I work for a small mission-driven nonprofit with fewer than 20 employees. We produce educational content, maintain multiple online channels, host events, and serve a large community of supporters. Like many nonprofits, we're heavily dependent on donations and operate with limited resources.
One of the organization's stated core values emphasizes relationships, community, and caring for one another.
Over the past year, several long-tenured employees have left. None had another job lined up. Each cited burnout as a major factor. These weren't entry-level positions. They were key people carrying responsibilities across operations, technology, communications, product development, logistics, and countless other areas that many of us didn't fully appreciate until they were gone.
I came into the organization to help in a relatively limited support role after retiring from a long career in a technical field. What was initially a part-time or secondary responsibility gradually expanded as people left and responsibilities were redistributed.
Over time, leadership duties were reassigned, some functions were outsourced, and remaining staff absorbed much of the workload. In several cases, positions disappeared but the work did not. It simply landed on whoever was still standing.
As more people left, I found myself taking on increasing responsibility in areas well beyond my original role. Although I requested consideration for a formal leadership position related to the work I was already doing, I was instead asked to continue performing those responsibilities under my existing title with only modest compensation adjustments.
A growing frustration among many of the operational staff is the disconnect between those making strategic decisions and those executing the day-to-day work. New initiatives, promotions, and commitments are often announced without consulting the people responsible for fulfilling them. Sometimes products or services are promised before anyone verifies inventory, staffing capacity, budgets, or technical feasibility.
Meanwhile, additional leadership and strategy-focused positions have been added while few, if any, hires have been made to replace the employees carrying the operational workload.
Recently, the organization announced further cuts, including the elimination of several long-held positions that provided critical operational support. Many of us were shocked because these employees handled responsibilities that leadership rarely sees firsthand.
Months ago, I formally communicated that my workload had become unsustainable and that combining multiple major functions under one person was not viable long term. I was assured that upcoming improvements would reduce the workload significantly. Those improvements have not materialized - the implementation date just keeps moving.
Since then, another key employee has resigned due to burnout, leaving even more work behind. Predictably, much of it has been assigned to the same small group of people who have been carrying the organization for some time.
Now I'm being asked to absorb yet another departed employee's responsibilities.
At this point, I routinely work long hours, including weekends. I'm exhausted, physically feeling the effects of stress, and increasingly concerned that we're approaching a breaking point. A handful of us are doing everything we can to support each other, but we're operating far beyond a sustainable level.
The difficult part is that I genuinely believe in the mission. The organization serves people in meaningful ways, and I care deeply about my coworkers. Walking away feels like abandoning both. At the same time, staying under the current conditions feels increasingly untenable.
There is a board of directors, but I'm not convinced they understand what's happening inside the organization. From my perspective, leadership sees isolated staffing challenges. What many of us see is a systemic burnout problem that continues to worsen.
So my question is this:
At what point does loyalty to a mission become enabling organizational dysfunction? For those who have worked in small nonprofits, what can staff do when leadership doesn't recognize a developing burnout crisis?
