By Selia Aponte, nonprofit marketing manager

Season’s greetings!

Burnout culture is the ultimate unspoken truth of the nonprofit sector. Now, don’t get me wrong. When I say unspoken, I don’t literally mean UNSPOKEN. In truth, we talk and joke about burnout all the time. The problem is no one takes it seriously.

We don’t know each other, but I hope you’re doing well. In my perfect world, you’re sipping a cup of hot tea and killing time reading this without a care in the world.

Since we just met, here’s something you should know about me: I love the holidays. The glorious window between Thanksgiving and New Year’s has always been my favorite time of year. I live for any excuse to spend time with loved ones, take brisk evening walks, and indulge in gluttonous seasonal treats.

However, the second thing you should know about me: I work for an arts nonprofit. This means that the holiday season has taken on a new meaning. Instead of visions of sugarplums, I’m now haunted by swirling deadlines and a never ending parade of emails. Between GivingTuesday, holiday concerts every weekend in December, and trying to maintain an actual life outside of work, my favorite time of year has now become flat-out exhausting.

If you’re anything like me — and many others in our field — you might be experiencing some moderate to severe symptoms of seasonal nonprofit burnout disorder. Symptoms that can include, but aren’t limited to:

• Panic-checking your email at 9:46 p.m. on a Saturday night
• Getting random flashbacks of your boss saying, “This is how we’ve done things in the past…” while minding your own business in the Trader Joe’s checkout line
• That persistent, nagging feeling that what you’re doing isn’t good enough

If you often feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or anxious at work, you’re certainly not alone. I’ve heard from many colleagues in the nonprofit sector who feel the same way. In fact, this is the very reason I felt compelled to talk about this issue.

I’ve come to believe that burnout culture is the ultimate unspoken truth of the nonprofit sector. Now, don’t get me wrong. When I say unspoken, I don’t literally mean unspoken. In truth, we talk and joke about burnout all the time. The problem is no one takes it seriously. And more importantly, I think we’re neglecting some key factors from the burnout equation. 

Allow me to state some real unspoken truths about burnout:

Burnout culture is inherent to nonprofit work. 

We live in a world with a lot of problems. Nothing too major, you know, just average everyday problems like crippling economic inequality, a mounting homelessness epidemic, horrific racial injustice, and an impending climate crisis — just to name a few.

In the words of our Lord and Savior RuPaul: “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

Nonprofits are dedicated to solving some of the world’s greatest challenges. While this can be a very rewarding profession, our work can also be extremely difficult and emotionally taxing.

As such, burnout is practically an inherent characteristic of nonprofit work. In fact, I think all of us know that burnout is our sector-wide dirty little secret, but no one wants to actively do anything to fix it.

Regardless, just because burnout is the norm for most organizations, doesn’t mean it’s healthy or sustainable for the people in the thick of it.
We need to start being honest about our burnout problem. We need better systems of support in place for the frontline nonprofit professionals who are being impacted most by this work-related stress. In the words of our Lord and Savior RuPaul: “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

Burnout is a systematic issue.

The biggest misconception about burnout is that it’s a personal problem that can be solved through personal means, like using a planner and deep breathing. However, with so many of us feeling constantly run down, I’m beginning to think that burnout may be more of a systematic dilemma. And sadly, I don’t think it will be solved by doing more Yoga with Adriene. 

This is like the fast food industry telling you to “Stop eating the McRib©” while funnelling millions of dollars into predatory advertising and chemically altering said McRibs© to be highly-addicting and universally accessible.

Let me be clear, I think there are a lot of ways that you can manage feelings of burnout on an individual level, but much of the burnout experienced by nonprofit professionals stems from the atmosphere and constructs within which they work.

Nonprofits are notoriously understaffed, a fact that is acknowledged and joked about ad nauseum by everyone in the field. In fact, 69% of participants in the 2021 Nonprofit Leadership Impact Study by NonProfit PRO believe their organizations to be understaffed (see Figure 5). Not shockingly, this number is up 11% from the same study done in 2020.

