Candid - Nonprofit burnout by design: How lack of philanthropic support impacts women of color nonprofit leaders
- 23 hours ago
- 1 min read
Nonprofit burnout among women of color leaders isn’t a personal failing—it’s a structural one. New research shows what funders must do differently to support equitable grantmaking practices.
Carrying the Weight, Leading the Change, a new research report from the Boston Women’s Fund, shows that women and gender-expansive nonprofit leaders of color are paying the cost of philanthropic inequities with their bodies.
The report’s focus group participants expressed that insufficient funding resulted in limited staff and chronic overwork to meet rising community needs. Many leaders described neglecting their well-being to sustain their organizations; one said she “took on every role, prioritized the organization above all else, and neglected myself completely.” This type of strain often resulted in burnout.
"For these women and gender-expansive nonprofit leaders of color, burnout manifested as a combination of illness, sleeplessness, anxiety, and sometimes hospitalization, among other physical and mental impacts. Some said it undermined their professional confidence and impacted personal relationships."
