Burn baby burn
Nancy Lublin was right on the mark in a Fast Company article when she observed:
The biz model [for nonprofits] destines us for burnout. We take people with big hearts and crush their souls; you sign on to help cure cancer and then leave because you’re just shilling rubber bracelets. You want universal literacy, but the only way to move toward it is a big chicken dinner at a fancy hotel.
She is speaking about the problem created by how nonprofit volunteers and staff are managed and how nonprofit volunteers and staff should approach their work.
This problem affects both volunteers and staff. It is indicates poor placement, supervision and management.
I think the nonprofits with few or no staff are especially vulnerable to this problem. It starts with poor volunteer screening and placement system. It continues with poor or no supervision. And is aggravated by poor planning and coordination by the board and leadership.
BUT all of these issues have relatively simple ways they can be solved.
When you screen for connection to mission, for governance vs results and for personal interests, the volunteer can be placed in the position that will maximize results and minimize burnout.
When committee chairs are placed effectively and given training in supervision, the volunteer will see results and have a sense of fulfilling the mission to which they are connected.
When the Board is focused on governance and creates a management team, the volunteer will function in an effective and rewarding environment.
None of these steps are expensive. They do require an experienced person to help create the operating system.
We do can help do that.
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photo credit: DieselDemon
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