Beating Back Burnout: An Executive's Guide to Supporting Nonprofit Staff Well-Being

Leading a nonprofit comes with unique challenges. Alongside the mission-driven nature of this work comes the ever-present risk of burnout. Studies suggest over 50% of nonprofit employees experience burnout, which can devastate organisational culture, productivity and staff retention.

As an executive, you have immense power to curb burnout and uplift your team. Here are five in-depth strategies to maintain staff wellness:

Spot the Signs Early

Burnout is insidious, often creeping up without employees even realising there's an issue. Be proactive about identifying potential problems early. Warning signs include irritability, cynicism, waning engagement, lack of motivation, decreased productivity and constant exhaustion. No single symptom definitively indicates burnout, so look for clusters and changes in behaviour.

Check in regularly via one-on-ones and stay tuned into team dynamics. Create opportunities for open communication about the challenges of nonprofit work. Make it clear you view self-care as a priority, not a weakness. Employees will be more likely to confide in you about struggles before hitting a breaking point.

Emphasise Work-Life Balance

Nonprofit employees work an average of 10+ unpaid overtime hours per week, according to data from the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project. People get drawn into overwork by dedication to the mission. But constant overdrive leads to burnout.

Encourage staff to take regular holidays, disconnect outside of work hours and maintain hobbies and social connections. Avoid emailing or calling staff during evenings, weekends or time off unless absolutely necessary. Have managers model healthy work-life integration for their teams. Lead by example.

Invest in Professional Development

Lack of career progression is a huge contributor to burnout. Employees stagnate without opportunities to learn new skills or expand responsibilities. While nonprofits operate with limited budgets, invest what you can into professional development. Pay for relevant training and conferences in employees' fields of interest. Assign mentors to new hires. Offer cross-training to build new capabilities.

Check in on your team's career goals and aspirations during one-on-ones. Find low-cost ways to help them work toward professional growth. Employees who see a future at your organisation are less likely to burn out.

Audit Workloads

Constant overload is by far the biggest driver of burnout according to researchers. When demands exceed capacity for too long, employees get exhausted and demoralised. Audit workloads and staff capacity at least quarterly. Are people consistently working overtime to keep up? If so, bring on temporary contractors or reassign duties to relieve pressure.

Learn to say no to non-essential projects that distract from the core mission. Encourage managers to think critically about delegating tasks. Does this need to be done now? Who has bandwidth to take it on? With workload management, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Build a Compassionate Culture

Fostering community and connection goes a long way in burnout prevention. Create opportunities for team building and social connection among coworkers. Emotional support from colleagues relieves stress and isolation. Model compassion in your own leadership style.

Give honest feedback delivered with empathy. Validate staff when they need accommodation or time off to recharge. Make it clear staff health is an organisational priority, not a personal failing. The more psychological safety and support employees feel, the less likely they'll burn out. This starts from the top.

With focus and care, executives can curb nonprofit burnout. Support your team to maintain their passion, effectiveness and drive for service over the long-term. Their well-being and your organisation's success go hand-in-hand.

Emily Formby

Not-for-Profit / Charity - Search Specialist

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