With cuts in federal funding forcing layoffs and cutbacks to programs as well as growing concerns about the economy, the nonprofit world is reeling.
As nonprofits strive to still carry out their missions, morale is taking a hit. “Employees are going through a range of emotions: fear, anxiety, and stress — even anger,” says Ian Adair, an expert in leadership strategies who is currently CEO of the Seattle Police Foundation.
The emotional fallout isn’t limited to nonprofits that have experienced cuts, says Robbie Robichau, an associate professor who studies nonprofit management at Texas A&M University. “When there’s chaos all around us, it will affect us,” she says.
That’s why all nonprofit leaders need to address staff well-being, to help maintain morale and ensure organizations can carry out their missions most effectively. Adair, Robichau, and others who study nonprofit management offered six strategies nonprofits can implement to bolster morale during these uncertain and anxious times.
Communicate What’s Happening
False, bleak rumors are the enemy of a healthy workplace, Adair contends. Unfortunately, they proliferate when communication is poor at an organization.
“Communicate as clearly and as empathetically as you can,” he says. “Make sure that everyone has accurate information. You want to be transparent if you don’t want the rumor mill to get around and bring down staff morale even more.”
Communication can be straight from the executive director at a small nonprofit or a combination of the chief executive and managers at larger organizations, says Robichau, at Texas A&M. She’s seen some execs get creative and communicate via short videos.
“We will always probably see emails and newsletters,” she says. “But it’s not the same as a one- or two-minute video saying these are challenging times, these are the ways we’re going to try to cope with this. We want to be able to be here as a resource for you.”
Being transparent about funding and inviting comment and questions from the staff can also help people feel more empowered, says Brad Fulton, an associate professor at Indiana University.
“Everyone recognizes that they’re committed to the mission of the organization,” Fulton says. “They can actually play a role in the fund development process. What that does is it gives a level of empowerment to the staff. They could actually have agency in turning the ship within their own organization.”
When organizations don’t communicate, staff members often draw their own negative conclusions, Adair says. “The people that are left behind could be thinking, ‘Maybe this isn’t the organization for me, or maybe my job down the road isn’t secure,’” he says. “So they might start looking for those opportunities.”
It’s OK Not to Know the Answers
When things are changing quickly, as they’ve been doing with federal funding, nonprofit leaders probably won’t have all the answers. And it’s fine to say that.
“We can say, ‘This is what I know, and these are the things I don’t know,’” Robichau says. “It’s important for creating a healthier morale amongst everybody. No one can have all the answers right now.”
Be sure to acknowledge that the unanswered question is important and the organization is looking for a solution, Robichau says, noting there’s a “fine line between saying you don’t know and making your employees feel like you don’t have a plan.”
Make Organizational Culture a High Priority
When funding losses force staff or program cuts, organizational culture may feel like a low priority. But a strong organizational culture is something that can help keep the remaining employees from jumping ship, argues Matthew Baggetta, an associate professor of sociology at Indiana University.
“The things that keep people connected and working through difficult times are the relationships they have with the people around them,” he says. “Organizations that have built up a rich set of connections among the people who work within them or volunteer within them prior to now are probably weathering the storm better.”
Organizations that don’t have those connections aren’t out in the cold, though. Focus on helping people talk to each other and collaborate.
“Organizations need to make wellness a priority,” Adair says. “Establish some things that bring the group together.” These can be brown-bag education sessions or safe spaces to talk, which brings us to our next item.
Give Staff Space to Grieve, Express Concerns
Whether the organization is facing cuts or just watching what’s happening in the sector, the current chaos is an atypical pattern that upends the way things have long been done. People need time to grieve that change, Robichau says.
“People aren’t robots,” she says. “We have these emotions. And a lot of times in the workplace, we don’t create safe space to have those emotions, even though they’re weighing on everyone’s mind.”
Safe spaces at work could include small group meetings where people can discuss their feelings or listening sessions with managers, Robichau says.
“We have to provide those safe environments for people to feel like they can at least discuss what’s going on,” Adair says. “We have to understand that the people coming to work every day are human beings first, and they’re experiencing a lot of things.”
Adair also recommends being flexible about work schedules, in case people need a mental-health day or time to regroup.
Leaders Need to Pick Up the Slack, Too
It can be disheartening when staff members are asked to do more with less. What’s more disheartening, though? If they are the only ones doing more with less.
The staff remaining behind can see you. They need to see you picking up the slack.
“When there’s layoffs, you just have to be understanding that you gotta pick up the slack,” says Adair, who has helmed four nonprofits. “The staff remaining behind can see you. They need to see you picking up the slack.”
Celebrate Wins
When it feels like every day brings more bad news, it’s more important than ever to celebrate when good things happen, Adair says.
“We are very bad at celebrating wins,” he says. “We have to start taking those opportunities as organizations to recognize our employees. If it’s a great event, we need to celebrate it.”
The good news for nonprofit leaders, he says, is that they learned a lot about how to help their staff get through tough times during the pandemic. He thinks that recent memory will help as the nonprofit world navigates the current uncertainty and upheaval.
“We’ve seen very much an evolution in nonprofit leadership over the last few years,” Adair says. “I think leadership today is more about taking care of the people responsible for the work, and not just the work itself.”
