Cassandra, a program coordinator at a nonprofit dedicated to housing advocacy, joined the organization because she was deeply passionate about its mission. Initially, she was motivated by the work, often going above and beyond to support clients and manage projects. However, as time passed, she found herself consistently working long hours without adequate support or recognition. Her workload continued to grow due to understaffing, and despite raising concerns about burnout, the leadership’s response was that “resources were tight” and everyone just had to push through.
The lack of boundaries and work-life balance took a toll on Cassandra’s mental and physical health. With no structured wellness program, minimal time off, and a culture that glorified overwork, she felt increasingly isolated and exhausted. Despite her commitment to the cause, Cassandra reached a breaking point when she realized her health and personal life were suffering. With no clear path for change, she submitted her two-week’s notice, feeling disillusioned with both the organization and the field. Her departure left the nonprofit scrambling to fill her role, further burdening an already stretched team. They not only lost a passionate and skilled employee, but also faced the financial and operational strain of hiring and training a replacement.
Have you ever felt so passionate about your work that you were willing to push yourself to the limit, only to realize that your dedication came at the cost of your own well-being? You’re not alone. In the nonprofit sector, where the mission is everything, employees like Cassandra often give more than they have. But what happens when that passion turns into burnout? If you’ve been on either side of this story—as a leader struggling to balance resources or as an employee feeling the weight of overwork—this article is for you.
What is Well-being?
In the nonprofit sector, employees often work tirelessly to serve others, but their own well-being can sometimes take a back seat to the mission. While passion for a cause drive much of the sector’s success, it’s crucial to recognize that employee well-being is directly linked to organizational health and sustainability. In a field where resources are usually stretched thin, fostering a supportive work environment that prioritizes mental health, work-life balance, and emotional resilience is not only a matter of care for staff but also a strategic investment in the long-term impact of the organization.
Well-being is not just physical fitness or eating well, it’s about how people’s lives are going – it encompasses all the things that are important to each of us and how we experience our lives. A study done by Gallup suggested some costs associated with poor well-being, noting the following:
- 75% of medical costs accrued are linked to preventable conditions.
- Organizations lose $20 million in additional opportunities for every 10,000 workers due to struggling or suffering employees.
- Globally, $322 billion is lost due to turnover and decreased productivity from employee burnout.
- 20% of total payroll expenses are tied to voluntary turnover costs, often driven by burnout.
According to Gallup, career well-being is the most important element people need to thrive, serving as the foundation for other aspects of life, such as social, financial, physical, and community well-being. The pandemic significantly shifted how people think about work, with many employees re-evaluating their careers in search of remote work options, better compensation, and improved work-life balance.
This shift highlights a growing awareness of the critical role career well-being plays in overall life satisfaction. For nonprofits, where the mission is paramount, it’s important not to lose sight of the needs of the people driving that mission. As employees continue to seek environments that support flexible work arrangements, fair compensation, and work-life balance, nonprofits must prioritize well-being to retain talent and maintain their impact.
Methods of Enhancing Well-Being
Through our strategic planning projects, employees have shared insights on how their nonprofit could foster a healthier workplace culture—one that not only fulfills their teams but also empowers them to sustain their vital work. These methods may include:
- Giving employees more control over how they do their work. According to Harvard Business Review, having little discretion over how work gets done is associated not only with poorer mental health but also with higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and even death from cardiovascular causes.
- Allowing employees more flexibility about when and where they can work. Several Fortune 500 companies have redesigned their work models, leading to significant improvements in physical and mental health, as well as reduced turnover.
- Increasing the stability of schedules. Erratic, unpredictable schedules make it difficult for frontline workers to manage their personal lives, leading to poorer sleep quality and increased emotional distress.
- Providing employees with opportunities to identify and solve workplace problems. A study found that employees who participated in a structured process for identifying and solving workplace problems experienced reduced burnout and increased job satisfaction. Providing opportunities for collaborative problem-solving helps employees feel more engaged and less likely to consider leaving their jobs.
- Keeping the organization adequately staffed so that workloads are reasonable. While it may seem costly, the expense of dealing with employee burnout and turnover can be even higher.
- Training managers to know how to support their employees and their personal needs. Often times, people are hired or promoted to managerial levels without proper training in how to properly supervise employees. However, there are plenty of resources available that provide training programs to help managers learn to increase supportive behaviors which in turn results in improving their employees’ work-life balance and health.
- Fostering a sense of social belonging among your staff. A study found that supportive relationships at work are associated with lower psychological distress, a key indicator of mental health. According to Gallup, there are several effective ways to build a strong sense of organizational culture and support system such as:
- Including well-being goals in your development plan to prioritize employee health and happiness, which in turn fosters a more sustainable work environment.
- Recognizing, sharing, and celebrating wins.
- Being consistent and transparent with communication, especially from leaders.
- Incentivizing employees to inspire participation in activities that drive results.
- Re-evaluating your policies to ensure they align with and reflect the positive culture you’re cultivating within your organization.
To read more about how to embrace workplace culture through strategic planning click here.
Prioritizing employee well-being is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic one, especially in the nonprofit sector where staff dedication drives the organization’s mission. By creating an environment that supports mental health, work-life balance, and professional growth, nonprofits can retain passionate employees like Cassandra, but also enhance their overall impact. Investing in well-being fosters a healthier, more resilient workforce, leading to better outcomes for both the organization and the communities it serves. By incorporating these strategies into organizational planning, nonprofits can build sustainable cultures where employees thrive, and the mission can flourish.
Nonprofits rely on the dedication of individuals like Cassandra to achieve their missions. But to truly make a difference, organizations must care for the very people driving their success. The question now is: What will you do to create a healthier, more supportive workplace? Whether you’re a leader ready to make changes or an employee looking for ways to advocate for yourself, the next step is clear—invest in well-being, and you’ll build a stronger, more sustainable organization for everyone.
References:
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/215924/well-being.aspx
https://hbr.org/2021/10/7-strategies-to-improve-your-employees-health-and-well-being
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2021/08/04/the-future-of-work-is-worker-well-being/
To learn more about how we can help, contact Soyoung Jung or visit https://schultzwilliams.com/strategic-business-planning/
