Advocating for Yourself: The Vital Role of Fundraising Professionals in Creating a Sustainable Nonprofit Sector
Posted by [email protected] on Aug. 1, 2023 / Professional Development / Subscribe 0
By Jax Gitzes, AFP GPC Board Member
Working in the nonprofit sector can be incredibly fulfilling, but it also comes with its challenges. It's no secret that nonprofit employees are often passionate, hardworking individuals who are willing to go above and beyond for their cause. However, this eagerness to help can sometimes lead to organizations taking advantage of their employees' passion and willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
The nonprofit industry is notorious for low salaries, long hours, and high stress levels. As a result, many nonprofit employees feel like they have to sacrifice their personal lives and well-being for the good of the cause. This attitude has created a culture where burnout is seen as a badge of honor and a sign of dedication, especially among fundraising professionals. However, this is an unsustainable way of working, and it often leads to high turnover rates, which can be incredibly detrimental to an organization's sustainability in the long run.
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and overwork. Unfortunately, self-care alone cannot cure burnout. While taking care of yourself is essential, it's not enough to prevent burnout from happening in the first place or heal you from it. Sustainable workloads, reasonable expectations, and strong boundaries around a work life balance are critical to both prevent and heal employee burnout.
You also need to ensure that your employer has the same value set that you do. While we often hear about values an organization espouses, their work culture says more about their actual values than their official marketing speak ever will. Make sure that your values align with the values you see within your workplace. For example, if you have a strong code of ethics and you are frequently asked to get close to the line, then you and your employer’s values aren’t in alignment. This can cause unnecessary stress that has little to do with workload or sustainable pace.
Setting boundaries and a sustainable pace is especially difficult for fundraisers, as we tend to be type A folks who are motivated to step up and solve problems. In my experience, our departments become a catch all for problems no one has a solution to because we can be trusted to get the job done regardless of the issue. We often love to be useful, but that can be detrimental to the overall health and well-being of ourselves and our colleagues. It’s a tired analogy at this point, but the airplane oxygen analogy is still very relevant - place the mask around your own face before assisting others. We know the people we serve are in great need, but we cannot help them in the long run if we’ve run out of momentum.
Remember, just because you work in the nonprofit sector doesn't mean you have to give up your personal life or take a vow of poverty. You have rights as an employee, and you should feel comfortable standing up for yourself and your needs in a respectful way. If you feel like your workload is too heavy for the compensation you receive, or the expectations placed upon you are unreasonable, it's important to speak up. Utilize your human resources department when necessary and don't be afraid to ask for help.
Advocating for yourself is about more than just your position. It's also about advocating for the health and well-being of your colleagues and the organization as a whole. By pushing for sustainable workloads and reasonable expectations, you can help create a culture of care and respect within your organization. Obviously, this is easier said than done. No real change in the culture of an organization can happen without buy-in from leadership, but by advocating for your rights and normalizing a real work life balance, you can help put pressure on leadership to understand the needs of their employees better, and put pressure on them to change.
As much as we are trying to solve the mass exodus of fundraisers from the nonprofit sector, the ultimate form of advocating for yourself is to know your worth and be willing to walk away from a bad situation. While we often consider nonprofits a “family,” you never owe your employer your health and well-being. Sometimes, leaving the situation is the only solution, and I have seen nonprofits change when their best employees finally say “enough is enough” and walk away. It forces them to face the harsh reality of the low wages and unreasonably high expectations they were placing on you.
In conclusion, as a fundraising professional, advocating for yourself is essential. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself and your needs, and remember that advocating for yourself is also advocating for the health and well-being of your colleagues and your organization. By working together to create a culture of self-care and respect, we can build a more sustainable and fulfilling nonprofit sector.
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