Exhaustion, low pay, and poor benefits for those working to improve their communities and mobilize others are issues that grantmakers — especially those practicing social change philanthropy — can help eradicate.

In addition to providing funding for health benefits and paid leave, funders should think more creatively and be more intentional about supporting the emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing of those who choose to advocate for underserved communities.

After conducting a survey of the perceived fairness of human resources practices at nonprofits across the country, Class Action, an organization dedicated to ending classism, confirmed in their 2020 Staffing the Mission project report that a majority of respondents were unhappy with wage standards and transparency. Further, many “linked poor job quality to racial inequity in the nonprofit sector.”

While some respondents had more positive opinions on benefits and hiring processes, overall, low-quality nonprofit jobs were a concern for those who worked in the sector.

The Staffing the Mission report focused on what funders can do to eliminate burnout in nonprofit jobs. The survey also led to recommendations for nonprofits to improve job quality, even with a minimal budget. The report challenged organizations to do the following:

  1. Move toward needs-based compensation, instead of relying on prevailing wage standards,
  2. Follow a five-step process for setting pay, and
  3. Publicize salary/wages in job listings; transparency can go a long way toward supporting feelings of inclusion and fairness.

These recommendations can be implemented with minimal challenges and force grant-seeking organizations to be accountable.

Staffing the Mission’s recommendations for funders, as noted in the graphic below, are geared toward large foundations and donors; however, the addition of a small special opportunity fund, for example, to award wellness grants to community-based, social justice organizations is an option, especially for funders who traditionally make strategic but smaller grant awards.

Read the full article about funding nonprofit well-being by Jamila Jabulani at the Johnson Center.