Yaële Aferiat: Who cares for the people who care for causes?

Following the recent publication of the first national study of fundraisers’ mental health in France by the French Association of Fundraisers (AFF), CEO Yaële Aferiat shares her reflections on the findings.

Fundraisers dedicate their professional lives to helping others. They work every day to generate the resources that allow charities, foundations, universities, hospitals and social organisations to fulfil their missions. They help causes grow, communities thrive and social challenges receive the attention and support they deserve.

Yet one question is rarely asked: who takes care of the people whose work is to take care of causes?

This year, the French Association of Fundraisers (AFF) conducted the first national study on the mental health of fundraisers in France. Nearly 500 professionals participated. While the survey is not statistically representative of the entire profession, the results provide an important snapshot of how fundraisers are living and working today and highlight issues that deserve greater attention across Europe. The findings are both concerning and revealing.

More than half of respondents reported high or very high levels of stress. Nearly two thirds said they had experienced burnout or come close to burnout during their career. More than half had seriously considered leaving their job within the previous twelve months. Managers appeared particularly exposed, reporting even higher levels of stress and burnout.

These figures should not be interpreted simply as individual vulnerabilities. They point to broader structural realities affecting the fundraising profession.

Fundraising has always involved a degree of pressure. Professionals work in environments where resources are limited and needs are growing. They are expected to secure income, build relationships, demonstrate impact and contribute to organisational sustainability. In recent years, however, this pressure has intensified.

Economic uncertainty, inflation, changing donor expectations and increasing competition for funding have created more demanding conditions. In our survey, respondents frequently cited declining resources, higher fundraising targets and concerns about their organisations’ long-term viability as significant sources of stress. For many fundraisers, the challenge is no longer simply to grow income. It is to compensate for shrinking resources elsewhere in the organisation while facing growing expectations from leadership and boards.

At the same time, the issue is not only about funding.

The way fundraising work is organised also matters. Respondents reported that last-minute requests, short-term priorities overriding strategic thinking, and growing administrative requirements contribute significantly to workplace pressure. Many fundraisers find themselves caught between ambitious expectations and limited capacity. They know what should be done strategically but struggle to find the time, resources or organisational support to do it.

One particularly striking result concerns the relationship fundraisers have with their work.

The survey suggests that fundraisers care deeply about what they do. Many remain highly committed to the missions they serve and find meaning in their work. This commitment is undoubtedly one of the profession’s greatest strengths. However, it can also become a source of vulnerability.

People who care strongly about their work often find it difficult to disconnect. They frequently absorb the responsibility of organisational challenges as personal responsibility. They may continue working despite exhaustion because they believe their cause cannot afford for them to stop.

The survey reflects this reality. Large numbers of respondents reported thinking about work outside working hours and struggling to switch off mentally. Many reported working despite being significantly affected by stress. Yet relatively few had taken sick leave related to their mental health.

This raises an important question. If people continue delivering despite high stress levels, how visible does the problem become to leaders?

A profession can appear resilient while simultaneously becoming exhausted. Perhaps the most encouraging finding from the study is that solutions exist. Respondents whose organisations offered a greater number of support measures generally reported lower levels of stress. Flexible working arrangements, remote working opportunities and respect for the right to disconnect appear to make a positive difference. At the same time, significant gaps remain. Many fundraisers reported that wellbeing is rarely discussed directly with managers, and a substantial proportion do not feel comfortable discussing their difficulties.

This suggests that improving mental health in fundraising is not simply about introducing wellbeing programmes. It is about culture.

Creating healthier fundraising environments requires organisations to recognise that wellbeing is a strategic issue rather than a personal one. It affects retention, performance, creativity, decision-making and ultimately fundraising effectiveness itself.

Leaders can play an important role by setting realistic expectations, clarifying priorities, encouraging strategic focus and creating spaces where challenges can be discussed without stigma. Boards also have a responsibility to ensure that fundraising targets are aligned with available resources and organisational capacity.

The fundraising profession itself has an equally important role to play.

For many years, conversations about fundraising have focused primarily on techniques, channels, innovation and performance. These topics remain essential. But we must also create space to discuss the people behind the results.

• How do we make fundraising careers sustainable?
• How do we support professionals through increasingly complex environments?
• How do we ensure that commitment does not become self-sacrifice?
• How do we help managers lead teams while protecting their own wellbeing?

These are questions that deserve wider discussion across our sector.

The findings from France are unlikely to be unique. Similar pressures can be observed throughout Europe and beyond. While organisational contexts differ, many of the challenges faced by fundraisers are shared: rising expectations, limited resources, increasing complexity and a deep commitment to mission.

The good news is that mental health is no longer a taboo subject. More organisations are beginning to recognise its importance, and more professionals are willing to speak openly about their experiences.

This study should be seen not as a diagnosis of a problem specific to France but as an invitation to a broader conversation. Fundraisers help organisations change the world. To do that effectively over the long term, they need environments that allow them not only to perform but also to thrive.

Taking care of fundraisers is not separate from achieving impact. It is one of the conditions that makes impact possible.

Read the AFF’s summary of the study here, and the key findings in EFA’s news story here. 

Yaële Aferiat