The movement cannot afford to lose its most experienced, most committed, most proximate leaders to burnout. But it is. Social justice work extracts an enormous toll — vicarious trauma, underfunding, racial stress, invisible labor, and the pressure of carrying entire communities on your back. The people most qualified to lead change are often the first to collapse under its weight.

“The #1 threat to our movement is not external — it is coming from within. Organizer burnout tops the list of concerns for BIPOC movement leaders.”

– RE:POWER, 2022

“95% of nonprofit leaders report concern about burnout. 76% say it is actively impacting their organization’s ability to achieve its mission.”

– CENTER FOR EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY, 2024

“What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it”

– MAYA ANGELOU