The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit

Steer your organization away from burnout while boosting all-around performance

The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit presents realistic strategies for leaders looking to optimize organizational achievement while avoiding the common nonprofit burnout. With a uniquely holistic approach to nonprofit leadership strategy, this book functions as a handbook to help leaders examine their existing organization, identify trouble spots, and resolve issues with attention to all aspects of operations and culture. The expert author team walks you through the process of building a happier, healthier organization from the ground up, with a balanced approach that considers more than just quantitative results. Employee wellbeing takes a front seat next to organizational performance, with clear guidance on establishing optimal systems and processes that bring about better results while allowing a healthier work-life balance. By improving attitudes and personal habits at all levels, you'll implement a positive cultural change with sustainable impact.

Nonprofits are driven to do more, more, more, often with fewer and fewer resources; there comes a breaking point where passion dwindles under the weight of pressure, and the mission suffers as a result. This book shows you how to revamp your organization to do more and do it better, by putting cultural considerations at the heart of strategy.
* Find and relieve cultural and behavioral pain points
* Achieve better results with attention to well-being
* Redefine your organizational culture to avoid burnout
* Establish systems and processes that enable sustainable change

At its core, a nonprofit is driven by passion. What begins as a personal investment in the organization's mission can quickly become the driver of stress and overwork that leads to overall lackluster performance. Executing a cultural about-face can be the lifeline your organization needs to thrive. The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit provides a blueprint for sustainable change, with a holistic approach to improving organizational outlook.

Our Acknowledgments xv
Beth's Acknowledgments xv
Aliza's Acknowledgments xvi
Foreword xvii
Introduction xxi
The Vision xxi
Why We Wrote This Book xxiv
What You'll Learn in This Book xxv
Part I Revitalize Yourself
1 The Problem: Why Nonprofit Professionals Burn Out 3
When Work and Life Collide 3
What Is Burnout, Anyway? 8
Causes of Burnout 12
The Stress of Work 18
Moving Out of Burnout 25
2 The Foundation: Understanding the Areas of Self-Care 27
Dealing with Stress 27
What Is Self-Care, Really? 28
Introducing the Five Spheres of Happy Healthy Living 30
Sphere 1: Relationship to Self 32
Sphere 2: Relationship to Others 36
Sphere 3: Relationship to Environment 38
Sphere 4: Relationship to Work and Money 39
Sphere 5: Relationship to Tech 42
It's Time to Make a Change 44
3 The Assessments: Change Your Habits, Make a Self-Care Plan 45
Self-Assessment Is the First Step 45
Creating Change 57
Making It Happen: Your Self-Care Action Plan 62
4 The Practices: Happy, Healthy Things You Can Do for Yourself 69
Individual Self-Care 69
Supporting Health and Wellness 70
Supporting Happiness and Well-Being 75
5 The Workflow: Changing the Way You Work 83
Bringing It to the Office 83
Relationships in the Workplace 84
Environment 87
Your Workflows 89
Managing Your Energy 90
Asking for Flexible Work 94
Bringing Play to Your Work 96
Breaking from Work 98
Tech Wellness 100
Part II Revitalize Your Organization
6 The Culture: Transforming Your Organization 107
Connecting the Dots to Organizational Culture Change 107
Defining a Happy, Healthy Culture 110
The Role of the Leaders 117
Supporting Employees for Culture Change 123
Committing to Culture Change 127
7 The Activities and Cues: Self-Care to WE-Care 129
WE-Care in the Workplace 129
The Physical Office 137
Human Interactions 141
Mindfulness at Work 144
Creativity Activities 147
Home Life Support 149
8 The Processes: Well-Being in the Workplace 151
Workflows 152
Energy Management 153
Walking as Work 153
Flexible Work 158
Play at Work 160
Breaking from Work 162
9 The Strategy: Working toward a Happy, Healthy Nonprofit Organization 171
Wellness Versus Well-Being Programs 171
The Benefits of a Happy, Healthy Strategy 174
Why Employee Engagement Is Essential 176
Your Policies and Employee Benefits 180
Writing Your Happy, Healthy Strategy 185
Rolling Out Your Strategy 187
Evaluating Your Happy, Healthy Organization 190
Shout Hallelujah, Come on Get Happy and Healthy! 192
Notes 193
Index 201