I'm Hanging In There

Lori Sitler, Executive Director, CHILD, Inc.

A common opening in email correspondence these days is “I hope you are doing well.”  It took hold during the pandemic when we worried about a person’s physical health considering rampant COVID illnesses and deaths. When a close colleague wrote to me recently, she acknowledged that the greeting of “I hope you are doing well” might need to be amended to “I hope you are doing OK” in light of the turbulent times we are experiencing in the non-profit world and the country in general. 

For staff and leadership of non-profit agencies, the uncertainty around funding is an ever-present reality.  We all know the drill; funding is time-limited, and we need to apply for continuation funding or alternative funding regularly to keep programs afloat and staff employed.  But, in our current reality, receiving a grant award doesn’t guarantee that funding will continue through to its expected end date.  Funding is being rescinded mid-contract with little notice and no explanation.  While running a human services non-profit (or working for one) always has day-to-day challenges, the current uncertainty caused by the claw-back of funding just exacerbates the usual stress. 

How do we keep non-profit leaders and staff healthy and productive when we don’t know what tomorrow may bring? We can’t control the craziness, but we can work to reduce our stress levels for the sake of our physical and mental health. Here are a few things I have found helpful and hope they may work for you, too:

These suggestions aren’t meant to minimize the very real challenges we face in the non-profit sector but to remind us that, in order to continue to do this work, we need to take care of ourselves. I’ve adopted “I’m hanging in there” as my new mantra.  It’s the best I can do most days.

Take good care,

Lori