Burnout among fundraisers has reached a crisis point, fuelled by the stresses that many fundraisers experience just by doing their jobs. Fundraisers regularly put others interests before their own, often minimising how they feel. They feel that they are expected to deliver the impossible, while at the same time feel invisible to the rest of their organisation. And they also feel they can’t say no when asked to take on more.
Does this ring home with you? Does this sound like the kind of things you’ve experienced?
The Chartered Institute of Fundraising is joining with fundraising think tank Rogare to launch Rogare’s latest report; Caring too much: The burnout dilemma faced by fundraisers, and the emotional toll of a fundraising career. The report showcases the research undertaken by Irish fundraiser Michelle Reynolds into the factors that cause stress to fundraisers and harm their psychological wellbeing.
Michelle will expand on her findings at the webinar, while Colin Skehan (a participant of Michelle’s study) will share his own experiences on how many of the factors described in Michelle’s work led to a breakdown, how he found the resilience to overcome it, and how he discovered he was far from alone in what he went through.
The webinar will be introduced by the Chartered Institute's CEO, Katie Docherty, and will be moderated by Rogare chair and Chartered Institute trustee Damian Chapman, who will say Michelle’s work must be the catalyst for genuine change in how fundraisers’ psychological wellbeing is cared for and protected by the organisations they work for.