The Alarming Statistics: Why One Third of Nonprofit Leaders Are Concerned about their own Burnout
A recent study shows that a third of nonprofit leaders are deeply concerned about their own burnout, and half of them are more concerned about their burnout now than last year.
Why is this the case?
To understand why there is widespread burnout in nonprofit organizations we need to understand some of the systemic elements at play.
The United States has over 1.8 million registered nonprofit organizations. These organizations serve a critical role in our society. As we have removed social services from the public sector, nonprofits have taken on the role of providing needed community supports. And needs have increased over time, putting more and more pressure on these organizations.
Almost 3/4 of nonprofit workers identify as women. Women are often socialized to be nice, to put others’ needs ahead of their own, and to swallow their own discomfort. Because of this, and the deep commitment many nonprofit leaders have to their organizations, teams, and mission, many leaders take on unrealistic expectations, burn the candle at both ends, and struggle to say no or hold boundaries.
The United States is overall an individualistic culture, where independence and self-reliance is highly valued. Nonprofit leaders are required to pivot from one thing to another, hold expertise in a wide range of areas, and are often the only or one of the only leaders in their organization. Since many nonprofit leaders (just like all people) have internalized individualistic ideas, they believe that they “should” be able to handle all of this. This leads to high levels of pressure, perfectionism, and isolation.
When you combine all three of these forces it is a perfect storm for burnout.
With the nonprofit sector being directly attacked by the current administration, government services being cut, and tens of thousands of fired federal workers potentially needing additional services to support their families, the pressure on nonprofit leaders is immense. And there is no playbook for this, just as there wasn’t for the crises that came before. This uncertainty adds to the overwhelm many leaders are already experiencing.
Why does it matter?
Burnout has a tremendous individual impact. It impacts people’s professional effectiveness, family and social lives, and mental and physical health. And for most nonprofit leaders their work is more than just a job – their identity, self-concept, and values are intertwined in their work. This makes it even more difficult to allow any balls to drop.
Addressing burnout is also about ensuring that your organization thrives. When we operate from a place of overwhelm, anxiety, and exhaustion, we tend to be less intentional, less creative, and less innovative. Furthermore, when leaders burn out and leave, organizations lose important institutional knowledge, and future generations lose potential mentors.
So what can you do about all of this?
Addressing persistent burnout requires that we shift our way of thinking. This is not a short sprint that we just have to get through. This is a systemic trap that we are writhing inside like a fly in a spider's web, getting more and more tangled.
Letting go of the idea that we can “power through" and then sitting with the loss of control, anger, and grief that this is the system we are all inside of is an unavoidable step.
And then we can refocus on setting realistic goals to make a powerful difference, working more interdependently, and holding boundaries to care for ourselves and each other.
Citations
Center for Effective Philanthropy. State of Nonprofits 2024. Center for Effective Philanthropy, 2024, https://cep.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NVP_State-of-Nonprofits_2024.pdf.
Cherry, Kendra. "What Are Individualistic Cultures?" Verywell Mind, 11 Feb. 2025, https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-individualistic-cultures-2795273#:~:text=In%20this%20type%20of%20culture,Europe%20tend%20to%20be%20individualistic.
Clerkin, Cathleen. "More Women Work in Nonprofits—So Why Do Men End Up Leading Them?" Harvard Business Review, 26 Apr. 2024, https://hbr.org/2024/04/more-women-work-in-nonprofits-so-why-do-men-end-up-leading-them.
Fass, Amy. "What the World Gets Wrong About Nonprofits." Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2024, https://ssir.org/books/excerpts/entry/what_the_world_gets_wrong_about_nonprofits#.
Wiki Charities. "How Many Nonprofits Are in the World?" Wiki Charities, 2024, https://www.wikicharities.org/how-many-nonprofits-in-the-world#:~:text=United%20States%20=%201.8%20million%20registered,Israel%20=%2037%2C000.