Author, Jack Marrs, Associate Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Employees and volunteers are the heart of non-profits. Without them, non-profits would never have a chance to fulfill their missions. They are the organizations who communities rely on for support.

Dating back to Spring of 2020, employee retention in the non-profit has become a crisis. Individuals and communities relying on non-profits are suffering because of low employee retention. Non-profits provide a large variety of different services anywhere from food banks to domestic violence shelters. They also provide hope, which gives those in need a fighting chance. According to the National Council of Nonprofits, “staffing shortages in direct-care services mean that families and individuals cannot access life-saving support. When a non-profit closes its doors, the ripple effects cannot be ignored: communities lose access to food, shelter, mental health care, and other vital services.”

Non-profits are not able to provide proper care for the same number of clients that they once could, which is creating a longer waitlist to get access to care.

According to the National Council of Non-Profits survey, “26% of responding organizations reported having a waiting list that is more than a month long, with some organizations highlighting that clients have to wait years to receive services. While 21% of respondents acknowledged that they do not have a wait list, they clarified that it is because they are no longer accepting new clients or referrals and have turned people away at some point.”

Non-profit leaders who are experiencing high employee turnover must take action and consider implementing new tactics that can help retain key employees. To start, employees like to feel valued and appreciate being checked in on and complimented for their hard work. It is important that organizational leaders are engaging with these employees, asking them for their opinion, giving them options, and making them feel heard and supported. This can lead to building an organization that others will want to join because you have created a healthy work environment with employees who regularly share these positive examples with their friends and loved ones.

Also, employees want to be able to grow within non-profit organizations. According to Chelsea Guffy, a graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University, who is the Marketing and Events Manager at Homeward Bound in Phoenix, “employees who value their work want the opportunity to grow and gain more experience in their career. Start the professional development in the onboarding process. Find out the training and skills incoming staff wish to learn, and take an interest in their personal career goals.”

With respect to income, Guffy goes on to suggest “When looking at the budget, offering other types of compensation, such as bonuses for exceptional performance; perhaps an implemented paid vacation time could provide incentive for greater work performance and raise appreciation toward the organization.”

Something as small as paid time off can go a long way. It will provide your employee with more of a balanced work-life as well as decrease likelihood of burnout.

Another great way for non-profit employers to retain their employees is to hold exit interviews. Ask the employee a series of questions of what you could improve in order to provide a better experience for the next candidate. Continue to keep track of these statements and you’ll begin to see a pattern. From there, it's up to the non-profit leader to put in the action to resolve those complaints.

Additional tips for retaining employees can be found is Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal, along with our downloadable “Guide to Improving Retention” and online courses designed for human resources professionals that address engaging your workforce, developing successful teams and a healthy work/life balance. 

To discuss your risk management strategies or our HR portal, contact me at (619) 486-6569 or jmarrs@ranchomesa.com.