Dissatisfied and disillusioned: Nonprofit professionals are unhappy at work

Episode 22 – Dissatisfied and disillusioned: Nonprofit professionals are unhappy at work

A new report has highlighted a disturbing and perhaps surprising finding: Job satisfaction in the nonprofit sector appears to be lower than in either the private or public sector. In a sector that focuses on meaningful work, what is driving a significant number of workers to feel dissatisfied? And what does this mean for the future given the existing talent crunch and the need for recruiting younger demographics to work in the sector? In this episode of CharityVillage Connects, listen to sector experts weigh in on this concerning trend and what might be done to turn it around.

Meet Our Guests in Order of Appearance 

• Steven Ayer, President and Founder, Common Good Strategies
• Wendy Cukier, Founder and Academic Director, Diversity Institute
• Ryan Erb, Executive Director, United Way Perth-Huron
• Zahra Esmail, CEO, Vantage Point
• Pamela Uppal-Sandhu, Director of Policy, Ontario Nonprofit Network 

About your Host

Mary Barroll, president of CharityVillage, is an online business executive and lawyer with a background in media, technology and IP law. A former CBC journalist and independent TV producer, in 2013 she was appointed General Counsel & VP Media Affairs at CharityVillage.com, Canada’s largest job portal for charities and not for profits in Canada, and then President in 2021. Mary is also President of sister company, TalentEgg.ca, Canada’s No.1, award-winning job board and online career resource that connects top employers with top students and grads.

CharityVillage Resources from this Episode

• The 2024 Canadian Nonprofit Sector Salary & Benefits Report

Additional Resources from this Episode

We've gathered the resources from this episode into one helpful list:

• The Burden  of Care: Addressing Challenges in Employment in the Nonprofit Sector
• Diversity Is Our Strength: Improving Working Conditions at Canadian Nonprofits (Imagine Canada)
• Living Wage Canada
• Ontario Living Wage Network
• Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network)
• Decent Work Pathways (Ontario Nonprofit Network)
• Decent Work for Women (Ontario Nonprofit Network)

Learn more and listen to the full interviews with the guests here.

What is CharityVillage Connects?

Welcome to CharityVillage Connects – a series that highlights topics vital to the nonprofit sector in Canada. CharityVillage is a resource to over 170,000 charitable and nonprofit organizations in Canada. This series, hosted by President Mary Barroll, will provide in-depth conversations with experts in the nonprofit sector. We’ll examine diversity, equity and inclusion, innovations in fundraising, the gap in female representation in leadership and many other subjects crucial to the growth and development of charities throughout Canada.