Dealing with collective trauma in nonprofit workplaces

People at every level of nonprofit organizations are experiencing multiple collective traumas right now. 

We bring these compounding traumas with us to work, inflicted by anti-Black police violence, mass shootings, the COVID-19 pandemic, and more. And we still have to go to work.  

What is collective trauma? 

After another terrible news story broke, we shared a post on the Bonsai LinkedIn Page recommending that nonprofit leaders and workers reflect on how to respond and center empathy to foster a safe and trustworthy workplace, understanding that "we may be weathering the same storm ... but we’re all on different boats."  

Our followers left comments of solidarity and expressed the pain they have been dealing with. 

“[This just came up in a conversation...] how often people act up and do micro or even macro aggressive things at work because their own unanswered or unexplored trauma is working on their soul. We are all carrying around too much damage in this cruel world, and the less we discuss it, the worse the pressure cooker gets.” 

“This is so true and very unfortunate. We keep trying to heal and grieve and then more layers of the cake are added ...and no wonder the cake finally topples over with bits of cake and frosting all over the place. 🫂🙏🥲” 

These feelings are real, valid, and compounding, particularly for BIPOC folks, as we deal with the realities of racial inequity in America (and within our workplaces) every single day. Sadly, this is not new, though there is a term for it now. 

We’re experiencing “cascading collective trauma,” identified by trauma expert Roxane Cohen Silver, a psychologist at the University of California at Irvine. In her words, the COVID-19 pandemic has added another layer to cascading collective traumas, or “chronic events with an ambiguous endpoint. We do not know how bad things will get, nor when recovery can truly begin.” 

How can organizations deal with collective trauma in the workplace? 

Structures within organizations and company culture often keep us from expressing emotion and speaking up. I encourage you to first look at your sphere of influence, like the people you manage. Pause and explore these questions as a leader. 

• How do I show up as a leader in this moment?  

• How do I give my team an outlet without drowning in trauma? 

• How do we move our team and organization through change? 

These reflections will help you determine how to move forward. Additionally, approaching your team in a safe space and opening up the opportunity to share how they feel and what they need in a workplace context will inform your next steps. Some nonprofit workers may prefer setting boundaries. Some may wish to have time and space to process trauma. Your team will appreciate your willingness to have the conversation, which is the first step towards a trauma-informed workplace. 

I define being a true leader as taking care of your people. Sometimes nonprofits are so focused on serving their target population that the health and humanity of those working within the organization fall by the wayside.  

In times of distress, reconnecting with humanity should be the main goal. This serves me both in the professional and personal sectors of my life. 

How can nonprofit leaders address their own collective trauma? 

The past few years have been difficult. In addition to the collective trauma we’ve experienced as a society, life doesn’t stop. Work doesn’t stop. Family responsibilities don’t stop. You may have experienced personal, intimate tragedies, which just keep adding layers to your cake, and may lead to burnout. 

If you’re a nonprofit leader, executive coaching may be a productive avenue for you to determine your way forward. 

That being said, coaching is not therapy. If something is having a tremendous impact on you emotionally and affecting the way you live your life, I may refer you to a therapist.   

As a coach for nonprofit leaders, I’m interested in the specific challenges leaders are facing. Then, I can bring you through a process to build new behaviors for the benefit of your team and mission.  

In our 1:1 sessions, we explore how you can support yourself in the process. In the nonprofit world, things generally don’t just stop. There are still clients to support, money to raise, and summits to convene.  

When tragedy strikes, it adds layers of stress. So, I coach nonprofit leaders how to protect their time and manage their energy. I encourage you to create boundaries in your calendar so that if a disaster hits, you’ve already got two hours on your calendar to be there for your team or to take a moment for yourself.  

And sometimes, as a coach, I simply remind leaders that you have permission to be realistic and say, “None of this shit is really important today.” You can go ahead and cancel a team meeting in light of what’s going on in the world.  

We’ve all been desensitized as tragedy strikes again and again. We can take a moment and reconnect with our humanity.