We often think of nonprofit leaders as people who sacrifice or forgo opportunities for wealth, choosing instead to serve vulnerable communities in remote rural areas. But serving as a nonprofit leader means enduring unpredictable work environments, finding balance while filtering and cultivating hope despite periodic poverty and discrimination, all while constantly putting one’s own health and well-being at risk.
It’s no surprise that 94% of nonprofit leaders who participated in Dasla’s upcoming flagship mental health survey admitted to struggling with work-life balance, with 87% of leaders repeatedly stating that they prioritize their mental health over work and pushing themselves to serve the communities they serve and are responsible for.
One of the most significant findings was that less than 9% of organizations had dedicated budgets for employee mental health and wellbeing initiatives. These budgets were prioritized and allocated by the leaders themselves.
Leaders on the frontline of social development in India wear many hats, balancing community expectations with donor-driven agendas for measurable change. As investors and philanthropists supporting their programs, it is increasingly important to recognize that these leaders and staff are exhausted as they manage interventions, communications, capacity building and fundraising while maintaining an unwavering passion for causes that take time to see desired results.
A nonprofit leader in West Bengal likened this to pouring from an empty cup, saying, “My point is, no matter how dedicated you are to a particular cause, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Everyone has to have some kind of safety net to function.”
We learned that in nonprofits, this tireless dedication and “giving goes beyond normal work hours. Leaders and staff play a vital role in supporting their communities 24/7, especially during crises such as pandemics, as dedicated and trusted frontline workers filling gaps in information, health, education, food and security. Often, they are in situations where a paycheck or health insurance is not enough to support them.
Key stressors in the nonprofit workplace include limited funding, understaffing, and administrative workload. Leaders and staff often work without pay, and very few speak publicly about the risks to their personal safety. While unable to directly discuss personal mental health, an NGO leader in northeast India spoke about what mental health means to their local community: “Mental health is often associated with sadness arising from everyday injustices. Mental health is a luxury and happiness is their last option.” [communities] think about.”
Due to limited available funds, not all leaders can afford to spend on specialized mental health support, retreats, and wellness activities for their staff or themselves. Instead, they lean toward low-cost investment initiatives that encourage group action while fostering a culture of solidarity and openness in the workplace. Some nonprofits choose to celebrate challenges and failures while highlighting them as learnings, while others take a break by having tea, having a picnic, or watching a movie together.
These free or low-cost solutions that nonprofits share as mental health and wellness initiatives strengthen their teams, but don’t necessarily solve or acknowledge real mental health needs. Only 56% of nonprofit leaders surveyed felt prepared to address the real mental health needs of their staff.
While philanthropy is beginning to meet the growing need for mental health support in communities, it has not yet met the need in the nonprofit sector. The Cocoon Initiative is one example of direct support to nonprofits. The initiative calls on leaders to take sabbatical leave to rest and recover their core strengths. Since its launch in November 2023, the initiative has provided financial support to approximately 30 leaders.
Through conversations with those seeking support, insights have emerged about organizational needs and the real risks of losing valuable leaders to mental and physical health burnout. This initiative offers trust-based support to leaders as they determine their sabbatical budgets and activities. This is as powerful as unpacking what rest and well-being mean after years of serving on the margins.
Another initiative, Intention Collective’s Healing Circle virtual platform, aims to bring nonprofit practitioners together to feel a sense of community while caring for and sharing with others.
Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI) has developed a powerful toolkit for understanding and delivering wellness and mental health in nonprofit workplaces. Sonal Sachdev Patel and GMSP Foundation are passionate advocates of a humanistic, “people-centered” approach to partner nonprofits that deliver their programs, which is key in rethinking how they are funded. Sonal urges the ecosystem to consider more meaningful approaches to change that don’t risk burnout for implementation partners.
There are other notable examples of donors giving nonprofits benefit allowances and budgets, giving them flexibility to spend as needed. While this is progress for the larger ecosystem, the gap in mental health services and the associated stigma is complex and significant, with over 80% of people suffering from mental health in India not seeking or receiving care.
Nonprofits, closest to the ground and communities, can be a critical bridge to solving India’s mental health crisis, but we must first address their long-standing needs. Budgeting for well-being and mental health support for organizations across all programs would be a significant and intentional step forward in recognizing their tireless efforts to make a difference while building long-term well-being resilience.
This article is written by Deval Sanghvi, Co-founder and Partner at Dasra.
