{"id":4402231118499,"date":"2024-05-07T13:03:44","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T13:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/lawokillcvqp\/"},"modified":"2025-10-17T16:57:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T20:57:30","slug":"a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/","title":{"rendered":"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ArticleFullBleedLeadPage-articleContainer\">\n<div class=\"ArticleFullBleedLeadPage-articleBody contentBody\">\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018e-f182-daeb-ab8f-fb86e9360000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Rich Text\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"RichTextArticleBody\">\n<div class=\"RichTextArticleBody-body RichTextBody\">\n<p>The first dozen years of Chong-Hao Fu\u2019s career moved almost in lock step, as he took on increasingly challenging positions all centered on his passion for education.<\/p>\n<p>He taught eighth-grade math, became a principal at a charter school, and then jumped to a new nonprofit that seeks to change the way schools handle professional development.<\/p>\n<p>The real challenge came when the charity, Leading Educators, identified Fu as a potential successor to the founder. Fu was promoted to a position with unfamiliar assignments \u2014 negotiating new partnerships and raising money. As a newbie fundraiser, Fu admits he suffered from impostor syndrome.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f23-daa8-ad9f-4fef80700000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f23-daa8-ad9f-4fef80700000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000194-f671-d15b-a9b7-f7ff14960009\",\"typeLabel\":\"HTML Embed\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"HtmlModule\">\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I first started, there was a lot of, \u2018Who am I to be making this ask?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Leading Educators connected Fu to a fundraising coach who helped him overcome his doubts, and Fu took over as CEO in 2018. Now when he walks into meetings with foundations or donors, he does so with confidence. Blending passion and data, he champions the opportunity to invest in a charity whose effectiveness has been validated by six external research studies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe nonprofit CEO job is strange, right?\u201d Fu says. \u201cWe effectively have to be able to walk and talk with teachers and students and understand the pressures that teachers are facing. And we also have to walk and talk with billionaires and help them make the best possible investments for social impact. It\u2019s a very weird set of tasks to do on a daily basis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ed2-dff8-a7cf-7eff7bf70000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-right=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ed2-dff8-a7cf-7eff7bf70000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ed2-dff8-a7cf-7eff7c040003\",\"typeLabel\":\"Sidebar Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"SidebarModule\">\n<div class=\"SidebarModule-title\">\n<h4>The Top Line<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"SidebarModule-body\">\n<ul>\n<li><b>Nonprofit CEOs overwhelmingly say they love their jobs but that the demands of the role can be staggering.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Some chief executives say being more candid and open with employees helps them combat the emotional strain of their work.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Having an engaged board can make a big difference, especially when it comes to fundraising.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>The <i>Chronicle<\/i> commissioned an exclusive survey of nonprofit CEOs to learn how they feel about their jobs, what they like about the work, and their greatest challenges. More than 350 chief executives shared their experiences. The results include some surprising findings. <\/p>\n<p>While charity CEOs overwhelmingly say they love their jobs, they\u2019re simultaneously confronted with major challenges that range from work-life balance to the strains of fundraising and attracting strong talent. A third say they\u2019re likely to leave their job within two years.<\/p>\n<p>Fu illustrates the apparent contradictions. He\u2019s passionate about his work, but he got so tired of watching work tasks spill over into the weekend that he began drawing up his weekly calendar on Saturday mornings.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ec6-daa8-ad9f-4fcecb000000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Image\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-left=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ec6-daa8-ad9f-4fcecb000000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Image\"}--><\/p>\n<figure class=\"Figure\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chong-Hao Fu and senior programming director Sara Neal prepare for an upcoming partner meeting.\" class=\"Image\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/news-goseleadershipsurveymain-fu-dsc-9091.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"Figure-content\">\n<div class=\"Figure-credit\">Delanoe Johnson for New Profit<\/div><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\">Chong-Hao Fu, CEO of Leading Educators, thinks about his role in three-year increments: \u201cI am constantly asking myself whether I\u2019m still the right person for the job.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you sit down on Saturday, you tend to start with the personal things,\u201d Fu says. \u201cIt helps me draw the boundary lines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And while he\u2019s committed to Leading Educators, he says, \u201cI think of the job as making three-year commitments\u201d \u2014 in line with the length of the charity\u2019s strategic plans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am constantly asking myself whether I\u2019m still the right person for the job,\u201d Fu says. \u201cIt\u2019s a demanding job, and it\u2019s also a job where I feel like you have to have a fire for it. \u2026 And I would say, during the pandemic, and especially from the polarization, things have gotten a lot heavier.