Mission-driven work is very demanding and does not always operate by the same schedule or standards as other types of employment. Despite this, research suggests that many nonprofit employees report higher-than-average satisfaction with their jobs and feel more fulfilled than counterparts in parts of the private and public sectors, though experiences vary widely. While it is a truism that mission-driven work is motivated by factors besides financial gain, it is important to dig into the details of what motivates nonprofit workers, both to help support and deepen team commitment and to understand what potential new hires are looking for.
The structure and role of nonprofits sets them apart, and for many employees and managers, the work isn’t quite ‘work’ in the same way as it is at other jobs. However, this can lead to persistent challenges as well, as the motivation to work beyond one’s capacity can lead to burnout or disillusionment. It can also be difficult to quantify how much your organization delivers on these less-tangible benefits, as they cannot be easily tracked using metrics. Knowing how to trace these benefits and understand the risks can help you form a long-term plan for sustainability, an essential step for mission-driven work.
Here’s what drives many nonprofit employees in their work:
Organizational mission
One of the primary reasons people seek nonprofit employment is an attachment to the organization’s mission. This might be a long-time passion of theirs, something that has impacted their personal lives, or some other form of emotional investment that falls outside the typical set of motivations people feel when looking for a job. This can offer a key advantage that nonprofits can utilize to draw in new team members and volunteers. While every employee’s specific motivations will be unique to them, it is important that they feel the organization is well-positioned to move the mission forward.
Despite this advantage, preserving this investment can be difficult, and even small changes to your organization can create worry that the mission is no longer in focus. Many nonprofit employees report feeling most engaged when they are given opportunities to work autonomously, develop new ideas, and are trusted to take on complex problems.
A sense of community
Another key benefit of mission-driven work is the sense of community it can provide to everyone involved. For many nonprofit employees, the feeling of working collaboratively toward a shared mission can be a significant motivator, as it enhances the sense of possibility, the range of achievable goals, and the accountability that comes from group work. This is especially meaningful for roles that feel abstracted from the direct mechanics of the mission, such as IT workers or fundraising staff. These team members can engage with and feel motivated by the collective enthusiasm of the rest of the organization.
Maintaining this collective investment can be challenging, particularly at organizations focused more on advocacy and awareness than on direct, hands-on work. A culture of high commitment can also create challenges: the same dedication that drives impact can sometimes lead employees to work beyond their capacity and burn out.
A tangible feeling of progress
The direct and tangible benefits of nonprofit work can be a significant draw. Even work one is passionate about can feel abstract if results are only observable through numbers and graphs. Not all mission-driven work is hands-on, but many nonprofit workers get opportunities to interact directly with the beneficiaries of their programs and to see the emotional, material, and societal impact of their efforts. This, paired with a greater sense of investment in and ownership of their role, can make such work deeply fulfilling.
A key challenge for nonprofits is that this benefit is not always consistently available and can be hard to distribute throughout the organization. Because hands-on work is often handled by volunteers, nonprofit employees may not have many opportunities to see direct impact, and organizations that do not work directly with beneficiaries may have fewer opportunities of this kind. Nonprofit leaders need to be creative about reinforcing this sense of impact, especially where it is mostly indirect.
Work that doesn’t feel like work
Some nonprofit employees describe their work as existing in a different relationship to time and effort than jobs in other sectors. Because nonprofit work allows employees to blend a personal sense of investment in a cause with the tasks of the job, their experience of even repetitive, tedious, or demanding work can feel ultimately more purposeful. It can be easier for a worker to commit deeply to something that feels personally important than to work whose connection to broader meaning is less visible to them.
The challenge this creates is how difficult it can be for some employees, managers, and even volunteers to maintain balance. Setbacks or failures can feel magnified, and some may struggle to maintain a boundary between their personal investment in the mission and the demands of the job. Like the other benefits described here, this dynamic can also produce a culture of overwork and burnout.
Embrace passion for the long term
Building a sustainable, mission-driven organization means knowing how to encourage passion and dedication while also cultivating a work culture that discourages overwork and burnout. As a nonprofit leader, building channels for feedback and accountability can help you assess where your team is and identify opportunities for productive change.
About Us
For more than 40 years, 501(c) Services has been a leader in offering solutions for unemployment costs, claims management, and HR support to nonprofit organizations. Two of our most popular programs are the 501(c) Agencies Trust and 501(c) HR Services. We understand the importance of compliance and accuracy and are committed to providing our clients with customized plans that fit their needs.
Contact us today to see if your organization could benefit from our services.
Are you already working with us and need assistance with an HR or unemployment issue? Contact us here.
The information contained in this article is not a substitute for legal advice or counsel and has been pulled from multiple sources.
(Images by Pixel-shot-com and Stokkurs)
