Building back better – and different: Recommendations for the nonprofit sector towards a Community Prosperity Strategy
By Marokh Yousifshahi, CCVO Policy Analyst
The pandemic has had significant impacts on every part of society. Almost everywhere around the globe, there have been and continue to be lockdowns, social isolation, and greater reliance on technology and information through social media and digital networks. The economic impacts of the pandemic are also progressing without a clear picture ahead for the coming years. The uncertainty of where we will be economically – or what our new normal will be – prevails within our communities and the organizations that continue to provide essential services. Nonprofits have shaped the response to the pandemic; we have reduced pressures on medical resources, provided other formal sectors such as the health sector with the support they need, and mitigated social disruption impacts on those at risk and vulnerable populations.[i]
The nonprofit sector is essential in building the economic recovery of our communities. It will take a collaborative effort from all sectors to implement measures and take steps towards building back better and building back different. The nonprofit sector is a building block in these recovery efforts. In a recent poll in partnership with ThinkHQ Public Affairs Inc., 69% of respondents indicated that Alberta nonprofits were important in rebuilding the economy, and nearly one-half of respondents felt that community support services were more efficiently delivered by nonprofits.[ii] It is imperative that the sector not go back to the status quo but continue on a path to be more innovative, equitable, inclusive, and digital savvy.
Our first post of this series stated that nonprofits have a vital role to play in recovery to make sure we build back stronger and more resilient. Nonprofits can take action now by:
Taking the lead on addressing inequities.
Being bold.
Showing up as equals.
There are also a number of ways we can support a strong foundation by preparing our organizations in our recovery efforts:
Make mental health a priority
Statistics Canada surveyed 46,000 Canadians, where 52% of participants indicated that their mental health was either “somewhat worse” or “much worse” since the beginning of physical distancing restrictions.[iii] As we navigate the uncertainty, many nonprofit employees are likely to experience burnout, depression, and anxiety. While nonprofit employees are busy providing for many people in our communities, it is essential that their needs are also being met. The mental health of nonprofit employees is a priority that all organizations should recognize as necessary as they continue to provide quality service.[iv]
Organizational impacts of the crisis include significant layoffs contributing to a loss in human capital and competency, challenges with working remotely, a rise in demand for programs and services, and health and safety risks for individuals working on the frontline. Additionally, many nonprofits have had to face cancellations of fundraising events, which have impacted their finances and their ability to network and connect with other nonprofit organizations. The organizational impacts also trickle down to employees – including an increase in workload; job security due to organizational financial loss; and mental health and well-being of employees due to layoffs, remote work, social isolation, and COVID-19 related losses. To mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on the mental health of employees, nonprofits can:
Take Organizational Capacity Into Consideration During the Funding Process[v]
The strength of programs and services requires organizational sustainability or they are bound to suffer.[vi] Challenges, such as doing more with less, public expectations of accountability, and decrease in available funding – which have existed long before the pandemic – have hindered nonprofits more due to the crisis. Further, it has put additional strain on staff who are overworked due to the overwhelming social and economic impacts of the pandemic. Most recently, grantmakers have lifted restrictions on funding to include funding for programs and operations in response to the crisis.[vii]
Invest in Disaster Preparedness
Organizations that invest in workplace disaster preparedness are associated with better employee well-being.[viii] More specifically, promotion such as social capital increase, prevention such as organizational disaster preparedness, and treatment of well-being issues such as employee assistance programs are beneficial for employees.
Emergency preparedness is flexible and nimble and meant to be catered to an organization’s operations and programs. It provides nonprofits with tools to respond appropriately during times of uncertainty. Of the respondents to the 2020 Alberta Nonprofit Survey (ANS):
only 40% indicated they had an emergency plan for health emergencies or natural disasters before COVID-19;
14% indicated they developed a plan due to COVID-19; and
46% are creating a plan or still do not have a plan in place
Lead by Example
Since the onset of the pandemic, nonprofit leaders have had to make several difficult decisions quickly.[ix] Additionally, leaders are faced with a huge responsibility in responding to the demands placed on them. As a result of decisions that require urgent action, nonprofit leaders may not always engage their employees, which can consequently give rise to employees feeling disempowered due to the lack of information that may impact them.[x] Working from home has also played a significant role in further disengaging employees with their managers and other employees. Disengaged employees will be reluctant to communicate any concerns, including safety,[xi] are more likely to leave the organization and are less productive.[xii]
At this time, and post-COVID-19, staff will look to leadership to see how they are taking care of themselves, their organization, and their employees.[xiii] Organizations need to implement strategies[xiv] that increase employee satisfaction and motivation through clear and concise communication, recognition and rewards, and training and development opportunities.[xv] During this time as we all work from home, leaders can begin by building a culture of communication through regular check-ins, offering work flexibility,[xvi] modelling behaviours for self-care, and being inclusive – all of which can help improve the mental health of employees.[xvii] Modifying policies and practices concerning the pandemic and measuring your staff's needs can also contribute to a mentally healthy workplace.[xviii]
Invest in the next generation
Millennials (ages 24 to 39 in 2020) and Generation Z (ages 5 to 24 in 2020) are the largest living generation in Canada.[xix] This pandemic has had a significant impact on many young people and young women in particular.[xx] The youth unemployment rate in April 2020 was at 16.8%, which is recorded to be the highest in more than two decades.[xxi] With this in mind, it isn’t difficult to think about nonprofit engagement with young people and how the sector can mobilize this generation in supporting their organization. Engagement can be done in many ways but recognizing that the sector needs to prioritize this in the long term will be essential in recovery efforts.
