Burnout in the Development Office
Burnout is common among professionals and students as they tackle constant tasks without passion and without a balance with normal life. In development and fundraising, the tasks of constantly asking and proving ideas to others can be taxing and emotional. According to NonprofitAF , burnout is not simply solved with a meditation app or breathing fresh air. Instead, we have to find the root cause. This is similar in most fields: under-funding, unrealistic expectations and task lists, and a poor work culture. In my experiences with small nonprofits, these issues are highlighted because the group is smaller. It is common to see one individual managing fundraising events, grants, major gifts, and communications without proper professional support. The other difficult part of burnout in nonprofits is the relationships. Development is a career that is incredibly personal for all stakeholders. A mission is based on the person's identity and values. Because of this, the reje...
