Non-profits fill a vital role in reducing service provision gaps in Canada. They can fill gaps in publicly funded healthcare and housing initiatives, consequently increasing access to these resources. When working with a marginalized population, like women who have experienced gender-based violence, the role of non-profits in providing more flexible service becomes even more crucial due to the added barriers experienced. Despite the understanding that non-profits serve a vital role in social service provision, they are subjected to increased strains in resource scarcity, lack of funding, and increased care demands. This study examined interview data from 23 non-profit service providers across Canada to study their experiences of navigating these barriers when working with women who have experienced gender-based violence. This grounded theory analysis revealed the resourcefulness of these non-profit service providers in providing complex care for their clientele. Strategies to ensure proper care by these providers can be divided into three distinct categories based on whether they involve outside assistance: independent intra-organizational efforts, referrals to other organizations, or collaborations between their organization and a new party. The analysis demonstrated how collaborations often resulted in an increased pool of resources to draw from along with increased staff-power to combat complex issues affecting multiple social determinants of health. Despite monumental efforts to meet the care needs of their clientele, the prevailing theme showed how systemic barriers persist. By shining light on these experiences and the processes equipped by these service providers, this study demonstrates the lengths that service providers have to go to meet the priorities of the population they hope to benefit. This study, therefore, not only shows the methods in which individual non-profit service providers perform extraordinary work but also proposes suggestions on improving the system of social service provision in Canada.
Leah Shin (Thu,) studied this question.