Invest in leaders as well as projects

Foundations often seem separated from nonprofits by a moat. Each side communicates with the other when the drawbridge is down during a grant cycle. In contrast, Susan and Albert Wells, founders of the Windcall Resident Program for social justice leaders, built a footbridge for their private philanthropy. Over the course of 17 years, between 1989 and 2005, they welcomed 400 activists to their Montana ranch for two weeks of reflection and renewal. Susan tells the story of Windcall in her just-published book, Changing Course: Windcall and the Art of Renewal with Seven Profiles by Sally Lehrman (Heyday Books, Berkeley).

Although I have known Susan and Albie for 20 years, I learned much more about the Windcall Program from Susan’s book than either of them ever told me. Windcall alumni are community activists and organizers who work in low-income, usually urban communities and, prior to their mini-sabbatical at Windcall, rarely took time for themselves, much less vacations. As a direct result of their intense work, they suffered debilitating burnout and came to Windcall for a two-week respite. As Susan explains in her own words and those of the residents, they regained their equilibrium through experiences as varied as horseback riding, throwing clay pots, hiking, and writing poetry.

For the first time in their lives, these community nurturers were nurtured – by their hosts, by nature, and by each other. When they returned to work, they took their Windcall experience with them. As one Windcall alum told me, the program is transformative because Residents extend the lesson they have learned to their organizations, colleagues, friends, and families.

Burnout is a serious threat to leadership in the nonprofit sector. A survey conducted by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network found nearly half of respondents intend to leave the nonprofit sector (some forever) and of those, 90 percent cited burnout “as a likely reason for leaving” followed closely by low salary, lack of career advancement, and job related stress. Stepping Up or Stepping Out: A Report on the Readiness of Next Generation Nonprofit Leaders is available from YNPN as a PDF file.

The nonprofit sector, like society as a whole, has embraced a work ethic based on “productivity and efficiency” which, in Susan’s words, “are antithetical to the very essence of social justice work.” She calls on funding institutions to take a longer view, beyond project performance, and “affirm the important relationship between healthy individuals, healthy organizations, and high-quality, enduring progress."