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"cms-Styles-h2\">\u2018Wake-Up Call\u2019 or Business as Usual?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Nearly two-thirds of the nonprofit leaders in the <i>Chronicle\u2019<\/i>s exclusive survey say the country\u2019s polarization \u2014 over politics, race, and culture \u2014 is making their work more difficult. Nearly 40 percent of leaders say fundraising demands are a significant source of job dissatisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>Over all, nonprofit leaders\u2019 job satisfaction is high. Nearly all chief executives agree that the benefits of their job outweigh the negatives (97 percent) and that they feel tremendous satisfaction in their jobs as nonprofit leaders (96 percent).<\/p>\n<p>Yet nine in 10 leaders say they feel tremendous pressure to succeed, and nearly as many (88 percent) agree with the statement that \u201cthe demands made on nonprofit CEOs, executive directors, and presidents are never-ending.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f42-d0e5-ab9f-6fee21600000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f42-d0e5-ab9f-6fee21600000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000171-beba-d66a-a177-bffb161f0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"DFP Ad\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-container\">\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd\" data-lazy-load=\"\" data-slot-adsizemap=\"[[[992, 0], [728, 90], [300, 250]], [[0, 0], [300, 250]]]\" data-slot-pagetype=\"article\" data-slot-sizes=\"[[728, 90], [300, 250]]\" data-slot-tile=\"1\" data-timed-refresh=\"true\" id=\"googleAd3b194bf7-774e-4893-abb7-002265c5f330\">\n<span class=\"GoogleDfpAd-placeholder\"><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>A third of survey participants say they are likely to leave their current organization in the next two years. Twenty-two percent say they are likely to leave the nonprofit world altogether. Retirement is the No. 1 reason chief executives say they are likely to leave, but other top reasons include salary, the challenge of finding resources, and the demands of the job.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-533c-dff8-a7cf-7ffd08e50000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-right=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-533c-dff8-a7cf-7ffd08e50000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-533c-dff8-a7cf-7ffd08f0000a\",\"typeLabel\":\"List\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"ListB\">\n<div class=\"ListB-header\">\n<h2 class=\"ListB-header-title\">Related Content<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ListB-items-first\">\n<div class=\"PromoC\" data-content-type=\"article\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-media\">\n<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/article\/leaders-advice-for-other-leaders\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-3fc6-daa8-ad9f-3fcee89d0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Image\"}--><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Winemiller-Basinger, President &amp;amp; CEO of Big Brother Big Sister of Utah, attending a BBBS program at Lincoln Elementary, in Salt Lake City, Utah.\" class=\"Image\" data-src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/news-goseleadershipsurveymain-ckp-2024-04-25-chronicle-0419.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/news-goseleadershipsurveymain-ckp-2024-04-25-chronicle-0419.jpg\" \/><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><br \/>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"PromoC-content\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"ListB-items\">\n<li class=\"ListB-items-item\">\n<div class=\"PromoC\" data-content-type=\"article\" data-no-media=\"\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-content\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-kicker\">\n                Executive Tips\n            <\/div>\n<h3 class=\"PromoC-title\">\n<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/article\/leaders-advice-for-other-leaders\">Leaders\u2019 Advice for Other Leaders<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is a huge wake-up call for boards,\u201d says Sara Garlick Lundberg, a nonprofit executive search and leadership consultant at DHR Global. \u201cWith a third of nonprofit CEOs thinking about leaving, boards have got to be focused on building their bench and planning five years out for potential successors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nearly 60 percent of the respondents in the <i>Chronicle\u2019<\/i>s survey say they struggle to achieve a work-life balance. But Lundberg says that\u2019s nothing new for nonprofit leaders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost CEOs know it\u2019s a 24\/7 job \u2014 work-life balance has always been a struggle,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat I see more today is CEOs trying to adapt to the changing expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <i>Chronicle\u2019<\/i>s findings follow a recent study by the Building Movement Project, which found that nonprofit leaders were leaving their jobs because of burnout and that aspiring leaders, especially those of color, were being \u201cpushed\u201d into top jobs to improve working conditions for themselves and others, rather than out of a drive to achieve greater impact.<\/p>\n<p>Those findings are concerning to many nonprofit veterans.