Burnout is a problem in all sectors; however, research suggests that those in the helping profession are more susceptible. Nonprofit organizations often attract individuals who want to make a difference in the world, and who care deeply about others. Unfortunately, these employees are more vulnerable to burnout. Over 50% of the nonprofit sector is impacted by burnout. It can take an average of 14 months to two years to fully recover from burnout. Being able to notice the signs and intervene earlier in a successful way can reduce the costs of potential voluntary leave from the organization. 

Nonprofit organizations are only as successful as the teams that run the organization. It takes active leadership to ensure employees are not showing signs of burnout. The work of nonprofits is critical to those that they serve. This weight can be a load on employees and leadership. It is critical for leadership to address these weights to drive burnout from the organization. Several factors can contribute to minimizing employee burnout. It is up to leadership to take the initiative to protect their employees and themselves. 

Work culture

Cultivating a positive work culture can prevent burnout.  Positive work habits and culture can start from the top and can trickle down to employees. Leaders who can also prioritize their employees’ health and create a positive work culture can create an environment where employees feel valued, motivated, and empowered. Leadership styles that only give negative feedback have been associated with high levels of burnout. Encouraging innovation and celebrating the individual employee invites a culture where employees feel valued and motivated helping to prevent burnout triggers.  

Workload considerations

Burnout often involves an excessive workload with few resources. Leaders can help to prevent burnout by creating human-centered norms, and not expecting superhero behaviors. Leadership with realistic expectations and allocations can help to prevent burnout. Having regular workload discussions helps employees determine the priorities of their roles and what might need to be changed. Leaders can also seek ways to give their employees more autonomy and control. Feeling in control of one’s life can decrease stress. Leadership that empowers employees to set goals can instill a sense of ownership and bolster pride in one's work. 

Organizational awareness

It can take up to two years to recover from burnout; catching it in the earlier stages can reduce the cost and length of interventions. This requires organizational awareness from leadership, as well as input from individuals and teams on their levels of burnout. One approach is to examine burnout from a team-based perspective, as it can be harder to catch in the early stages of burnout in individuals.  When the intervention is focused on organizational changes the impact lasts up to a year - longer when the individual and organizational interventions are combined. It is critical to realize that burnout work can’t be done as a one-off; it needs to be a constant effort over time.

Communication and engagement

Communicating well is an important trait for leaders in combatting burnout. Having a clear and well-considered rollout plan for new strategies or changes within the organization is beneficial for avoiding misunderstandings. One suggestion is that the changes be aligned with the structure of the company’s mission and vision. When employees can find and see the connection between the new changes and the company’s mission, they are more likely to understand and support. Leadership plays a role in fostering positive work engagement. It is not enough to prevent or reduce burnout; greater success has come from leadership taking it further by cultivating and promoting work engagement. Employees who feel included at their workplace are more likely to do better work and be more engaged. 

Rest and flexibility

Leadership may worry this leads to decreased productivity, but research suggests this is unfounded. Those who have moved to a four-day workweek found that job performance was either maintained or productivity was greater than when working a five-day workweek. Organizations tend to overlook the role of the workplace in driving employee mental health and well-being, engagement, and performance. Nonprofit leadership can promote positive mental health, normalize rest, and help to stop the stigma around it for both employees and leadership. 

While the problem of burnout is complex, lessening its impact is possible. An inclusive workplace where everyone feels seen, heard, and cared for provides a solid foundation for all employees to thrive.

Kendra Cheyenne Summers is a Fall 2024 graduate of the Masters of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has spent over a decade in nonprofit leadership and management ranging from Tennessee to the Caribbean. Currently, she serves as the Grant Administrator for the United Way of Greater Knoxville. 

Image by Lillian Finley

Create a supportive work culture with the Optimizing Human Resource Strategies in Nonprofits Certificate

There's a lot to learn when it comes to Human Resources in a nonprofit. With the Optimizing Human Resource Strategies in Nonprofits Certificate, you will learn how to comply with federal and state employment laws and compensation systems, recruiting, managing, motivating, and rewarding staff and volunteers to effectively utilize their strengths, lead ans champion change within your organization, and develop strategies to overcome both internal and external conflict. 

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