Breaking Point, through the perspective of small social justice organisations.
Breaking Point https://www.faircollective.co.uk/breaking-point-report is an excellent start to a conversation about how small charity leaders face oversized problems impacting on their mental health. The Fair Collective and NCVO have thoughtfully collaborated to open up this discussion, from conversations with small charity leaders.
In addition to this there are many studies showing that the global workforce is becoming more subject to burnout, which is a long term result of chronic stress and lack of recharging. The Covid pandemic was a watershed where indicators of stress rose considerably and although in some instances falling, they are still higher than before the pandemic https://www.ohscanada.com/psychological-safety-study-reveals-trends-in-workplace-stress-and-conflict-worldwide/
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx
https://www.spill.chat/mental-health-statistics/workplace-stress-statistics
A study by Headspace in 2024 showed ‘Nearly half (47%) of employees and two-thirds (66%) of CEOs say the majority of their stress or all of their stress comes from work, rather than from their personal lives. At the same time, work stress has surfaced in many ways in people’s personal lives, from poor physical health to breakups and divorces. ‘
Social Change Organisation’s Perspective
I wanted to add to the conversation with reference particularly to social change organisations, which aren’t charities, and face their own set of challenges. Having worked across the not for profit sector, it’s clear to me that funders, government and other established institutions are set up to deal with charities, but not the range of organisations that seek to create a better society and which don’t qualify as charities (or at least, not under the current charity commission regime). I think these folks face particular challenges.
Note on the challenges for service providers: in my experience there are a range of key differences between service providers and other organisations. The unique resource scarcity for organisations trying to provide vital life saving/changing support is unendurably grindingly depressing. I’ve seen it personally in the domestic abuse sector and those supporting disabled children and young people. Services gradually contracting, paying less and doing more, and ultimately closing. Private providers chosen on the basis of cost may offer scrappy provision that isn’t safe or joined up with other providers. There’s a systemic issue here around investment in public services.
This brings me to organisations fighting for better public services amongst many other causes. These organisations are comrades in arms against a society that minimises rights and provision which meets people’s needs.
A vibrant civil society is crucial to democracy and progress, and yet it is continually stifled with lack of funding, cut off from the benefits of charity status, facing collapsing space for protest, increased burden of regulation, and so on. Leaders deal with all of these and are expected to withstand every setback. People who are often at the painful edge, leading by experience, holding the trauma of marginalisation or oppressions, facing additional barriers, are also expected to be resilient, HR experts, tax and finance whizz’s, fundraisers, networkers, governance modellers, people managers, press officers and marketers – all rolled into one. There must be a better way to enable folks to build power around key issues, without drowning them in all this other stuff!
How can you feel inspired to take on the battle to make society better, when you’ve exhausted yourself on admin and can’t sleep as you don’t know how you’re going to pay your rent if your funders don’t renew their support this year. I remain perpetually in awe of all the folks that do continue to rise to these challenges despite an increasingly steep hill to climb.
Many leaders also feel that they cannot share their vulnerability within their workplace, as they take very seriously their duty to support and sustain their colleagues by demonstrating resilience. Being perpetually ‘on’ and unable to recharge, or show vulnerability is exhausting physically and mentally and can lead to burnout.
Solutions
I’m always looking for solutions and have a number of ideas to throw into the conversation:
- We MUST have a more secure funding approach that stops rewarding novelty and focuses on long term building for change.
- Funders must recognise the need to pay people a decent wage and for enough people to do ALL the types of work involved in organising for change.
- There need to be people and organisations that can act as stepping stones or temporary homes for folks wanting to organise on a particular issue, whether they go onto become fully separate organisations, or just last for the duration of a specific need. Perhaps these can be housed by some of the larger social change funders or allied organisations.
- Coaching and mentoring networks are needed to give support and advice to get past the stuff that people don’t know rapidly and efficiently, and on to the organising around the issue – supercharging effectiveness and impact. I seem to spend a lot of my leadership time passing on my knowledge, for colleagues who don’t know what they don’t know or how to get that information. This often manifests on legal, financial, HR and governance issues.
- Networks where people can share their challenges openly, given how difficult it is as a CEO to be vulnerable in small organisations where they are the cornerstone. There could be more issues based networks to help provide more specifically focused support.
- One to one support through clinical supervision, a board member that can lean in, a pro bono adviser who can lend an ear – all are ways to share the support of these demanding roles.
- Having the resources to access therapy, plan nutrition and exercise to ensure you stay mentally and physically well is vital, but not part of the scarcity mindset of struggling small social change organisations.
- Recognise differences, the impact of other experiences and barriers in a way that removes barriers, celebrates difference and doesn’t stigmatise or stifle people’s whole self. This is a culture piece of work that’s essential for everyone to thrive. In my experience the most effective leaders live this stuff.
Things that work:
There are some great examples of changing the mindset for social change organisations, where anti oppression and generative communication are embedded. Not all of these fit every case, but they include initiatives like 4 day weeks, Co-CEO models, therapy for all, unlimited holiday, decent training and personal development budgets and processes, continuous learning for all in an organisation etc.
But still, all too often, the CEO doesn’t take advantage of what’s on offer. How do we help CEO’s model take up of healthy behaviours?
I believe every leader needs a partner or support network that helps them put their needs forward, without shame, and with kindness. Whether it’s a coach, mentor, board member or other CEO’s – let’s help stop leaders becoming fatalities of the squeezed suppressed social change sector. Funders – step up and make sure this happens: question why budgets don’t have personal development included, or cover core funds, or include clinical supervision, or admin. Ask what the organisation your funding does to support resilience and long term sustainability.
Today more than ever the national and global context is a challenge to the mental health of folks wanting to create a better, fairer, more just society. I hope the sector and its leaders can access the support needed to craft that change without burning out the leaders we urgently need to hold this space.