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ecd-dda5-a39f-ffddc3bf0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-left=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ecd-dda5-a39f-ffddc3bf0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ecd-dda5-a39f-ffddc3ca0007\",\"typeLabel\":\"HTML Embed\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"HtmlModule\">\n<iframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"393\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/hADLs\/3\/\"><\/iframe>!function(){&#8220;use strict&#8221;;window.addEventListener(&#8220;message&#8221;,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[&#8220;datawrapper-height&#8221;]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(&#8220;iframe&#8221;);for(var t in a.data[&#8220;datawrapper-height&#8221;])for(var r=0;r\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople aren\u2019t being pulled to leadership \u2014 it\u2019s not rewarding enough for people, so they see just the hardship,\u201d says Frances Kunreuther, co-executive director at Building Movement. \u201cWhy did people want to be leaders in the past? Because you could really do something \u2014 you could make things happen, you could help people, you could work with people in a collective effort. Where has that gone?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t the first round of hand-wringing about the future of nonprofit leadership. In the early and mid-2000s, both Thomas Tierney of the Bridgespan Group and CompassPoint\u2019s \u201c<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000199-f3f6-df2e-a39d-f7ff50100000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Link\"}--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000199-f3f6-df2e-a39d-f7ff50100000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Link\"}--><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.compasspoint.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/Daring-to-Lead-2011-Main-Report-online.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Daring to Lead<\/a><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\u201d series warned of leadership deficits and nonprofit executives who were heading out the door. In 2015, a <i>Boston Globe<\/i> op-ed \u2014 \u201cThe Crisis in Nonprofit Leadership\u201d \u2014 predicted a mass exodus from leadership positions.<\/p>\n<p>Libbie Landles-Cobb, a partner at Bridgespan who coaches nonprofit executives, says nonprofit leadership jobs have always been hard and turnover has always been high \u2014 much as it is in the for-profit sector.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-3fb7-d0e5-ab9f-7fff95590000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-right=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-3fb7-d0e5-ab9f-7fff95590000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-3fb7-d0e5-ab9f-7fff9564000a\",\"typeLabel\":\"List\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"ListB\">\n<div class=\"ListB-header\">\n<h2 class=\"ListB-header-title\">More on Leadership<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ListB-items-first\">\n<div class=\"PromoC\" data-content-type=\"article\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-media\">\n<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/article\/the-empty-c-suite-nonprofit-executives-are-leaving-to-become-consultants\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018d-d294-d06a-afbf-d7dc2b9d0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Image\"}--><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Illustration showing an empty executive's offive. The desk chair has a flaming grill for a seat.\" class=\"Image\" data-src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/rendoncsuitemain-krause-hot-seat.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/rendoncsuitemain-krause-hot-seat.jpg\" \/><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><br \/>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"PromoC-content\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"ListB-items\">\n<li class=\"ListB-items-item\">\n<div class=\"PromoC\" data-content-type=\"article\" data-no-media=\"\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-content\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-kicker\">\n                Work and Careers\n            <\/div>\n<h3 class=\"PromoC-title\">\n<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/article\/the-empty-c-suite-nonprofit-executives-are-leaving-to-become-consultants\">The Empty C-Suite: Nonprofit Executives Are Leaving to Become Consultants<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ListB-items-item\">\n<div class=\"PromoC\" data-content-type=\"article\" data-no-media=\"\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-content\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-kicker\">\n                Leading\n            <\/div>\n<h3 class=\"PromoC-title\">\n<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/article\/no-longer-lonely-at-the-top-a-growing-number-of-nonprofits-hire-co-ceos\">No Longer Lonely at the Top: A Growing Number of Nonprofits Hire Co-CEOs<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ListB-items-item\">\n<div class=\"PromoC\" data-content-type=\"article\" data-no-media=\"\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-content\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-kicker\">\n                2024 Trends\n            <\/div>\n<h3 class=\"PromoC-title\">\n<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/article\/nonprofits-find-ways-to-manage-a-staffing-crisis-with-no-end-in-sight\">Nonprofits Find Ways to Manage a Staffing Crisis With No End in Sight<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ListB-items-item\">\n<div class=\"PromoC\" data-content-type=\"article\" data-no-media=\"\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-content\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-kicker\">\n                Executive Turnover\n            <\/div>\n<h3 class=\"PromoC-title\">\n<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/article\/large-numbers-of-nonprofit-leaders-are-stepping-down-and-the-competition-to-find-new-ones-is-fierce\">Large Numbers of Nonprofit Leaders Are Stepping Down \u2014 and the Competition to Find New Ones Is \u2018Fierce\u2019<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ListB-items-item\">\n<div class=\"PromoC\" data-content-type=\"article\" data-no-media=\"\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-content\">\n<div class=\"PromoC-kicker\">\n                The Changing Nonprofit Workplace\n            <\/div>\n<h3 class=\"PromoC-title\">\n<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/article\/the-nonprofit-hiring-crisis\">The Nonprofit Hiring Crisis<\/a><br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is leaders who are heroes doing really hard jobs \u2014 things that are likely unfair to ask of people,\u201d Landles-Cobb says. \u201cThey\u2019re doing a great job \u2014 and then over time, they\u2019re having to make a change. I\u2019m not sure the house is on fire any more than it has been for the last 30 years.