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Research highlights importance of resilience amongst Not for Profit leaders

Holly Van Der Merwe · Posted on: July 15th 2025 · read

Charity leaders are often pulled in different directions. They have responsibilities to their team, their trustees, and their funders. They are required to ensure that their Charity is compliant with all existing legislation but also to keep up to date with the ever-changing regulatory landscape.

They are also expected to find a way to maintain sustainable financial performance, even when funding is slowing down and demands on charities are increasing.

Through everything, leaders are expected to remain resilient.

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The Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) recently highlighted research performed by Bird, a team of expert Not for Profit sector coaches and facilitators, which looked into the demands on leaders of charities across the UK and the toll that can take on them.

There were several key takeaways, including the impact on leaders and measures that can be put in place to alleviate such pressures.

The research found that leaders can often feel isolated from the rest of their team; they are required to support everyone else but often feel that there is insufficient support for themselves. It also found a common expectation of leaders to do everything. At times this can include taking on the work of more than one person, which leads to feeling overworked and experiencing burnout.

A number of small changes could make a big difference:

Setting time aside in the week that is free from distractions of emails or meetings
Receiving coaching or supervision
Having clear boundaries to ensure there is a work-life balance

In a sector where recruitment and retention are often difficult to get right, it is important that a charity set themselves up for success, be realistic with the expectations of their leaders and provide a safe space for an honest discussion with their leaders.