Colorado Nonprofit Employees Report Toll of COVID-19 in Workforce Impact Survey
The report is an illumination of the true effects of the 2020 pandemics of COVID-19 and racial reckoning that took their toll on communities that are usually hidden or unspoken in typical workplace settings.
Results based on demographics revealed the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who answered experience a higher level of negative emotions than people with white identities who answered the questions.
The report is an illumination of the true effects of the 2020 pandemics of COVID-19 and racial reckoning that took their toll on communities that are usually hidden or unspoken in typical workplace settings.
Report exposes emotional wounds and burnout with added personal and professional burdens.
My hope is that as we rebuild communities and as a sector, we do so in a way that lifts up the people who commit their lives to this work.”
DENVER, COLORADO, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Colorado Nonprofit Association conducted a survey, led by Melanie Tsuchida (she/her), Manager of Strategic Learning, highlighting the workforce and the humans within the nonprofit sector who serve Colorado communities. — Lydia McCoy (she/her/hers)
The Nonprofit Workforce Impacts: Reflections from Colorado Nonprofit Association released on August 15, 2021, is an exploration of the human experiences for those carrying out missions and creating community impact. The report is an illumination of the true effects of the 2020 pandemics of COVID-19 and racial reckoning that took their toll on communities that are usually hidden or unspoken in typical workplace settings.
Instead of asking about organizational challenges and revenue impacts, the Association asked about personal impacts and changes to job roles that express the realities of working at a nonprofit. This unique approach yielded honest results about the conditions that take their toll on the mental health of a crucial set of people who are responsible for providing aid but rarely receive help themselves.
“This ideology of separating work from the personal that was being reinforced through existing surveys dismissed the context with which community impact was possible, “ Melanite Tsuchida said. “ Instead this survey challenges that the personal and professional are intertwined, and true community impact cannot be achieved without a thriving workforce. “
People reported increased workloads, longer work hours, and added job functions. Participants also reported the added personal issues that include personal illness, housing instability, and devastating losses of loved ones that emotionally, physically, and mentally burden them. Results based on demographics revealed the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who answered experience a higher level of negative emotions than people with white identities who answered the questions.
The pressures from work were shown to contribute to feelings on a scale of positive to negative emotions. Survey participants chose from this scale on how their work made them feel in the beginning of the year. For example, 77 percent of people who responded to the study indicated feeling burned out than not, and more than half felt unmotivated at the beginning of 2021.
Workforce Impact Survey is also a resource for the workforce supporting Colorado communities. The report focuses on the narrative of the data rather than strictly the numbers, and emphasizes the human aspect of the results. Colorado Nonprofit Association team members Lydia McCoy (she/her), Lindsay Newman (she/her), Rachel Childs (she/her), Melanie Tsuchida (she/her), and Maureen Maycheco (she/her) chose to speak up about their impressions and personal connection with the results. Each reflection is both an honest review of the data but also an empathetic connection with fellow nonprofit workers who are experiencing these conditions full force.
“One of the opportunities presented by the turmoil of the last year is the freedom and imperative to rethink our approach to our work, “ said Lydia McCoy, Chief Operations Officer, in the report. “My hope is that as we rebuild communities and as a sector, we do so in a way that lifts up the people who commit their lives to this work.”
The survey’s findings affect more than the 108 people who responded. Colorado’s 23,000 nonprofit organizations generate nearly $30 billion in revenues each year.
Implications of these results must not be ignored, as they are symptoms of a more significant chronic workplace issue, as many industries struggle to hire employees during what is being called the “Great Resignation” According to Microsoft, “ 41% of workers were considering quitting or changing professions,” out of 30,000 global workers surveyed, partially due to feeling stressed and unappreciated by leadership.
Download the report for free on the Colorado Nonprofit Association website. There is also a reflections wall for those working within nonprofits to share reactions, personal experiences, and actions in response to the Nonprofit Workforce Impacts Survey Findings.
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ABOUT THE COLORADO NONPROFIT ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1986, the Colorado Nonprofit Association is a statewide nonprofit membership organization dedicated to making Colorado a better place for people to live by fostering an environment that supports nonprofits. The Association leads the nonprofit sector in influencing public policy and public opinion; serves our members with networking tools, trainings, communications, and administrative support; and, strengthens the nonprofit community by convening organizations and addressing sector-wide issues. For more information, please visit www.ColoradoNonprofits.org or call (303) 832-5710.
Rachel Childs
Colorado Nonprofit Association
+1 970-402-9319
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