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"cms-Styles-h2\">Open Approach to Leadership<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>CEOs can make their own jobs more manageable by working with their boards to narrow their organization\u2019s scope. Jordan Shenker has worked for Jewish community centers for more than 30 years, including a stint as an executive consultant for the national association of such centers.<b> <\/b>\u201cI would say that in almost every JCC that I went in and consulted with, one of my observations to the senior leadership was, \u2018Do less, but do it better,\u201d Shenker says<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000199-f3f6-df2e-a39d-f7ff50100001\",\"typeLabel\":\"Link\"}--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000199-f3f6-df2e-a39d-f7ff50100001\",\"typeLabel\":\"Link\"}--><span class=\"Link\">.<\/span><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>The burden on nonprofit leaders is evident in the survey\u2019s finding that nine in 10 leaders say they feel tremendous pressure to succeed. Even as they\u2019re lonely at the top, leaders also face agitation from below \u2014 50 percent of leaders at large organizations (with more than 50 employees) say staff demands for better pay and changes in the way the organization operates are a significant source of stress.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f42-daa8-ad9f-4fcead470000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f42-daa8-ad9f-4fcead470000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000171-beba-d66a-a177-bffb161f0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"DFP Ad\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-container\">\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd\" data-lazy-load=\"\" data-slot-adsizemap=\"[[[992, 0], [728, 90], [300, 250]], [[0, 0], [300, 250]]]\" data-slot-pagetype=\"article\" data-slot-sizes=\"[[728, 90], [300, 250]]\" data-slot-tile=\"2\" data-timed-refresh=\"true\" id=\"googleAd7e0e6f73-574d-4b70-86bf-9e7a9385c8c3\">\n<span class=\"GoogleDfpAd-placeholder\"><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>Some chief executives say they\u2019re combating the emotional strain they hold internally \u2014 as well as the stress they\u2019re under from employees \u2014 by being more candid and open with staff members about personal and organizational challenges.<\/p>\n<p>ProInspire, a nonprofit consulting firm that works primarily with BIPOC charity leaders, benefited from greater foundation interest following the murder of George Floyd, as did many organizations focused on racial equity. But over the past year, such interest has waned. Three significant supporters of ProInspire said they were \u201cshifting priorities,\u201d according to Bianca Casanova Anderson, a co-CEO at the charity. ProInspire operated with a budget deficit last year, and if it can\u2019t close that gap soon, layoffs may need to be considered.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4eca-d0e5-ab9f-6feefd6b0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-left=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4eca-d0e5-ab9f-6feefd6b0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4eca-d0e5-ab9f-6feefd780007\",\"typeLabel\":\"HTML Embed\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"HtmlModule\">\n<iframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"299\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/GYnlp\/1\/\"><\/iframe>!function(){&#8220;use strict&#8221;;window.addEventListener(&#8220;message&#8221;,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[&#8220;datawrapper-height&#8221;]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(&#8220;iframe&#8221;);for(var t in a.data[&#8220;datawrapper-height&#8221;])for(var r=0;r\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cToo often leaders of color are reluctant to share around the challenges of the job \u2014 there\u2019s a fear of being vulnerable,\u201d Anderson says. \u201cI had to tell the team very transparently: \u2018We don\u2019t have line of sight to the remainder of budget, and if we don\u2019t have it by midyear, that has implications.\u2019 I\u2019m sharing responsibility around the revenue needs and where the gaps are so that other people can also hold this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sara Cole quickly worked her way up the ladder at the YMCA, and after stops in Cincinnati and Rochester, she was named CEO of the Duluth Area Family YMCA, in Minnesota, in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really important for me to do leadership in a different way than I saw coming up,\u201d Cole says. \u201cI want to show up as a whole person. I\u2019m openly feminist, openly antiracist \u2014 I get to do those things, and nobody tells me I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When <i>Roe v. Wade<\/i> was overturned, Cole posted about her own miscarriage and abortion on social media. After a controversy involving a transgender woman in a YMCA locker room in California, Cole again posted on social media, this time referring to her side passion as a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist. The critics of transgender individuals in bathrooms, she argued, were acting out of fear, just like the scared animals that occasionally scratch her as she tries to nurse them back to health.