Beyond Burnout: Black Fatigue, Equity, and Organizational Change in the Nonprofit Sector
1
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Nonprofit organizations play a critical role in promoting societal well-being through the provision of essential social and health-related services. However, workers within this sector particularly Black women often experience significant challenges shaped by systemic racism, gender-based discrimination, and precarious employment conditions. Black women in nonprofit organizations frequently shoulder disproportionate emotional and care labour, contributing to burnout and diminished well-being. The concept of Black Fatigue captures the cumulative mental, emotional, and physical toll of navigating persistent structural inequities. Despite the centrality of Black women’s labour to the nonprofit sector, their experiences remain underexamined in Canadian research. This study explores how collaborative organizational practices and health policy approaches can enhance access, inclusion, and well-being for Black women working in nonprofit organizations.
METHODS:
This qualitative study will employ snowball sampling to conduct semi-structured interviews with approximately 20 Black women employed in nonprofits across Nova Scotia. Interviews will explore workplace barriers, wellness policies, access to benefits, and the ways intersectional identities shape experiences of work and health. Data will be analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The study is grounded in Critical Race Theory and intersectionality, with storytelling used as a methodological approach to centre marginalized voices.
RESULTS:
Anticipated findings include the identification of systemic barriers affecting well-being, such as inequitable workplace practices, unpaid emotional labour, limited access to benefits, and insufficient organizational supports. Collaborative strategies such as inclusive wellness initiatives, equitable leadership development, and policy-informed organizational change are expected to emerge as pathways toward improved equity.
CONCLUSIONS:
This research highlights the need for systemic and collaborative reforms within nonprofit organizations to address intersectional inequities. Findings will inform organizational practices and health policies aimed at improving well-being, retention, and inclusion, with broader implications for equity-focused work across health and social service sectors.
Nonprofit organizations play a critical role in promoting societal well-being through the provision of essential social and health-related services. However, workers within this sector particularly Black women often experience significant challenges shaped by systemic racism, gender-based discrimination, and precarious employment conditions. Black women in nonprofit organizations frequently shoulder disproportionate emotional and care labour, contributing to burnout and diminished well-being. The concept of Black Fatigue captures the cumulative mental, emotional, and physical toll of navigating persistent structural inequities. Despite the centrality of Black women’s labour to the nonprofit sector, their experiences remain underexamined in Canadian research. This study explores how collaborative organizational practices and health policy approaches can enhance access, inclusion, and well-being for Black women working in nonprofit organizations.
METHODS:
This qualitative study will employ snowball sampling to conduct semi-structured interviews with approximately 20 Black women employed in nonprofits across Nova Scotia. Interviews will explore workplace barriers, wellness policies, access to benefits, and the ways intersectional identities shape experiences of work and health. Data will be analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The study is grounded in Critical Race Theory and intersectionality, with storytelling used as a methodological approach to centre marginalized voices.
RESULTS:
Anticipated findings include the identification of systemic barriers affecting well-being, such as inequitable workplace practices, unpaid emotional labour, limited access to benefits, and insufficient organizational supports. Collaborative strategies such as inclusive wellness initiatives, equitable leadership development, and policy-informed organizational change are expected to emerge as pathways toward improved equity.
CONCLUSIONS:
This research highlights the need for systemic and collaborative reforms within nonprofit organizations to address intersectional inequities. Findings will inform organizational practices and health policies aimed at improving well-being, retention, and inclusion, with broader implications for equity-focused work across health and social service sectors.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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