Dear Nonprofit Partners:
Mental health is a growing and very real concern for our communities and for those we serve. As we navigate these unprecedented times, we must also be aware of the mental health toll on our own nonprofit staff members who must balance work with their own feelings and personal limits. Whether we are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, isolated, afraid, angry, or simply exhausted, those feelings are real and valid.
If we want our organizations to be effective in supporting and guiding our community during these times, we must continually care for the wellness of our own staff members. We must also think of our staff members as more than employees and remember that they too are a part of our community. They are not immune to the trials and challenges being faced right now, and they need the same empathy and commitment to improving wellness that we share with the communities we serve.
Momentum Nonprofit Partners is making a commitment to the mental health and wellness of its staff by providing an “extended mental health benefit” increase to its staff members on this month’s payroll. This expanded benefit will provide for the cost of co-pays for therapy and counseling or provide for other personal options for self-care. This commitment is a partnership between staff leadership and Momentum’s Board of Directors. Momentum’s Board has taken an engaged role in advocating for the wellness of the whole organization, including the CEO, recognizing that the executive staff leader also needs to practice and model self-care.
Momentum Nonprofit Partners and its Board of Directors is calling each of your organizations, and your Boards of Directors, to take action in caring for the mental health of your staff members. Each of your organizations may be facing these similar challenges in different ways, and each organization will have to find their own best approach. We encourage you to take the time to consider the needs and the wellness of your staff and to determine the best course of action for your organization. We are here to support you.
Sincerely,
Nicole Thomas, Incoming Board Chair, Momentum Nonprofit Partners
Brent Westbrook, Interim Chair, Momentum Nonprofit Partners
Nicole Thomas
Nicole is the incoming Board Chair for Momentum Nonprofit Partners.