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f42-dda5-a39f-ffdfe5ac0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f42-dda5-a39f-ffdfe5ac0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000171-beba-d66a-a177-bffb161f0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"DFP Ad\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-container\">\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd\" data-lazy-load=\"\" data-slot-adsizemap=\"[[[992, 0], [728, 90], [300, 250]], [[0, 0], [300, 250]]]\" data-slot-pagetype=\"article\" data-slot-sizes=\"[[728, 90], [300, 250]]\" data-slot-tile=\"3\" data-timed-refresh=\"true\" id=\"googleAd9d34711c-90a4-4b60-9975-4e09244ddff5\">\n<span class=\"GoogleDfpAd-placeholder\"><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s real power in sharing our own experiences,\u201d Cole says. \u201cUnfortunately, as leaders we feel pressure to be our LinkedIn selves, as opposed to showing the kind of vulnerability that is comforting.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"cms-Styles-h2\">Unengaged Boards<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>That CEOs want more help from their boards came through loud and clear in the <i>Chronicle<\/i> survey. While 95 percent of leaders say their relationship with the board is productive and that their board gives them autonomy, nearly 40 percent say their boards aren\u2019t engaged. And fewer than a quarter of respondents say their board members are enthusiastic fundraisers.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ecf-daa8-ad9f-4fcf5dd90000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-right=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ecf-daa8-ad9f-4fcf5dd90000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ecf-daa8-ad9f-4fcf5de50007\",\"typeLabel\":\"HTML Embed\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"HtmlModule\">\n<iframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"299\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/nYoFm\/1\/\"><\/iframe>!function(){&#8220;use strict&#8221;;window.addEventListener(&#8220;message&#8221;,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[&#8220;datawrapper-height&#8221;]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(&#8220;iframe&#8221;);for(var t in a.data[&#8220;datawrapper-height&#8221;])for(var r=0;r\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>Melissa Greenblatt, managing director at the National Dance Education Organization, recently attended a training for nonprofit leaders. Near the end of the session, she says she and other leaders discussed challenges they\u2019d had with their boards. Nonprofit board members are often drawn to serve because of their passion for the cause, but they may have little knowledge of or interest in the underlying business, Greenblatt and others at the training observed.<\/p>\n<p>Like many membership organizations, NDEO survives on conference revenue and other earned income. Fundraising is almost nonexistent, yet some of its strategic objectives \u2014 such as reaching a more diverse audience and providing greater education about dancing with disabilities \u2014 will take both time and money.<\/p>\n<p>The organization can bend only so much. Members of the organization sometimes ask for a free pass to the annual conference in return for helping to lead a session, but the charity must say no. The struggle to keep a small nonprofit afloat isn\u2019t always well understood by board members, Greenblatt and others at the training session decided.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe paid staff has the deep, deep expertise, and yet the board has the power according to the way nonprofits are set up,\u201d Greenblatt says. \u201cThe consensus of this training group that I was with is, \u2018You know, we do this for a living. This is our career \u2014 nonprofit management.\u2019 We\u2019re running a business, and I think that\u2019s the biggest thing to get [board members] to understand. We treat it like a business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>CEOs say a highly engaged board can make all the difference \u2014 especially when it comes to fundraising.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f43-dff8-a7cf-7fef19f80000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f43-dff8-a7cf-7fef19f80000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000171-beba-d66a-a177-bffb161f0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"DFP Ad\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-container\">\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd\" data-lazy-load=\"\" data-slot-adsizemap=\"[[[992, 0], [728, 90], [300, 250]], [[0, 0], [300, 250]]]\" data-slot-pagetype=\"article\" data-slot-sizes=\"[[728, 90], [300, 250]]\" data-slot-tile=\"4\" data-timed-refresh=\"true\" id=\"googleAdc8361c30-75f4-4f8c-a616-2dfd98d66df6\">\n<span class=\"GoogleDfpAd-placeholder\"><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>Top executives are intensely focused on fundraising but are struggling to generate enough support. More than 60 percent of chief executives in the <i>Chronicle<\/i> survey say the time they spend raising money has increased significantly. Four out of five say it\u2019s becoming more challenging to secure the funds needed to do their work.<\/p>\n<p>Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah is facing a $340,000 deficit, largely because of a 10 percent decline in support secured through fundraising events last year. At the March board meeting, Nancy Winemiller-Basinger, the charity\u2019s CEO, spent most of the night working with board members to plot a strategy for closing the gap in the $4.6 million budget.