Younger generations, like Millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z), have not been afraid to speak out on issues they care about – they are thoughtful and political. They are up to date with current events and political issues that impact them and those around them, and are quick to make a difference. The younger generations are also tech-and media-savvy, which mobilizes them to reach out to several people at once, and are more likely to be on top of current issues. Nonprofits should be finding new ways and supporting strategies that will better connect them to these generations, and there are a variety of ways to do this. Nonprofits can engage younger generations by:
Increasing their social media use and leveraging this to appeal to younger audience members.
Being transparent and building trust. Young people care about the organizations they support and what they stand for, efforts to fulfill the organizations' mission, and the results of those efforts.[xxii]
Embodying a culture of diversity and inclusion. This is important for all nonprofits regardless of their intent to engage the younger generation or not. Millennials and Gen-Zers expect this to be second nature to organizations.[xxiii] Nonprofits should adopt this lens and have strategies in place, such as diversifying an organization’s workforce, governance, culture; creating a safe space for conversations on anti-racism, diversity and inclusion; and understanding the complexity and intersectionality of identities and experiences.[xxiv]
The sector needs to redefine and reinvigorate itself in order to attract the younger generations. These generations are the future and want to see a change in how the sector functions. Organizations can start small – but recognizing and prioritizing how we move forward with engaging younger generations will be an essential step towards recovery.
The nonprofit sector can lead the way for a new Alberta Community Advantage to strengthen and build our province by taking the lead on addressing inequities, being bold, and showing up as equals. Nonprofit organizations can help set themselves up for success in building back better by making mental health a priority and investing in the next generation of nonprofit leaders.
Stay tuned for the next post in our series as we develop a set of draft recommendations for the provincial government. We encourage you to share your thoughts about what makes a community great, helping to build a collective Community Prosperity Strategy. Join the conversation on our website or on social media using #ABCommunityAdvantage.
Read our other blog posts in this series
[i] CCVO. (July, 2020). From Emergency to Opportunity: Building a Resilient Alberta Nonprofit Sector After COVID-19.
[ii] Province-wide poll facilitated by ThinkHQ Public Affairs Inc. Field dates September 8 to 11, 2020. A sample size of 1,135 respondents weighted to reflect gender, age, and region of Alberta population according to Statistics Canada.
[ii] Statistics Canada. (May, 2020). Canadians’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
[ii] See CCVO’s recent webinar on what you can do to support your mental well-being: From barely surviving to thriving: Tools and strategies for tackling mental health pressure points at work.
[iv] See, for example: Fundraising resources on our website.
[v] Claussen, Caroline. (September, 2011). Capacity Building for Organizational Effectiveness. United Way of Calgary and Area.
[vi] Adair, Kylie. (October, 2020). The social impact sector has a mental health crisis looming – here’s what to do about it. Future of Good.
[vii] Pacheco, T., Coulombe, S., Khalil, C., Meunier, S., Doucerain, M., Auger, É., and Cox, E. (August, 2020). Job security and the promotion of workers’ wellbeing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic: A study with Canadian workers one to two weeks after the initiation of social distancing measures. International Journal of Wellbeing, 10:3, 58-76. DOI: 10.5502/ijw.v10i3.1321
[viii] Lindsey Waldron and Preeta Nayak. (April, 2020). A compass for the crisis: Nonprofit decision making in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bridgespan Group.
[ix] Akingbola, Kunle. (July, 2020). COVID-19: The prospects for nonprofit human resource management. ANSERJ Canadian journal of nonprofit and social economy research, 11:1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29173/cjnser.2020v11n1a372
[xi] Ibid.
[xii] White Hayes, JoAnne. (2020). Strategies for Increasing Workforce Engagement. Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies.
[xiii] Yawson, Robert. (June, 2020). Strategic flexibility analysis of HRD research and practice post COVID-19 pandemic. Human Resource Development International, 23:4, 406-417. DOI: 10.1080/13678868.2020.1779169
[xiv] See, for example, CCVO webinars: “Strong leadership in times of crisis: How to lead in uncertain times”; “Stop the cycle: How to manage an underperforming employee”; “From barely surviving to thriving: Tools and strategies for tackling mental health pressure points at work”;
[xv] White Hayes, J.
[xvi] Adair, K.
[xvii] Fish, Susan. (December, 2019). Burnout: How nonprofit leaders can better support their staff. Charity Village.
[xviii] Kelly Greenwood and Natasha Krol. (August, 2020). 8 ways managers can support employees’ mental health. Harvard Business Review.
[xix] Andrew Heisz and Elizabeth Richards. (April, 2019). Economic well-being across generations of young Canadians: Are millennials better off or worse? Statistics Canada, 11-626-X No. 092.
[xx] Lundy, Matt. (April, 2020). Women, younger workers bear brunt of one million job losses in March. The Globe and Mail.
[xxi] Ibid.
[xxii] Witt, Gregg L. (March, 2019). Why Gen Z is compelled to do good. Philanthropy Journal.
[xxiii] Fish, Susan. (April, 2019). How to attract younger talent to the nonprofit sector: What are millennials and Gen Z looking for? Charity Village.
[xxiv] Ibid.