Bi-Weekly Wellbeing Brief: 6/1/2026
June 1 Overview
Welcome, June! We know many of us are gearing up for this month's celebrations: Pride, Juneteenth, and the official first day of summer. These celebrations are much needed and warranted, as our social impact and nonprofit communities continue to navigate burnout that is becoming more widespread and consequential. Seemingly, one silver lining is that the uptick in burnout reports are leading to more meaningful conversations and interventions. A major theme that we continue to see throughout 2026 is that we're moving beyond asking whether burnout exists, and toward asking who experiences it most, why, and what systems create the conditions for it to persist.
The latter questions sit at the center of Do Good Leadership Collective's newest research report, Who Burns Out, and Why?, which explores how identity, lived experience, and organizational dynamics uniquely shape burnout risk. As we reviewed the latest articles and reports from across the sector, we were struck by how many findings mirrored what we uncovered in our own research.
🪫 The B-word: What’s happening with Burnout?
Do Good Leadership Collective's (DGLC) May 2026 report, Who Burns Out, and Why?, highlights that burnout is not evenly distributed, with the distribution impacted by individual identity, organizational roles, and lived experience. The report—along with accompanying free resources and our upcoming LinkedIn Live on June 10—invite leaders to examine burnout through an equity lens rather than solely a productivity lens.
Recent reporting from The Chronicle of Philanthropy reinforces the urgency of the burnout conversation. According to the article, nearly 90% of nonprofit leaders report concern about burnout, with many citing increased service demand, financial instability, and workforce strain as contributing factors.
Research highlighted by Candid specifically points to the experiences of nonprofit leaders who identify as women of color, who cite carrying disproportionate expectations around representation, mentorship, emotional labor, and organizational change. These findings closely mirror DGLC's own research.
Broader workforce research suggests another challenge: employees across sectors are increasingly "job hugging"—remaining in roles because of economic uncertainty and limited job opportunities. While retention numbers may appear stable, burnout may still be rising.
Increasingly, leaders are also using new language to describe their experiences. In movement spaces, burnout is being discussed not simply as exhaustion, but as “moral trauma”—the pain that emerges when people repeatedly witness harm, injustice, or unmet community needs while lacking the resources, authority, or support to respond effectively.
The burnout crisis is not limited to the United States. This article from Future of Good reports that Canada's nonprofit sector is facing significant financial strain, with leaders warning that workforce wellbeing is increasingly threatened by funding instability, rising demand, and chronic underinvestment.
Similarly, organizations in Florida report mounting financial pressure, workforce shortages, and growing concerns about staff sustainability. Across geographies, burnout is becoming one of the defining workforce challenges facing the social sector.
💭 Innovations & New Thinking
Barr Foundation continues to invest in leader wellbeing through its longstanding fellowship model, recognizing that sustained social change requires sustained leaders. Their work joins a growing movement of philanthropy that views rest, reflection, and leadership development as mission-critical investments.
Meanwhile, this piece from Gabrielle Wyatt via Nonprofit Quarterly encourages leaders to pursue wholeness, not merely resilience. Rather than helping people survive unhealthy systems, the conversation is shifting toward creating conditions where people can fully thrive.
Practical burnout prevention continues to receive renewed attention in the face of crisis. This article from Fast Company (by Corrie LoGiudice) encourages leaders to identify the early warning signs of burnout—including withdrawal, cynicism, diminished creativity, and chronic overwhelm—before they become crises.
Creative approaches to burnout management continue to emerge. In Detroit, MI, initiatives like the Nonprofit Games are exploring how connection, play, and community-building can support mental health and reduce isolation among nonprofit workers.
Nonprofit leaders continue to share practical wisdom from the field. Recent reflections from Forbes Nonprofit Council emphasize the importance of pacing, boundary-setting, and recognizing that sustainable leadership requires caring for the people doing the work, and not just the mission itself.
📍 Local to San Diego
Organizations like Fieldstone Network are offering retreats and leadership experiences designed to help nonprofit leaders reconnect with purpose, community, and sustainability amidst increasing demands.
Philanthropic leaders are investing in spaces dedicated to deeper reflection and relationship-building. Through initiatives like Kinship Third Space, The Kinship Fund is helping create environments where nonprofit leaders can explore wellbeing as a leadership practice rather than an individual responsibility.
✅ Quick Takeaways
Research is showing that burnout is shaped by identity, lived experiences, and organizational conditions—not just workload.
A high and growing percentage of nonprofit leaders report concern about burnout, making it one of the sector's most persistent workforce challenges.
The conversation is evolving from burnout as exhaustion to burnout as moral trauma, particularly among leaders working closest to injustice and community suffering.
In some areas of the U.S., Philanthropy is investing in fellowships, retreats, leadership development, and wellbeing-centered spaces.
The future of burnout prevention may depend less on helping people become more resilient and more on creating workplaces where people can be whole.
Do Good Leadership Collective is a San Diego-based consultancy that helps social impact professionals Do Good and Be Well.