<\/p>\n<p>Winemiller-Basinger says she\u2019s constantly working to rebuild her board of 15 to 20 people and that the time investment is worth it. Her board members invite her in to their businesses and put together teams for the group\u2019s annual bowling fundraiser.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can have a good nonprofit on the shoulders of staff,\u201d Winemiller-Basinger says. \u201cBut you can\u2019t have a great nonprofit unless you have a group of dedicated people who are helping you connect to the community in real and diverse ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even with the board\u2019s support, Winemiller-Basinger says, her organization faces an uphill climb to close its budget deficit. Economic uncertainty and inflation are making individual donors cautious, she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople still don\u2019t have a sense of what\u2019s going to happen with interest rates, and there\u2019s a lot of economic uncertainty in the corporate sector \u2014 people are not hiring the way they were,\u201d Winemiller-Basinger says. \u201cThat economic uncertainty at the macro level leads to individual uncertainty. Nobody\u2019s feeling so confident that they would want to make a generous multiyear donation at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"cms-Styles-h2\">New Leaders of Color<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Polarization is another concern for CEOs \u2014 including in the office. Some 28 percent of the leaders of large charities say that polarization is affecting their relationships with members of their own staff.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ec8-daa8-ad9f-4fce4b6b0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Image\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-left=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ec8-daa8-ad9f-4fce4b6b0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Image\"}--><\/p>\n<figure class=\"Figure\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tara Andrews Huffman, chief program and strategy officer at Boardsource.\" class=\"Image\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/professional-headshot-2023-cropped.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"Figure-content\">\n<div class=\"Figure-credit\">Tara Andrews Huffman<\/div><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\">When new CEOs of color are brought in without a frank discussion of inequities within the nonprofit, they\u2019re often set up to fail, says Tara Huffman of BoardSource.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>Tara Huffman, chief program and strategy officer at BoardSource, says the data may point to organizations that are hiring new leaders of color without addressing systemic inequities within the organization. When new CEOs of color are brought in without a frank discussion of those barriers, she says, they\u2019re often set up to fail. It\u2019s the board\u2019s responsibility to put those issues on the table, she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen a CEO of color comes into the organization, they want to have that conversation,\u201d Huffman says. \u201cThey don\u2019t want everyone to pretend like the only thing you did was put a person of color in the seat and nothing else is going to change. It changes everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Amid a national backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, many charities are still struggling to create the same diversity in the C-suite that they have among their frontline staff.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f43-dda5-a39f-ffdf6ddc0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f43-dda5-a39f-ffdf6ddc0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000171-beba-d66a-a177-bffb161f0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"DFP Ad\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-container\">\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd\" data-lazy-load=\"\" data-slot-adsizemap=\"[[[992, 0], [728, 90], [300, 250]], [[0, 0], [300, 250]]]\" data-slot-pagetype=\"article\" data-slot-sizes=\"[[728, 90], [300, 250]]\" data-slot-tile=\"5\" data-timed-refresh=\"true\" id=\"googleAde787f33f-9e47-4ebb-b212-05e6767bce7a\">\n<span class=\"GoogleDfpAd-placeholder\"><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>At PBLWorks, a charity that advocates for project-based \u201creal world\u201d learning, more than half the staff are people of color, up from about 30 percent a decade ago, but the charity has had less success in diversifying its senior leadership. The charity has applied for a foundation grant to support a mentoring and leadership-development program for a group of diverse midlevel leaders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re building capacity now so that when we have openings in the future, we can look for staff to be able to take on those senior and executive roles,\u201d says Bob Lenz, the charity\u2019s CEO.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ece-d0e5-ab9f-6feeb8290000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-left=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ece-d0e5-ab9f-6feeb8290000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ece-d0e5-ab9f-6feeb8340007\",\"typeLabel\":\"HTML Embed\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"HtmlModule\">\n<iframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"487\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/35enE\/1\/\"><\/iframe>!function(){&#8220;use strict&#8221;;window.addEventListener(&#8220;message&#8221;,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[&#8220;datawrapper-height&#8221;]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(&#8220;iframe&#8221;);for(var t in a.data[&#8220;datawrapper-height&#8221;])for(var r=0;r\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"cms-Styles-h2\">Plunging Toilets <\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>The <i>Chronicle<\/i> survey suggests that charity leaders are able to handle the demands of their job \u2014 but only by sacrificing personal time. At large organizations, 78 percent of respondents say they are able to stay on top of everything that needed to be done. But nearly 60 percent say they struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance because of the demands of the job.