Frontline nonprofit workers face burnout from workloads, invisible labor, and lack of voice  

Among the many mounting concerns in the U.S. nonprofit sector are burnout and low staff retention—especially for those working on the front lines and are closest to the communities they serve.  

Since 2016, the Building Movement Project (BMP) has fielded the Race to Lead survey every three years, collecting responses from more than 12,000 nonprofit leaders and staff—one of the largest datasets on race, leadership, and nonprofit work in the United States. This article draws on previously unpublished data from the 2022 survey focused specifically on self-identified frontline nonprofit workers—including service providers, organizers, and case managers who carry out much of the sector’s community-facing mission, yet whose experiences are often underexplored. We asked: Is high turnover among frontline staff inevitable, or is it driven by organizational conditions leaders can address? 

Most nonprofit workers face heavy workloads 

Over 60% of nonprofit workers overall reported experiencing a demanding workload “often” or “always.” This included 63.5% of non-frontline workers and 53.9% of frontline workers—and, among them, 49.1% of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) frontline staff. 

That non-frontline staff reported heavier workloads may reflect the breadth of management responsibilities, from supervising teams to juggling fundraising and compliance. For BIPOC frontline staff, the lower percentage may reflect the normalization of high demands in community-facing roles or differences in how “often” and “always” are interpreted. 

Workload, however, is only part of the picture. For frontline nonprofit workers, it intersects with organizational dynamics—such as voice, recognition, and advancement—that shape burnout and retention risk. 

Frontline nonprofit workers are given limited voice, recognition, and advancement opportunities 

Even as frontline workers shoulder critical community-facing responsibilities, they reported feeling less heard and recognized in their organizations: 

• 60.9% of frontline workers strongly agreed (8-10 on a 10-point scale) they have a voice in their organization, compared with 66.8% of non-frontline workers. 
• 52.8% of frontline workers strongly agreed they were consulted before major decisions were made that impacted their work, compared with 59.2% of non-frontline workers.  
• 60.5% of BIPOC frontline staff strongly agreed their organization cares about them as a person, compared with 68.4% of white non-frontline staff. 

There are similar disparities in opportunities for professional advancement: 37% of BIPOC frontline nonprofit workers said they often or always experienced few opportunities for advancement, compared with 32.8% of white frontline staff and 30.7% of non-frontline staff overall. 

These gaps reveal a contradiction: Those closest to the communities they serve are often furthest from internal influence and advancement. Over time, this erodes frontline staff engagement and fuels turnover.  

‘Invisible labor’ adds to the burden of BIPOC frontline nonprofit workers 

BIPOC frontline staff are also more likely to often or always face stress from being expected to “represent a community.” Nearly 29% reported this stress, compared with 17.2% of white frontline staff and 8.7% of white non-frontline staff. 

This type of invisible labor—often uncompensated and unacknowledged—adds another layer to BIPOC frontline workers’ already demanding roles. Combined with heavy workloads, limited voice, and constrained opportunities, these pressures create conditions for burnout. 

Retention risks: culture, not frontline status 

Among frontline nonprofit workers, 16.5% said they would not be happy to be working at their organization in three years—a similar rate to non-frontline staff (17.2%). But race complicates the picture: 19.5 % of BIPOC frontline workers said they would not be happy staying long-term, compared with 13.7% of white frontline workers. 

An analysis of what drives this retention risk found the decisive factor was not frontline status but organizational culture—inequities in recognition, advancement, and wellness. Although BIPOC staff reported higher attrition risk overall, the racial gap narrowed once culture was factored in. Staff who were asked to “represent their community,” experienced limited advancement opportunities, or said their organization devoted too little attention to staff wellness and care were more likely to be at risk of leaving than those who did not.  

Why this matters 

Many nonprofit practitioners might say, “Of course culture affects retention.” But these survey results suggest specific takeaways for leaders:  

• Turnover among frontline staff is not inevitable. High attrition is not just the nature of direct service work. It’s preventable when organizations create a culture of recognition, voice, wellness, and advancement.  
• Racial disparities are driven by culture. The analysis highlights concrete levers for equity: Reduce tokenization, invest in wellness, and ensure clear pathways for advancement. 

These insights from the Race to Lead 2022 dataset show how burnout does not simply stem from heavy workload, but from carrying that load without being given a voice, recognition, or opportunity—especially for BIPOC frontline staff. The 2025 Race to Lead survey is now open through October 31. By taking part, frontline nonprofit staff can help ensure their experiences—especially those often overlooked–are visible and inform sector change.

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