Burnout is a topic I frequently revisit here. That’s because, in my job, I perpetually feel on the edge of burning out. I also have the pleasure of watching my colleagues burn out on a regular basis. The insidious thing about nonprofit work — which no one tells you when you’re in that idealistic, “I want to give up a big corporate salary and do some real good” phase — is that the culture of nonprofits actively promotes burnout, especially in its younger employees.
Is this culture pervasive at your nonprofit? Employees are given lots of leave but not a lot of support in taking leave and often feel like they can’t justify taking it. Employees are encouraged, rewarded for or perhaps even expected to work long hours for no overtime, especially when traveling. Job responsibilities are completely out of proportion to what a normal person can expect to accomplish in 40 hours per week. There is a culture, unspoken or spoken, that the mission is more important than employees’ personal lives and that employees should sacrifice for the higher goals the nonprofit is trying to bring about.
For further reading on this topic see:
- “The Leadership Deficit,” an article published by Stanford Social Innovation Review on the dearth of leadership in nonprofits
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s article, “Burnout, Low Pay May Drive Young Charity Workers Away, Study Finds”
And a special gift for your burnt out colleagues…
shannon.turlington AT gmail.com 
