Burnout in Nonprofits

Apr 13

A candid conversation about burnout in the nonprofit industry and how to combat it.

Burnout is an issue that plagued the nonprofit sector long before the pandemic. The normal stressors that fundraisers, executive directors, and boards face daily will continue to mount as they constantly find new ways to keep their organizations afloat. Inevitably, those who aren’t already at the end of their tether soon will be.

Nonprofit Quarterly reports that “30% of nonprofit workers are burned out, with an additional 20% in danger of burning out.”
In 2022 the Chronicle of Philanthropy surveyed over 650 fundraisers which found that 94% percent said they strongly or somewhat agreed that there is tremendous pressure to succeed and 82% said fundraising roles are under-appreciated.

Pat Duboise and Ike Ubasineke joined Susannah Darrow for a conversation about burnout and what can be done to combat it for individuals and organizations.

Takeaways from this conversation include:

Prioritizing self-care and work-life balance, such as getting enough sleep and exercise.
Creating a culture of care that supports employee well-being and prioritizes open communication from colleagues and leadership.
Setting boundaries and managing workload effectively, such as implementing "no meeting" days, shorter meetings, and setting email hours.
Mentorship and support from colleagues or professional networks outside of the workplace.
Leaders must recognize the signs of burnout and model anti-burnout behavior to create a healthy work environment.

Burnout can lead to low morale, poor customer service, toxicity, and turnover within organizations. In referencing a Tweet by Adam Grant, Pat discussed a compassion tax within the nonprofit industry that takes advantage of people's passion for a mission.

Ike discussed Growth Culture, Death Culture, and its implications on individuals and organizations. Implementing a growth culture to combat burnout entails thinking and communicating in a growth-minded way. Think growth, talk growth, and take action versus focusing on shortcomings and staying stagnant.

The full conversation between Susannah, Pat, and Ike is available on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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