If there’s one thing nearly all nonprofit leaders have in common, it may be concerns about burnout.
In a recent survey conducted by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, 95 percent of leaders said they were at least a little worried about staff burnout, and more than a third said it was “very much a concern.” Women leaders of color are especially worn out, as pressures including unfulfilled racial-justice pledges, inequities in the workplace, and the current legal and political climate exacerbate the problem.
Cora Daniels, senior editorial director at the Bridgespan Group, was one of them. In Sabbaticals and the Case for More Rest for Leaders of Color, she explains how her work, which focuses on advancing racial equity, kept her in “battle mode” and led to exhaustion. But a paid sabbatical offered by Bridgespan gave her a much-needed chance to reconnect and recharge.
Being able to talk about burnout in the past tense feels like a powerful milestone, Daniels says. “After all, dismantling oppression and building a more equitable future is impossible when one is operating from a state of exhaustion.”
Burnout doesn’t have to the be the norm, she says, and philanthropy can help shift the culture by funding in ways that lift up worker well-being as vital to the success of nonprofits. Some organizations offer models to follow.
BIPOC ED, a multicultural collaborative of more than 240 nonprofit leaders of color from Washington state, aims to normalize rest by offering grants for one-month and three-month sabbaticals; creates tools and resources to help organizations establish sabbatical policies; and brings together nonprofit leaders of color for collective healing, rest, and self-care.
Andrea Caupain Sanderson, who co-leads the organization with two other women of color, describes BIPOC ED’s work like this: “What we’re doing is movement building. This is an important ingredient in the quest for a just and equitable world.”
Read the full article for more examples and insights.
For in-depth guidance that can help you create a positive work environment at your nonprofit and prevent burnout, see our leadership training series — available at no cost thanks to a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. It includes three informative webinars:
Have a good week,
Lisa Schohl
Senior Editor, Advice
