user-friendly, and direct email campaign hit the mark, successfully connecting with our target audience in the community.
Key Achievements:
We sent emails to about 740 former Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre (OPNC) clients that had fallen out of touch. Half received a standard email, while the other half received an email informed by behavioural science that encouraged them to make an active choice about whether tax filing help would benefit them.
Only 1.4% of recipients responded to the standard email, but the response rate was 440% higher with the new email! This increase was statistically significant and carried over to actual attendance at the virtual tax filing clinics.
Overall, more than $67,000 in tax benefits and refunds were provided to families through this innovative and low-cost initiative to enhance outreach through behavioural science.
The Empowering Role of BI
BI’s impact on the non-profit sector, as demonstrated in this project and many others, is undeniably powerful. It offers a common-sense approach to meet people where they are, utilizing behavioural science to drive positive change. BI methods provide accessible, human-centered solutions and communication that our communities truly deserve.
Our FEPS partnership with BIT Canada marked just the beginning of United Way’s involvement in social innovation. We are forging collaborations with academic institutions, local organizations, and the national United Way Centraide Canada movement. Together, we aim to develop resources and share learnings, scaling the impact of this work within our neighbourhoods and beyond. By instilling an agile mindset and building capacity through innovative ideas, we can help people in even more meaningful and measurable ways.
At United Way Halton & Hamilton, we are proud to have revolutionized social innovation through our partnership with BIT Canada. By leveraging behavioural insights, we have witnessed firsthand the power of turning ideas into action, driving positive change in the lives of individuals and communities. We invite you to join us on this transformative journey, as we continue to push boundaries, inspire collaboration, and create a better future for all
To learn more about the impact social innovation and behavioural insights have on financial empowerment programming, read our full report.