People in the USA are struggling with the basic decisions required to navigate daily life as the effects of pandemic-related stress continue to take a toll, especially on younger adults and parents, according to a national survey from the American Psychological Association. The global pandemic, rising prices, the housing crisis, climate change, violent political rhetoric targeting specific groups and people and world events are all adding to the stress and anxiety people are feeling, and that’s in addition to the stress they may experience through social interactions, family interactions, their professional work and, yes, volunteering.

No volunteering is stress-free. Cleaning up a beach means seeing all sorts of plastics and it can mean that volunteers begin to realize that merely cleaning up beaches occasionally won’t ever be enough to get rid of the garbage that is harming our environment. Serving on a board can mean feeling like if you fail in fundraising and/or in appropriate oversight, the nonprofit will cease to exist. Volunteering in a high-stress environment – helping women who have experienced domestic violence, working in an animal shelter, working with people experiencing homelessness – all come with intense mental pressures. As one nonprofit put it on the TechSoup community:

My nonprofit provides free home repairs. Many of the homeowners we serve are living in tragic conditions – without heat, hot water, full bathrooms or kitchens. It’s a lot to process and my team has been asking for upgraded mental health support. 

Your nonprofit needs to think about the mental health needs of your volunteers (and your employees, for that matter).

Some suggestions:

• Remind volunteers regularly that it is okay to take a break – AND MEAN IT. If a volunteer says, “I need to take a break from volunteering for four months,” your reply should be, “Thank you so much for telling us. What date do you want your leave to start?” And then you work with the volunteer so that you have all the information you need from them so that you don’t have to bother them during leave. Remind volunteers that taking a break can better ensure they are able to succeed at volunteering and that it further helps them have a balanced, healthy life and, therefore, be even better volunteers. Remind them that working for prolonged periods without a break is bad not only for a person’s psychological and physical health but also for their volunteering: the more tired and burnt out a volunteer feels, the less effective and productive that volunteer will be.

• Consider mandatory leave for volunteers – that they MUST take a month off once a year, for instance, especially if they work directly with clients. While I was not a volunteer, when I worked in Afghanistan for the UN back in 2007, they required me to take at least a week’s leave every nine weeks. When I found this out during my first week, I thought it was ridiculous; in my ninth week, I couldn’t sleep in anticipation of getting out of the country and back to my family for a much-needed vacation. Volunteers sometimes feel like they cannot take leave, but the reality is that breaks make us better upon return.

• Remind volunteers that they have the right to say no to a new assignment or to continuing an assignment. Remind them that saying no isn’t selfish, that it allows them to better ensure they are able to succeed at the opportunities they say yes to and that it further helps them have a balanced, healthy life and, therefore, be even better volunteers.

• Post the names and phone numbers of help lines and mental health resources in a common area frequented by onsite volunteers, in emails to volunteers and on your online community for volunteers. In the USA, your county’s department of health probably has such a list on its web site.

• Remind volunteers to set boundaries with clients, other volunteers and employees. No volunteer should be required to socialize with other volunteers or employees, and an organization needs to be careful to not show favoritism to volunteers who do socialize with stNo volunteer should be required to friend a volunteer or employee at your organization on Facebook or to follow someone on Instagram, for instance, and you may want to have a policy that they are forbidden from friending or following clients. No volunteers should be required to join a Facebook group, since they very likely use Facebook with family and for personal social interactions.

• Shop around for special discounts and freebies for volunteers:

— Is there a spa that would give your volunteers a special discount on manicures, pedicures or massages?

— Is there a movie theater that would give your volunteers and their families a special discount on theater tickets?

— Is there an arts organization that would give your volunteers a special discount on ceramic, drawing, dance or other classes?

— Is there a sports team that would give your volunteers and their families a special discount on tickets to a game or match? Don’t limit yourself to the big three – baseball, basketball or American football. Also look into hockey, soccer and roller derby.

— could you get a donor to pay for yoga or tai chi classes onsite at your nonprofit? Or would a studio offer a discount for your volunteers?

Don’t require volunteers to do one of these fun events together, if possible – like all going to get a mani/pedi the same day. They often need a break from each other, not just volunteering service itself.

• Ask volunteers in different settings what brings them stress or anxiety in their service: you can do a survey (and make identities of those that answer anonymous), you can ask the question on your online community for volunteers, you can ask at face-to-face meetings of volunteers and you can call or meet with volunteers one-on-one specifically to ask. Showing that you care will be valued by your volunteers – but be sure you also act on their feedback.

• Refer your volunteers to other resources, like:

– “Staying resilient while trying to save the world” by Amnesty International

– Protecting your mental health and well-being while speaking out, from the Malala Fund.

• Ask volunteers how they would like to be supported as well.

How does your nonprofit support the mental health care of its volunteers? Please share in the comments below.

Also see:

• What Are Your Volunteers Saying?
• Being emotionally ready to volunteer – or to continue volunteering
• Volunteering to help your own mental health
• Making Mental Health a Global Development Priority

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