The nonprofit sector has become very good at talking about burnout.
It has been far less willing to stop causing it.
Over the past several years, the nonprofit sector has become remarkably articulate about burnout. Conference sessions on sustainable pace. Leadership retreats devoted to wellbeing. Instagram graphics about empty cups. Earnest staff emails about rest.
The language is sophisticated. The tone is compassionate. The graphics are beautiful.
And yet, for a sector that talks about rest constantly, it has proven remarkably unwilling to build organizations where rest is structurally possible.