By Carlos García León, anti-capitalist, joy seeker, and nap lover

We talk about community so much at CCF, but it was still so heartwarming to know how many of my friends and family I was able to lean on after being laid off… It is in this time that you find out just how much your support network is willing to do to be in your presence and support you. Cherish that.

Layoffs are becoming more common. According to CCN on November 6, “Layoff announcements surpassed more than a million in [the] first 10 months of this year, an increase of 65% compared to the same period last year.” 

In the nonprofit sector alone, in accordance with the Chronicle of Philanthropy Nonprofit Layoff Tracker, at least 10,000 full-time nonprofit jobs were cut between January 20 and March 31, 2025. This amounts to an average of 140 jobs lost per day over a 70-day span. 

A lot of it is mainly stemming from cost-cutting, the usage and implantation of AI (the bane of my existence, or as the kids say, my opp), and lack of government funding. If you have been laid off in the past, or know someone who has, you know it is a rough time. However, as a second time winner of organizations’ layoffs, there are also blessings that come after. 

I do believe that layoffs are an organization’s last resort due to financial circumstances, changing leadership, and desperate measures. While there are ways to do layoffs that are not as harmful and more human-centered and caring (see Vanessa’s article here), the experience itself leaves you feeling like the rug got pulled from under your feet and without a support system. The organization and its people you worked for, made memories with, spent so much of your time with, and raised money to make an impact in your community are now letting you go, as if you didn’t matter. It’s unsettling. 

Here are some tips to make sure you are prepared for it. 

1. Get the termination paperwork and take the time to read it. You do not have to sign it there and then.

Whether the layoff came out of nowhere or not, do not feel pressure to read the document or sign anything right there. Generally, there should be some time to look over the paperwork and understand what you are signing.

2. Ask for severance and in the worst case, fight for it. 

Nonprofits are generally not required to give severances when doing layoffs. There may be a policy in place in your organization, so make sure to check your contract, offer letter, or the employee handbook. (Added tip here: advocate for a severance policy in place when you land in your next job.) However, as it is not a legal requirement, nonprofits may opt not to give a severance after just removing you from your living income. It should come as no surprise to your leadership that you, a person who asks for money for a living, asks for money for yourself due to leadership deciding to lay you off. 

Most likely, the initial severance will be low. Unless it is written in the contract–and even if it is–you can ask for more. As fundraisers, this should not be trouble for you. If they tell you “no,” remind them of the work you did to raise funds. Those funds are currently paying the salaries of the ones laying you off, and know that leadership, whose salary is usually more than the general staff, should have money for you. If my immigrant father and mother who raised two kids in the States below the poverty line can survive with that income, your boss can survive for a few months with less money so that they can give that to you. 

What has worked for me is understanding that the severance agreement is also the employer protecting themselves from legal risk and future lawsuits. Use this to your advantage. Remind yourself that as a fundraiser your powers are in storytelling and networking, and now as a laid off person, you have the time and the will to use those powers to tell your story to your network of how you are being treated. The organization is doing layoffs because of x reason, and they may not be able to handle dealing with x reason and the truth of your experience with them. 

3. Apply for unemployment as soon as you can 

You will need to check your state laws, but applying for unemployment is important and relatively easy. The government often needs your identification information, your employment history, and most likely any proof of your termination. It varies across the US, but the unemployment amount is determined by how much you were making prior to being laid off and usually lasts around 26 weeks. 

It often takes 1 – 3 weeks to receive your first unemployment check–which is after the certification week. Ask questions about it during the application process, including how much you will receive and when you would receive your payments. The paperwork that the government sends you should document all of that. Follow instructions on the paperwork to certify your unemployment throughout the duration of your unemployment. 

4. Find your support network and the things that bring you joy 

Now that you have some income secured, take the time to process what happened. You have lots of time now. Go hang with your favorite people that you never see because of work and work events. Travel as cheaply as you can to visit your friends and family (and hopefully they can host you so you don’t spend money on lodging) to do a proper catch up. 