Couple this with the fact that nonprofit workers are often grossly underpaid (remember this horrifying salary spreadsheet from 2019?!), and you have an easy recipe for hot, steamy burnout pie. 

Asking employees to address the symptoms of burnout on a personal level (exemplified in suggestions like “Just do yoga” or, “Use your vacation time”) without taking into consideration the organization’s operations as a whole is flawed. 

This is like the fast food industry telling you to “Stop eating the McRib©” while funnelling millions of dollars into predatory advertising and chemically altering said McRibs© to be highly-addicting and universally accessible. 

Yes, you could avoid buying a McRib© through sheer will alone, but it would be a lot easier if the industry would meet you halfway and stop shoving McRibs© at you every chance they get. (Shoutout to my husband, who is the only human alive to actually enjoy the McRib©).

Similarly, you could alleviate burnout by practicing mindfulness and escaping to Joshua Tree every chance you get, but it’d be a hell of a lot easier to avoid burnout in the first place if you had more support in your actual job. We must attack burnout from the top down, beginning with the people who hold the most power.

If you’re a senior-level manager or board member, sit down for an honest check-in with your colleagues. Figure out where the pain points are for them and then actually do something to help. Hire a freelancer or intern to offset strenuous workloads during your busiest season. Champion for pay increases for your staff. Offer flexible time off outside of historical paid holidays.

Better yet? Explore alternatives to the dreaded 40-hour work week, more on that in this incredible CCF post by Lauren Brooks. 

Chances are, if you’re in a position of power, it’s your employees who are executing the lion’s share of your department’s workload. Do them a solid and start valuing their precious time and energy (feel free to steal one of the suggestions above, I won’t tell). Otherwise, you may find yourself in need of some new coworkers — and a quick visit from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to set you straight. 

If you’re a mid-level employee or just starting out in the field, it’s important that you are as candid as possible about your workload and mental health needs. Easier said than done, I know. I completely feel your need to over-perform and do everything in your power to help change the world. But you can’t do it all and you probably aren’t being paid enough to do it all, therefore you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your own health and wellness for the establishment at which you work. 

If at all possible, stop saying yes to every project that gets thrust upon you. Make it known that the organization needs you more than you need it. When you’re eventually promoted to a position with more power, be an advocate for your colleagues and make the changes you wish you could have made for yourself. 

Most importantly — and this is true at any level — lean on your colleagues for support and consider bringing up your concerns as a group. Chances are if you’re feeling burnt out, you’re not the only one. It’s a systematic issue, remember?

Burnout is ultimately unavoidable.

Okay, before you feel betrayed, let me explain:

I’m not saying you should settle for burnout. Rather, acknowledge that there are inevitably going to be periods of undue stress in your job and try to give yourself some grace.

It’s my personal belief that anyone who tells you they have the solution to cure all your woes is A) bluffing and B) about to sell you something. I’m not here to tell you how to avoid burnout completely, because that would be icky and unethical. Also, I hate to tell you, but there is no end-all cure to this problem. Period.

Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or exhausted are all completely normal and valid human emotions. It’s impossible to sail through life without occasionally feeling run down. Life is hard. Working against the systems of capitalism, white supremacy, the patriarchy, and environmental destruction is hard. And it’s not going to get easier.

I’m not saying you should settle for burnout. Rather, acknowledge that there are inevitably going to be periods of undue stress in your job and try to give yourself some grace. Also, be able to recognize the difference between a frustrating week at work and a prolonged, mental health jeopardizing situation. Know yourself, and be honest about when you’ve had enough.

Collectively, we must call for systematic change in the field and be our own mental health advocates. I’m excited to be writing for CCF, an online community where nonprofit professionals can share their thoughts and ultimately push ourselves and our sector towards a better future. 

Know that you’re not alone. I’m holding space for you and sending good vibes for a squeaky-clean inbox, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and peace of mind that everything is going to be okay.

Happy holidays!