Burnout in Community Organizations: Sharing Thoughts and Possible Solutions
Introduction
This paper summarizes the discussions and reflections shared on June 4, 2025, as part of Atelier/C: “Burnout: What can our organization do? Panel discussion.” (In French: Épuisement professionnel: qu’est-ce que notre organisme peut faire ? Panel de discussion).
This workshop was held following a request from the sector to hold a candid discussion about the reality of burnout and how to prevent it in our organizations. We chose to approach the topic from an organizational and collective perspective because we believe that, beyond the individual aspect, it is the responsibility of organizations to create cultures and systems that support the well-being of those working in the sector and reduce the risk of burnout. Based on the questions asked, the panelists and audience were able to share their experiences, challenges, thoughts, and best practices. We have grouped them into seven sections.
Context of the meeting
This Atelier/C brought together 44 community organizations from the Greater Montreal area.
The meeting was facilitated by Pascale Brunet, co-coordinator of organizational development and training, and Stella Scupal Hassani, coordinator of the Ateliers/C program. The live interpretation from French to English was provided by Danielle Holyk and Gene Morrow from Coop l’Argot. Melis Cagan, cTechnology Coordinator at COCo, handled technical support and chat management, and Janie Janvier, Executive Program Coordinator at COCo, took care of note-taking.
The meeting was designed in collaboration with the following panelists:
- Estelle Davis (she/her) – COCo: Executive Operations Coordinator, including Human Resources and Finance (absent during the event)
- Jordy Belance (he/him) – Pour 3 Points and Black Healing Center: Community Care Practitioner and Facilitator
- Kadiatou Diop (she/her) – COCo: Executive Coordinator of Partnerships and Learning
The workshop team ready to welcome participants
Brief description of Ateliers/C
Ateliers/C is a program offered by the Centre for Community Organizations (COCo) in collaboration with Centraide of Greater Montreal. This annual series of workshops is designed for non-profit organizations in Greater Montreal and provides opportunities for knowledge sharing, idea exchange, learning, and networking on various topics related to organizational development. The workshops are offered free of charge, in virtual or in-person formats in Montreal, in French, English, or both languages. (To know more about Ateliers/C programming).
Download the document to read the full article. Enjoy your reading.
Summary
-
- Introduction 4
- Which Approaches Are Used to Tackle Burnout? 5
- What Are the Realities of the Community sector? 6
- Collective and Organizational Responsibility 8
- How Can We Collaborate With Our Funders? 9
- What Role for the Boards of Directors? 10
- Best Practices to Try Out? 11
- Personal Insights Regarding the Relationship to Work 14
- Ressources 15
