How can you promote empathy in a non-profit organization?

The absolute most important element for a non-profit is a well articulated reason for existence. Its why. Its mission. Empathy, is a by-product of the way this story is articulated and shared. Leaders who deeply contect with their mission will be magnetic to staff and stakeholders alike and that fosters empathy and ignites passion.

Para fortalecer la empatía en organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro, se pueden considerar estrategias adicionales. Esto incluye organizar sesiones de sensibilización, facilitar oportunidades de voluntariado directo, implementar encuestas de empatía, incorporar historias personales de beneficiarios, establecer programas de autocuidado, fomentar grupos de apoyo, incluir a personas beneficiarias en decisiones, y programar jornadas de reflexión empática. Estas estrategias complementan las propuestas originales, proporcionando enfoques prácticos y diversos para fortalecer la conexión y empatía entre la organización y la comunidad a la que sirve.

Empathy should be far more prevalent in non-profit, as the work usually has a person centred ethos. However it’s often not the case. Morality and a sense of ‘mission’ can blinker leaders and managers to the wellbeing of their staff. The lesson of some many toxic work environments, from corporate to public to non-profit is that putting people second (or worse) is incredibly easy to do, and takes rigour and determination to avoid. The first step in non-profit should be to acknowledge this. You have to create an empathetic working environment, and maintain it. It won’t happen just because you have a noble shared aim. Some starter basics. Trust your team. Listen and show you have heard. Create contexts for non hierarchical work engagement.

Instead of asking your team how their work is going, start your calls by sharing how you feel, and inviting others on your team to do so as well. Nurturing an empathy-centric environment, whether at a non-profit or otherwise, begins with realising that feeling is first. This opens up a space for your teams to feel comfortable with feeling, and guiding their decisions on work with an equitable balance of logic and feeling.

I believe this is step number one, and many of us do not get self-care right or it takes the back seat to other "more important" priorities. How can we promote anything to anyone if we are not first caring for ourselves? Empathy requires focus, energy, resilience and authenticity. Proper self-care will strengthen each and allow us to be authentic when having empathy. Demonstrating that empathy is a source of strength, not weakness, to our people by showing genuine care and understanding, will promote it throughout the organization.

One of the most important steps, as a leader, is to exercise empathy continuously. Be a role model to the organization and the team. Talk the talk but also walk the talk. Continuously. Making it the norm and the expectation from yourself as well as the rest of your team.

Hire the right people for the job. Practice what you preach. Don’t try to micromanage instead empower people who work for you. Practice gratitude at all times. Start with people who are empathetic in nature. It all starts with the person doing the hiring. Train them to ask the right questions and make the best hire possible. All my best!

As a leader, there are two major characteristics that are important which need to be involved in order to promote empathy in a non-profit. The first one is to model empathy for the entire organization. A organization will rarely go above and beyond what its leader models. The second point is to understand and internalize the purpose of the organization. Non-profits are generally organized for a cause. In order to promote empathy, the leader should understand, internalize, and fully identify with the cause. A leader who is passionate for what the organization stands for and is doing cannot help but communicate that passion and empathy to their co-workers.