<\/p>\n<p>Some executives say the intensity of the workload can vary \u2014 especially for an incoming CEO.<\/p>\n<p>Shenker, the Jewish community center executive, became CEO of the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, in the Bay Area, in early 2022. He filled six key leadership positions within the first 18 months, but he didn\u2019t hire for any of those slots during his first six months on the job.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI needed to wait until I knew what I needed,\u201d Shenker says. \u201cI needed to sort of roll up my sleeves and do a bunch of stuff. I would say in my first six months, there was not a whole lot of work-life balance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His immersion in the organization helped him figure out its needs \u2014 he replaced an empty chief program officer position, for example, with a chief operating officer. That investment of time at the beginning of his tenure helped him assemble a senior team he now thinks is as good as that of any Jewish community center in the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHire good people, and get the hell out of their way,\u201d Shenker says.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f43-dff8-a7cf-7fefa2c10000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4f43-dff8-a7cf-7fefa2c10000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Module\"}--><br \/>\n<!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"00000171-beba-d66a-a177-bffb161f0000\",\"typeLabel\":\"DFP Ad\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-container\">\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd-label\">ADVERTISEMENT<\/div>\n<div class=\"GoogleDfpAd\" data-lazy-load=\"\" data-slot-adsizemap=\"[[[992, 0], [728, 90], [300, 250]], [[0, 0], [300, 250]]]\" data-slot-pagetype=\"article\" data-slot-sizes=\"[[728, 90], [300, 250]]\" data-slot-tile=\"6\" data-timed-refresh=\"true\" id=\"googleAdbbe8c9f6-a054-4248-bd8d-1731409d0e3c\">\n<span class=\"GoogleDfpAd-placeholder\"><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>Of course, that\u2019s a luxury enjoyed only by larger nonprofits. On many measures \u2014 including salary, the effectiveness of employees, organizational diversity, and support from boards \u2014 the CEOs of the smallest charities (under $1 million budget) expressed less satisfaction than the leaders of the largest organizations ($11 million and up).<\/p>\n<p>John Stephens is the executive producer of the Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan, Ill., a town of 4,300. Stephens heads the charity and is also its artistic director.<\/p>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ec9-d0e5-ab9f-6fef9eb10000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Image\"}--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-right=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\"><!--BrightspotCmsObjectBegin {\"id\":\"0000018f-4ec9-d0e5-ab9f-6fef9eb10000\",\"typeLabel\":\"Image\"}--><\/p>\n<figure class=\"Figure\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Stephens, executive director and producer of The Little Theatre on the Square, in Sullivan, Ill.\" class=\"Image\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/news-goseleadershipsurveymain-john-stephens.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"Figure-content\">\n<div class=\"Figure-credit\">John Stephens<\/div><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\">John Stephens takes on myriad responsibilities as executive producer of the Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan, Ill., a town of 4,300. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd--><\/p>\n<p>The Little Theatre, which has a $1.6 million budget, relies on ticket sales and philanthropy to stay afloat. When that doesn\u2019t work, the charity borrows money, and then Stephens scrambles to raise money to pay off the loan. That balancing act influences his approach to his board \u2014 he\u2019d like to restock it with younger people who could bring legal and marketing skills, but he won\u2019t remove less-engaged members who are among his largest donors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they\u2019re only coming to the meetings every other month, but they\u2019re writing a five-figure check, I can\u2019t walk away from that,\u201d Stephens says.<\/p>\n<p>The professional theater, now in its 67th year, once drew appearances from stars like Mickey Rooney and Leonard Nimoy. Now it relies mostly on young visiting actors who come for short stints and live in houses and apartments owned by the charity. When actors need a toilet plunged \u2014 or a therapist \u2014 Stephens gets the call.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I have a list of four items to do in a day, I may only get one of them done because of everything else that pops up,\u201d Stephens says. \u201cBut I love what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--BrightspotCmsObjectEnd-->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ArticleFullBleedLeadPage-updatesCorrections-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ArticleFullBleedLeadPage-updatesCorrections RichTextBody\">\n                                        Correction (May 7, 2024, 9:22 a.m.): A previous version of this article misspelled Libbie Landles-Cobb&#8217;s first name as Libby.\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ArticleFullBleedLeadPage-questionsConcerns\">\n<span><i>We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please <a aria-labelledby=\"email the editors\" href=\"mailto:editormail@philanthropy.com\" role=\"link\">email the editors<\/a> or <a aria-labelledby=\"submit a letter to the editor\" href=\"mailto:letters@philanthropy.com\" role=\"link\">submit a letter<\/a> for publication.