One of my favorite parts of my day-to-day is talking with a wide range of nonprofit executive directors who are leading critical work in the community. Universally, one of the biggest worries I hear most often right now is the hiring, retaining and engaging of staff.

In 2021, a troubling 26.2% of nonprofits across the U.S. reported job vacancy rates of 20-29%. Many of the local leaders I speak with share that they can’t keep up with inflation for salaries and overhead. This is especially true at small nonprofits that continue to see heightened demand for basic services in their communities.

As the reality of entering and staying in the nonprofit workforce becomes less attractive or sustainable, the long-term consequences of turnover and burnout in our sector grow more devastating. For the community-based nonprofits in our network that operate on lean budgets and teams, the impacts of these uncertainties are compounded with less access to institutional funding or networks of high-net-worth donors. Even if they know turnover is an issue, they lack the budgets to follow many of the "traditional" engagement tips.

These structural issues directly affect the material conditions and well-being of nonprofit staff. As a leader myself, I have seen it on my own time during the pandemic. The plight of many executive directors quickly becomes worrying about their teams, which leads to their own burnout, which makes them less able to take care of their teams. And that cycle can continue if not purposefully interrupted.

My experience has shown me that it is crucial to prioritize care for myself and my team in ways that are sustainable. This cannot happen without the support of others who are equally invested in nonprofit worker justice and committed to building strong, sustainable, and efficient infrastructure for both individual organizations and the sector overall.

Tips For Nonprofit Leaders: 
  • Build wellness into your budget and systems.
  • Establish clear expectations with your board.

Tips For Philanthropic Funders:

  • Focus your support on practical matters.
  • Make nonprofit working conditions a core part of your DEI efforts.

Read the full article about how to address nonprofit turnover by Matthew Gayer at Forbes.