Thriving Together: Cultivating Well-being & Sustainability in the Social Sector

Last fall, with support from the Boston Foundation, the Institute for Nonprofit Practice (INP) launched its Well-Being Initiative—an effort to research, develop, teach, and disseminate a set of interventions to address rising burnout, turnover, and workforce shortages in the social sector. On November 4, 2024, a robust crowd of nonprofit, philanthropic, and social sector leaders and community members gathered at the Edgerley Center for Civic Leadership at the Boston Foundation for a networking lunch, followed by a presentation and panel discussion of INP’s research report, Thriving Together: Cultivating Well-Being & Sustainability in the Social Sector, released in collaboration with Community Science. The panel discussion was also live-streamed as part of INP's 2024–25 Leadership Learning Series, sponsored by the Allstate Foundation. In all, more than 600 people registered for this event.

Institute for Nonprofit Practice President & CEO Yolanda Coentro welcomed attendees. She took a moment to remember the late Andrea McGrath, who had been an influential and energetic social impact investment leader who had worked with many in the room. Before introducing the next speaker, she addressed the question: “Why well-being?” She set the tone for the ensuing conversations, noting, “The social sector’s most powerful driver of progress and impact is its people…So it follows that a thriving, sustainable sector can only exist when it’s fueled by a thriving and sustainable workforce.”

Petrina Martin Cherry, Vice President of Community Engagement and External Affairs at Boston Medical Center and a member of TBF’s board of directors, took the mic to expand on Coentro’s comments. “As we gather today, just one day away from a pivotal election where democracy and freedom are on the ballot, it is more important than ever for us to stand together for our collective future…I know from my everyday experience that working in the nonprofit and equity space is both hard work and heart work…Prioritizing our own well-being and mental health is essential. By taking care of ourselves we enhance our resilience and effectiveness in advocating for the communities we serve.”

INP’s Chief Strategy & Administration Officer and Executive Vice President, Patrick Kirby, and Amber Trout, Senior Associate at Community Science, summarized the 60-page report’s findings. Among them: 51 percent of nonprofits have job openings, and 74 percent say they have labor shortages. 

Compensation (or lack thereof, relative to corporate offerings) makes hiring hard. Inflation has been a challenge, too. As Trout pointed out, “A grant of $50,000 in 2020 would need to be $91,000 in 2023 to cover the same expenses.” And philanthropy has not necessarily risen to the occasion. Indeed, Kirby called it “a perfect storm” of conditions—from retiring Baby Boomers, to COVID-driven mental health challenges, to remote work needs, to Supreme Court decisions and beyond—creating serious headwinds for the sector.