Fundraiser burnout has become one of the most urgent challenges facing the charity sector. In this blog CIOF Chair, Harpreet Kondel, explores why fundraisers are at heightened risk, how organisations can embed wellbeing into culture and leadership, and what the sector can learn from other charities and corporates.
Fundraising is great. It’s rewarding, important work that really makes a difference. But it also comes with a lot of pressure. Many of us have experienced burnout at some point – or know people that have, but it’s a problem that’s grown in scale and urgency in recent years, with far too many fundraisers suffering. Fuelled by overlapping issues, it’s now a sector-wide emergency.
Since the pandemic, fundraisers have been operating in near-constant crisis mode as one emergency has followed another, while also pivoting to different ways of working, often without emotional support or time to recover.
Compounding this, while demand for charitable services has soared, income has become increasingly uncertain, leaving fundraisers expected to do more with less, often bearing the weight of meeting mission-critical targets. This is accompanied by a culture of constant productivity, where going “above and beyond” is seen as the norm rather than the exception.
Hybrid and remote working, while it offers many benefits, can bring additional challenges by blurring boundaries and isolating individuals from the team connection that’s so important for getting through difficult times.
This year’s Charity Well survey, across all charity roles, found that a quarter of respondents don’t believe their organisation genuinely prioritises colleague health and wellbeing within its culture, and only 36% feel their workload is achievable. These are sobering statistics, and a warning that we all need to take workload and wellbeing more seriously.
The impact of burnout is being felt right across the sector. Charities are struggling to recruit and retain fundraisers, with roles remaining vacant for months and experienced professionals leaving the sector altogether. Teams suffer from reduced morale and declining creativity, while on an individual level, the symptoms are all too familiar: fatigue, cynicism, anxiety, and disconnection from the mission that once inspired.
For organisations, the cost is steep, because not only does burnout harm their people but it undermines income, culture, and the impact it is able to achieve.
Most charities now recognise the issue, but turning good intentions into meaningful change remains difficult.
Financial constraints mean competing on pay with other sectors is hard, and wellbeing budgets can be the first cut. Cultural legacies also play a part: the “do more with less” mindset, combined with a sense of moral duty can make self-care feel indulgent or selfish. Meanwhile, leadership challenges persist, with some trustees and executives still viewing wellbeing as secondary to delivery rather than a driver of long-term performance.
So how can we provide better support? At the CIOF, we’re taking proactive steps to support fundraisers’ wellbeing through training and resources. This includes our Wellbeing Collection, designed to help people look after themselves, as well as others; a 24-hour counselling service; and access to the Wisdom App for mental health and mindfulness support. Our renewed purpose centres on creating a better world through fundraising — one that explicitly recognises and values the people behind the impact. By putting wellbeing at the heart of our mission, we’re recognising an important truth: that fundraising success depends on fundraisers who are healthy, motivated, and supported.
Charities leading the way include RNLI, which has made wellbeing part of its sustainability plan, conducting benchmarking to set its priorities. It offers a dedicated 24/7 support service to volunteers and staff, facilitates flexible working and offers organised activities at its headquarters, like sports, a choir and a knitting club. It also provides specific wellbeing support for operational volunteers and their families.
Blood Cancer UK has put wellbeing at the centre of its employee offering too, providing mental health first-aiders and Time to Change Employee Champions, a Wellbeing Hub with free resources, and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which offers a free, confidential counselling service to all staff, as well as a general advice service. In addition, its agile working culture enables staff to manage their time to support their wellbeing.
Macmillan Cancer Support, alongside providing an EAP providing confidential support, advice and counselling, offers Our Voice – a forum providing a safe place to speak up. Here representatives from across the organisation help with everything from accompanying staff to formal meetings, to talking through workplace issues, and advocating for them on matters of concern.
We can also look to the corporate sector for inspiration. At Unilever, a comprehensive Wellbeing Framework covers mental, emotional, and physical health. Line managers are trained in psychological safety, and meetings begin with a wellbeing check-in to foster open dialogue and trust. Meanwhile, Lloyds Banking Group provides access to the Headspace app, runs workshops and tools to support mental health, and offers leadership programmes for senior managers, ensuring wellbeing is supported from the top down.
These initiatives demonstrate that wellbeing doesn’t have to be an add-on; it can be embedded into organisational culture with many of these approaches – charity and corporate alike – adaptable to fit any size of organisation.
Wellbeing must become a shared responsibility across the profession. As leaders we need to model healthy behaviours, set realistic targets, and talk openly about the importance of rest. Organisations must weave wellbeing into their strategies, budgets, and board discussions, treating it as a measure of success rather than a cost. Funders also have a role to play: sustainability should include the people delivering the mission, and grant conditions can reflect that by resourcing wellbeing initiatives. And by openly sharing learning, data, and success stories we can all help to create a culture of care.
The fundraising community is built on passion, purpose, and connection, but those same qualities, combined with the challenges of today, make us all vulnerable to burnout. Rather than continuing to see wellbeing as secondary, it’s time to embrace it as central to mission success. Not only is taking care of our people (and ourselves) the right thing to do, but when fundraisers thrive – emotionally, mentally, and professionally – charities don’t just raise more money, they build stronger relationships and create more lasting impact.