Nonprofit Sustainability Is Compromised by the Current Climate

There are many in the nonprofit field who feel greatly discouraged by the current political climate. They feel as if the principles that nonprofits stand for are under attack while simultaneously experiencing funding reductions and increased unfunded compliance demands that threaten nonprofit sustainability. 

It is more common than ever to hear people in the nonprofit field express disillusionment in the face of these challenges. However, it is important to keep focused on nonprofit sustainability. Nonprofits exist to solve problems individuals cannot solve on their own and require the mass mobilization of resources. They quietly leverage and build the capacity needed to coordinate the logistics required for improving the human condition. In other words, these catalysts for social change have stepped up to protect our social safety net.  

Preventing Nonprofit Burnout

Nonprofit sustainability is critical for improving the quality of communities and strengthening our social safety net. Countless communities would be destabilized if the social protection mechanisms that nonprofits have developed were to disappear. Thus, we must work to protect these essential, but often invisible pillars in our communities. 

What can managers do to ensure nonprofit sustainability and reduce burnout in the face of these multiple threats to the field? Nonprofit sustainability requires creating systems that value employees, focus on values, promote self-care, and make people’s jobs easier. 

Create Internal and External Support Systems

Based on a survey conducted by Capacity Building and Policy Experts, LLC, the following steps can be undertaken to build staff morale and promote nonprofit sustainability:

* Foster a culture of support and solidarity- This is the time to create informal support systems. Executive directors should join groups or initiate meetings with other executive directors where they discuss the day-to-day challenges that they are facing. These should be safe spaces where confidentiality among peers that have managed similar situations is respected. Internally, nonprofit managers and supervisors should continuously check-in with their employees. They should gauge whether they are overstretched and develop strategies to address these concerns (i.e., flexible work schedules, additional time off, later start time, bonus, etc.). This is also an opportunity to provide positive feedback and suggestions that build staff confidence and integrate them into a culture of pro-active problem-solving.

* Focus on solutions and problem-solving- Instead of languishing in the uncertainties of a particular situation, fostering a culture where all staff members are ready to come to the table with a proposed solution to a problem creates a sense of empowerment. Staff can then shift from victim mode to active problem solvers. Also, it is important to encourage staff members during this phase, as well as managers, to be truthful about the reality of all situations so that the remedies that are pursued can address the real challenges that the organization is facing.

* Foster a culture of collaboration where everyone pitches-in, even if it’s not their job – It is important for staff to feel that everyone’s work is equally important and valued across all levels of the organization. Thus, when staff feel overstretched because of a project or deadline, they can receive the support they need from their peers. In other words, they are not out there on their own, rather they are part of a team that looks out for each other when things are tough.

* Integrate cost-effective team building activities – Team building activities that require consultants can be cost prohibitive. There are other steps an organization can take to create a sense team cohesion and can be easily integrated into daily practices. Some examples can include potluck lunches, coming together as a team to honor the work and contributions of specific employees, creating opportunities for staff members to learn about the work of one another, and supportive peer-review focused on positive problem-solving.

* Professional development opportunities/ training – Professional development can prove to be very expensive, particularly if it entails certifications. However, there are other activities that can be undertaken that are not resource intensive. For example, when staff members go to conferences, staff meetings can be used as an opportunity to share new practices and skills. If this is supplemented with a discussion of how organizational practices can be updated, this can be very useful tool for helping staff grow professionally and to keep the organizations up to date on best practices. In addition, it can sometimes be useful to have one staff member become a certified “train-the-trainer,” so that people in the organization can receive their certifications from them.

* Standardization of practices – One effective way of ensuring quality while at the same time increasing efficiencies is to automate and standardize practices with technology. This can help reduce documentation time, minimize errors, and facilitate collaboration among staff members. These timesavers will help staff remain more connected to the mission of the organization and the target population because their time is not monopolized by paperwork. This process, however, should allow for sufficient flexibility to make modifications based on changing needs and priorities. Systems and practices should not be overly rigid, otherwise, they do not allow for tweaking based on evolving circumstances.

* Building stronger support systems from the supervisor – Challenging times are often when staff members really need the support of their managers and supervisors. These are opportunities to build stronger team relationships that are focused on problem-solving and allow the employee to grow professionally. Thus, the supervisor should work to accentuate the positive work that is being undertaken by staff members; listen carefully to the challenges that are serving as obstacles to their day-to-day work; and restructure systems accordingly when the circumstances necessitate a change in practices.

* Staff coaching – Professional coaching services for organizations can be quite expensive. Administrators and supervisors that help staff develop their personal and professional goals can help employees work more effectively and feel more fulfilled in their work. 

* Stronger self-care practices – Nonprofit managers and supervisors should be continuously assessing how their staff is doing. If they are overstretched, as much as possible, they should consider redistributing the workload. In situations where there happens to be a larger workload than usual, offering supports and debriefing sessions to help employees vent frustrations or problem solve issues is essential. For individuals who engage in emotionally challenging work, make sure that employees practice self-care practices and can debrief about what they have experienced.  

* Internally reconceptualize outcome measures to exceed the standards set by funders- It is very overwhelming for staff members who are working in the nonprofit field to feel as if they are sustaining a system of documentation and compliance. They need to feel a connection to the mission and their clients. Thus, one of the strategies that many nonprofits use is to look for ways in which they exceed the standard that funders are asking them to meet. Nonprofit employees value providing quality services and programs above all. This makes them feel as if they are working for ethical organizations where they are making a difference.

Preparing for Future Nonprofit Sustainability

Nonprofit organizations are facing many challenges at this moment. These challenges will be particularly exacerbated with the upcoming 2020 Census which is estimated to undercount many of the target populations that nonprofits serve. This will have a direct impact on the number of dollars and resources that are allocated to nonprofits. As a result, it is important to create an infrastructure of support to prepare organizations for potentially very difficult and challenging financial times that coincide with growing community needs. 

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