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Submitted by Kathy Young
As the CEO of the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance, I appreciate Jeremy Walsh’s attention to the challenges faced by nonprofit boards and staff in his recent column, “Nonprofit stability: What’s going on with this run of executive director turnover in the Tri-Valley?”
The nonprofit sector is under immense pressures that differ significantly from those of the for-profit world. For too long, nonprofits have been held to unrealistic expectations, such as maintaining overhead costs below 20% to be deemed effective, while for-profit businesses freely spend on advertising and marketing without similar scrutiny.
This double standard forces nonprofits to underpay staff, offer fewer benefits and require employees to wear multiple hats just to keep operations running. The result is often burnout and turnover, particularly in small to mid-sized nonprofits where an executive director may juggle everything from communications and fundraising to board management and program delivery.
This is not just a local issue; it’s a national one. Until we are willing to invest in and properly support nonprofit employees, turnover will persist. After all, “feeling good about your job” doesn’t pay the bills.
It’s also important to recognize that leadership transitions happen for many reasons — illness, family commitments, relocation, and the pursuit of better compensation and benefits. Turnover isn’t always a sign of dysfunction. However, smaller organizations with limited resources often lack the capacity to issue formal announcements when these changes occur.
TVNPA is actively working to address the disparities in our field, including staffing challenges. In May, we hosted “Charity Reimagined,” featuring the Academy Award-nominated documentary “UnCharitable” and an in-person discussion with Dan Pallotta on “The Overhead Myth.”
On Sept. 10, TVNPA will participate in “Talent Justice: A Regional Conversation on Sustaining Our Nonprofit Workforce in Northern California”, an invitation-only event that will engage leaders from regionally based philanthropies, nonprofits and intermediaries in a facilitated dialogue to explore the complex crisis facing the nonprofit workforce, including burnout, worker shortages and turnover.
Following this, on Sept. 24, TVNPA will host a public event featuring Fund the People’s Rusty Stahl, continuing the critical conversation on sustaining and supporting our nonprofit workforce.
Finally, on Dec. 12, TVNPA and the Three Valleys Community Foundation will co-host a follow-up event to “Charity Reimagined”, including a panel discussion with local nonprofit leaders, executives and donors to discuss the true costs of operating an effective nonprofit and how to retain and support our staff.
TVNPA remains committed to educating and supporting our local nonprofits and leading advocacy efforts on these crucial issues. We invite ongoing dialogue and welcome creative, effective solutions to the challenges we face. Now is the time for change.
Editor’s note: Kathy Young co-founded the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance in 2014 and has served as its inaugural president and CEO since 2019. To learn more about the organization, visit tvnpa.org.