<\/i><\/span>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>96% of the leaders in the Chronicle\u2019s exclusive survey report a high level of job satisfaction. But the demands are relentless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":365131,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","cop_editorial_slug":"","cop_asana_id":"","editorial_asana_id":"","editorial_doc_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81925],"issue":[],"profile":[],"role":[191049],"series":[],"topic":[],"coauthors":[189918],"class_list":{"0":"post-4402231118499","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"hentry","6":"category-news","7":"role-leading","9":"no-featured-image"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.9 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable &#8211; Chronicle of Philanthropy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"96% of the leaders in the Chronicle\u2019s exclusive survey report a high level of job satisfaction. But the demands are relentless.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Chronicle of Philanthropy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ChronicleOfPhilanthropy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-07T13:03:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-17T20:57:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ben Gose\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Philanthropy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Philanthropy\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ben Gose\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9d16569f65d5d08f9f0a01a0d164f0\"},\"headline\":\"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-07T13:03:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-17T20:57:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/\"},\"wordCount\":3391,\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/\",\"name\":\"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable &#8211; Chronicle of Philanthropy\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-07T13:03:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-17T20:57:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9d16569f65d5d08f9f0a01a0d164f0\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/\",\"name\":\"Chronicle of Philanthropy\",\"description\":\"News, Opinion and Advice about Philanthropic Giving\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9d16569f65d5d08f9f0a01a0d164f0\",\"name\":\"Ben Gose\",\"description\":\"Ben is a senior editor at the Chronicle of Philanthropy whose coverage areas include leadership and other topics. Before joining the Chronicle, he worked at Wyoming PBS and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Ben is a graduate of Dartmouth College.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/author\/ben-gose\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable &#8211; Chronicle of Philanthropy","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable","og_description":"96% of the leaders in the Chronicle\u2019s exclusive survey report a high level of job satisfaction. But the demands are relentless.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/","og_site_name":"Chronicle of Philanthropy","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ChronicleOfPhilanthropy","article_published_time":"2024-05-07T13:03:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-17T20:57:30+00:00","author":"Ben Gose","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Philanthropy","twitter_site":"@Philanthropy","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/"},"author":{"name":"Ben Gose","@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9d16569f65d5d08f9f0a01a0d164f0"},"headline":"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable","datePublished":"2024-05-07T13:03:44+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-17T20:57:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/"},"wordCount":3391,"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/","url":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/","name":"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable &#8211; Chronicle of Philanthropy","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2024-05-07T13:03:44+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-17T20:57:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9d16569f65d5d08f9f0a01a0d164f0"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/a-really-tough-job-nonprofit-ceos-work-to-make-their-roles-more-manageable\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/","name":"Chronicle of Philanthropy","description":"News, Opinion and Advice about Philanthropic Giving","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4f9d16569f65d5d08f9f0a01a0d164f0","name":"Ben Gose","description":"Ben is a senior editor at the Chronicle of Philanthropy whose coverage areas include leadership and other topics. Before joining the Chronicle, he worked at Wyoming PBS and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Ben is a graduate of Dartmouth College.","url":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/author\/ben-gose\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4402231118499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/365131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4402231118499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4402231118499\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4402231118499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4402231118499"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=4402231118499"},{"taxonomy":"profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile?post=4402231118499"},{"taxonomy":"role","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/role?post=4402231118499"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=4402231118499"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=4402231118499"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=4402231118499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}