Get involved in some arts and crafts at home and invite others. Join your local community’s walking, running, or sports club to stay active. Binge-watch the shows you’ve been queueing on your streaming sites. 

My favorite activity is dancing and if you ever get to see me at any dance floor I am vibing to the music, dancing, sweating, knowing that it takes community to create a dance floor moment. I have found much liberation on the dance floor, because nothing says resistance to the evils of the world than finding and experiencing joy when they want you to be anything but joyful. 

We talk about community so much at CCF, but it was still so heartwarming to know how many of my friends and family I was able to lean on after being laid off. A mentor would offer to buy me lunch and catch up; a colleague in the field would introduce me to someone who had a position open; friends would buy a drink or a ticket to a show to spend some time together, or make a homemade meal and have me over. It is in this time that you find out just how much your support network is willing to do to be in your presence and support you. Cherish that. 

5. Enjoy some of the time off

I am often talking about taking naps in the middle of the day. I am adamant that more people deserve more rest. Now, you have the time to do it. For a brief moment, you no longer are giving 40+ hours of your week to work. Catch up on your deserved rest. 

In your work, I am assuming you did a lot for the communities you were making an impact for, but you weren’t resting because there is always work to be done. Now, you have time. You deserve that nap and an extra hour of sleep. 

6. Detach your work from your worth 

This is hard to do in such a capitalistic world. Repeat after me: “I am so much more than a fundraiser.” Say it again. Find a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and say those words again. 

It is easy to forget who you are outside of your title when that’s all people know you as. 

Before you were your title, you were your name. It’s time to find out who you are all over again. Capitalism makes us believe that we are only worth something if we are working, but that’s just not true. You are worth something simply because you exist. You can make an impact without being attached to an organization. You have the skills, and if you have learned anything from CCF, you know that our value should not be attached to our net worth. 

My mother had so many jobs while being in the States, but she put the most effort in being a mother–a job in its own right, but one that doesn’t come with health insurance or a 403(b) match. My mom is worth her weight in gold and then some, but even when she didn’t have a job, she was worthy of being. 

7. Take your time with the search 

While I do firmly believe that philanthropy should work to end itself, and that in the future there won’t be a need for fundraisers to raise money, for we have finally solved the social issues that nonprofits began for anyway, we are not quite there. This means that fundraisers are very much needed. 

The job market is certainly not great, but it does not mean that you should jump at the first offer you get. What helped me was telling myself that it is not a matter of if I get a job, but when I get a job. 

Find out how long you can go on with unemployment payments, savings, and any side gigs you may have, before you truly need a full-time gig. Apply for positions for organizations whose work you really believe in, that will pay you just as much if not more than your last position for your skills, experience, and expertise. They may not appear right after being unemployed, but they will come. 

Being a community-centric fundraiser is for every organization, but not every organization is ready for a community-centric fundraiser. However, the ones who are will fight for you, too. Make sure that when, not if, you land again on your feet, you land at a better place than before. 

It is my wish that you, my dear reader, will never experience being laid off and that you will never need these tips. However, if you do, or know someone that has or will in the near future, save, pass along, and use these tips. 

I felt so lucky and grateful that there was community that kept me together during both of my layoff eras–which I call Funemployment and Funemployment 2: Electric Boogaloo. Other people deserve to know that being laid off can be empowering and liberating, even when it is a dark moment. 

Briefly, I wanted to note that I brought up my parents’ and my own upbringing throughout this essay because during the lowest part of my process, recalling the struggles of my ancestors helped me ground myself that things are not as bad as they could be. That even if they were, people have survived worse things and even then they were able to make it through. 

Lastly, because you read this, thank you for being in community with CCF. My gratitude extends to you–a person I may not know nor never will–because you took the time to be in community with my experience and thoughts. The mission that CCF has continues, whether I am employed or not, and I’m glad to be fulfilling that mission with you.