Psychological Safety and Nonprofits Can Be Best Friends

Social impact organizations should be an example of self-care for all industries

Image: Nick Fewings/Unsplash

I was a bit naive as the calendar shifted from 2020 to 2021 to 2022. The social impact sector seemed to be finally leading conversations about self-care and psychological safety. After all, we’re the space for “good” (aren’t we?) so this made sense.

But I miscalculated our ability to translate decades of stress, low wages, and burnout into change. Forty-two percent of nonprofit leaders note an expectation of imminent, increased turnover; only 13 percent have a strategy for employee retention. (I imagine you nonprofiteers reading those stats are thinking about your own organizations and shaking your heads. You’re not surprised… but you’re disappointed.)

And the result of all this? Our sector will downsize. It will be in the number of program officers, fundraisers, and all the staffers who lead the charge improving the quality of life for our communities.

I’ve seen a concerning increase in the number of people joining what I call the “disemployed middle.” They’re not formally unemployed. Instead, they’re opting not to work. Sitting on the sidelines, burning through their savings, staving off that next disastrous, toxic nonprofit experience.