Nonprofit leaders overwhelmingly told the Chronicle they love their job, but nearly as many said the time demands are never-ending. Here are some tips from veteran charity leaders on how to cope with the stress and stay motivated.
Get help. Bob Lenz says he’s become a more efficient leader after hiring people to take on work he once handled himself as CEO of PBLWorks, which offers project-based learning workshops and courses. His administrative assistant handles scheduling and logistical tasks, his chief of staff helps prepare for staff meetings and create materials for board retreats, and a new chief operating officer is overseeing the rollout of the charity’s digital tools.
We're sorry. Something went wrong.
We are unable to fully display the content of this page.
The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network.
Please allow access to our site, and then refresh this page.
You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one,
or subscribe.
If you continue to experience issues, please contact us at 571-540-8070 or cophelp@philanthropy.com
Nonprofit leaders overwhelmingly told the Chronicle they love their job, but nearly as many said the time demands are never-ending. Here are some tips from veteran charity leaders on how to cope with the stress and stay motivated.
Get help. Bob Lenz says he’s become a more efficient leader after hiring people to take on work he once handled himself as CEO of PBLWorks, which offers project-based learning workshops and courses. His administrative assistant handles scheduling and logistical tasks, his chief of staff helps prepare for staff meetings and create materials for board retreats, and a new chief operating officer is overseeing the rollout of the charity’s digital tools.
“Most nonprofit leaders tend to think, ‘I have to do it all,’” says Lenz. “Some don’t think they can afford to have an executive assistant. My feeling is they can’t afford not to. Most likely the CEO is the highest paid person in the organization. If you’re spending time scheduling meetings, that’s a terrible waste of the organization’s money.”
Focus on staff retention. One way to deal with hiring challenges is to minimize the need to hire in the first place — by retaining the employees you already have. The Peninsula Jewish Community Center, in the San Francisco Bay Area, has five strategic priorities, but staff engagement is No. 1. Once each quarter, the charity hosts a staff-recognition event such as an ice-cream cart or a hot-chocolate bar. A revamped 13-step onboarding program features a “passport” to meet with 25 key people in the organization.
A new internal newsletter, the Newsy Schmoozy, goes out to staff once a month, and the charity’s CEO, Jordan Shenker, personally provides professional development. He recently led six 90-minute sessions for midlevel managers on the topics of goal-setting, communication, and delegating.
“Long term, it’s going to have a huge impact on our ability to retain staff — and I think also to recruit staff,” Shenker says. “When I can say to somebody, ‘Look, we’re a place that really invests in the development of our people,’ that matters.”
Learn from other CEOs. Nancy Winemiller-Basinger, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, says she’s joined three networks of chief executives in the past four years. After George Floyd’s death in 2020, she met virtually once a month with other local nonprofit leaders serving diverse youths to brainstorm the most effective ways to respond. Another network — a group of women nonprofit leaders — gets together quarterly for dinner at someone’s house. It’s mainly a social gathering, but the women also share tips on topics like hiring fundraisers and contracting out back-office work.
ADVERTISEMENT
Most recently, she joined Vistage, an executive-coaching network that relies heavily on peer-to-peer advising, after one of her board members urged her to do so. The members are primarily executives at small for-profit businesses.
“Learning from other people who have a similar level of responsibility has been really impactful for me,” Winemiller-Basinger says. “In the nonprofit sector, you start to think you’re special or different: ‘I can’t hire anybody; we don’t pay enough.’ And then I talk to a colleague in a completely different industry with a completely different budget structure — and they also can’t hire anybody. It expands your worldview.”
Chad Kirkland for The Chronicle
Having a highly engaged board can make a huge difference for nonprofit leaders, says Nancy Winemiller-Basinger, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah.
Be willing to say no. “For both CEOs and boards, the hardest part is recognizing when you have to say no,” says Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy. “Be clear about what you can do, given the resources you have. If you’re forever relying on staff to go above and beyond, sooner or later they’re going to walk away.”
Find quiet time in your workday. Just as in your personal life, it’s important to have times during the workday that are free from stimulus. Chong-Hao Fu, the CEO of Leading Educators, tries to keep his calendar clear of appointments from 7 to 10 a.m. each workday to focus on writing and planning.
“It’s time to think, to let my mind wander,” Fu says. “You’re not just running from thing to thing. You’re really taking the time to reflect and doodle and connect and think about what might be missing. That’s really important.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Remember why you chose the job. Abigail Tran is executive director of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras, which works with 350 students in 10 counties. Tran says her predecessor quit during the pandemic due to burnout — and she’s beginning to understand why. Tran says that from mid-February until the end of March, she had only one or two days when she didn’t work at all.
In March, Tran had to call a student from an immigrant family when the credit card used to pay for classes was declined. The student apologized and asked Tran to hold off on charging the card again until after she was paid by her after-school employer.
“Just talking to that student and seeing how much they cared about their music education was a reminder of why we work so hard,” Tran says. “I won’t lie. Some days are like, ‘Wow, this is a lot. What would happen if I just left?’ But at the end of the day, the students and the families are always what brings me back.”
Ben is a senior editor at the Chronicle of Philanthropy whose coverage areas include leadership and other topics. Before joining the Chronicle, he worked at Wyoming PBS and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Ben is a graduate of Dartmouth College.