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Wellbeing: The secret to sustainable fundraising
16 Mar 2026by Laura Stanley
We explore why wellbeing is fundamental to sustainable fundraising and practical steps charities can take to support their people, with insight from Sheffield Mind and Breathe HR
The work of the charity sector relies on the wellbeing of those who work in it. Charity work is personal, compassionate, important, but often also very hard. It can be emotionally draining at times and demanding. And it hits all areas of the organisation. Fundraising teams, for example, might feel pressure in driving donations at a time of financial uncertainty amid rising service demand.
The stressful times may ebb and flow – but it’s important that charities and their leaders are able to recognise these times and act to ensure that their teams feel supported. Failing to take action can lead to burnout, low morale, and long-term absences from work. In short, it makes charity work unsustainable.
Fortunately, there are many ways charities can prioritise wellbeing in their organisation. At Charity Digital’s 2025 Digital Fundraising Summit (DFS), we were joined by Julia Pegg, Clinical Lead at Sheffield Mind, who discussed the link between better fundraising and wellbeing and shared practical advice to help charities support their fundraising teams.
Below, we explore some of Julia’s recommendations and share some free resources to support your charity during challenging times.
Spot the signs of burnout
In the DFS session, Julia first outlined what wellbeing means realistically. Good wellbeing, she said, is when you feel you can manage those day-to-day stressors, you can work productively, you can use your abilities, and you can contribute to your teams and to society more generally.
But it’s important to note that wellbeing is not constantly thriving. “Feelings fluctuate and that’s okay,” Julia explained. “What we’re talking about when we mean good wellbeing is recognising that these things are happening and being in control of them rather than the other way around.”
When wellbeing is neglected, burnout follows. So it is important to be able to spot the signs that people may be struggling. Preventing burnout is far easier than reversing it once it has taken hold.
Breathe HR, HR software providers to Sheffield Mind, have created a helpful burnout hub to support leaders in spotting the signs of burnout and show them the steps they can take to address it.
In their infographic, Breathe HR splits the signs into four categories:
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Feeling overwhelmed
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Low motivation levels
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Disconnection – spreading negativity throughout the team
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Constantly tired
It advises looking out for changes in behaviour, such as increased tearfulness and confusion about work, missed deadlines, lack of participation, and disengagement from their colleagues.
It also recommends looking an employee’s annual leave history to determine how long it has been since they took a break. Breathe HR’s research found that two thirds of employees take less than half of their annual leave by July and more than half of them subsequently experience burnout by autumn.
Breathe HR has also created a free Burnout Calculator, which helps organisations identify employees who may be at risk of burnout based on the time since their last holiday. For charity professionals who want to communicate with their trustees or board members about the importance of looking after burnout, there is also a calculator estimating the amount that burnout costs an organisation, reinforcing the importance of wellbeing in making charity work more sustainable.
For more free resources and advice on preventing burnout, check out Breathe HR’s burnout hub below.
Take steps to prevent burnout
In Julia’s DFS session, she highlighted how better wellbeing is linked to more consistent, sustainable fundraising efforts. It can directly impact fundraising efforts – fundraising teams that are well raise more money and have more fun doing so. Creative ideas come more easily. Donor relations are better – teams feel they have the capacity to have deeper, more impactful conversations and build stronger connections with donors.
So wellbeing should be a priority for charities, even, if not especially, during challenging periods. And it all comes down to building a better workplace culture.
Here, we explore some of Julia’s key recommendations for embedding wellbeing in your charity’s day-to-day operations.
Check in regularly
Charity professionals are passionate about the work they do but often operating under pressure. It is important, Julia shared, to acknowledge and validate that. Creating a shared sense of having that pressure makes us feel part of a team. Without that shared sense, team members can end up feeling isolated, unable to share the difficulties they are experiencing and reluctant to reach out for support.
So when there are deadlines, high-pressure campaigns, and big fundraising bids, it’s important that leaders are aware that these periods are more stressful and continue to step up their wellbeing efforts. Sheffield Mind holds weekly check-ins with their employees to give them space to talk about their wellbeing and any challenges they are experiencing. These conversations contribute to a healthier workplace culture, where people feel encouraged to speak up about stress and access the resources available to them.
Lead by example
Julia also noted the importance of leading by example. Creating a healthier workplace culture comes from the top. Acknowledging the reality of stressful situations is helpful and validating, but leaders should share their own concerns and when they are taking time out. This helps other members of the team feel able to do the same.
Ultimately, it’s about creating safety in your team to acknowledge vulnerability. Show that wellbeing is taken seriously, have respectful and confidential conversations, follow up on those conversations, and share supportive resources from organisations like Mind.
Assess your workplace culture – if it’s not deliberate, it can take on a life of its own. Monitor when leave is taken, look at the take-up of wellbeing initiatives, and be able to spot the signs that your team is disengaging. With that information, you can discover the next steps to bolster wellbeing.
Create wellbeing initiatives
Wellbeing initiatives can be really helpful for keeping teams connected and for reinforcing how seriously wellbeing is being taken throughout the charity on a practical level. And they don’t have to be complex or expensive. It could be as simple as creating space for shout outs in weekly meetings where everyone is encouraged to put names forward, not just leadership.
Sheffield Mind has mental health days, recognition schemes, flexible working, awareness sessions, team activities – all elements of a wider organisation where people look after each other. In October, Sheffield Mind held yoga sessions, team walks, and more as part of Menopause Awareness Month. So there are lots of ways charities can bring their teams together and show them the importance of wellbeing, taking it beyond words into something tangible.
Julia pointed to the ‘Five ways to wellbeing’ framework, which offers organisations simple steps they can implement to improve wellbeing every day.
The five steps are:
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Step 1 - Connect
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Step 2 - Get active
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Step 3 - Take notice
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Step 4 - Learn
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Step 5 - Give
Charities can use these steps to inform their wellbeing initiatives and create activities which support each aim.
To find out more about how to prevent burnout and prioritise wellbeing in your teams, check out the Breathe HR hub below.
Follow-up questions for CAI
How can charities effectively spot early signs of burnout in staff?What practical steps improve fundraising team wellbeing during high pressure?How does leadership behavior influence workplace wellbeing culture?Which simple wellbeing initiatives boost team connection and morale?How can the 'Five ways to wellbeing' framework be applied daily?
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