If you’re leading a CIC, charity or social enterprise, chances are you didn’t get into this work for the money or the status. You’re here because you care — about people, about your community, about making a difference.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: in the rush to build impact, many social entrepreneurs neglect the one resource they can’t replace — themselves.
The Hidden Epidemic: Burnout in the Social Sector
We talk a lot about burnout in corporate environments, but in the social sector it’s often worse — and less visible. Many founders and leaders push through exhaustion because they feel they “can’t afford” to stop. After all, people are relying on them.
But when you’re constantly running on empty, things start to crack:
Decisions become reactive instead of strategic.
Relationships with staff, volunteers, and funders suffer.
Your ability to innovate and lead declines.
The very impact you’re trying to create becomes harder to sustain.
Burnout isn’t just bad for you — it’s bad for your mission.
Purpose Without Boundaries Is a Recipe for Exhaustion
One of the reasons burnout is so common among social entrepreneurs is because purpose-driven work blurs the boundaries between personal identity and professional responsibility.
When your organisation’s mission is deeply tied to your own lived experience or values, saying no can feel like a betrayal. Taking time off can feel selfish. Rest can feel like something you’ll “earn” once things are more stable — but of course, that day never comes.
The truth is: purpose and wellbeing are not opposites. They are interdependent. Without protecting your own energy and mental health, your purpose will eventually suffer.
Rethinking Wellbeing as a Strategic Priority
Wellbeing isn’t a reward for success — it’s a prerequisite for it. And yet, many social entrepreneurs treat it as an afterthought. It’s time to shift the mindset from “self-care” to strategic capacity building:
Cognitive bandwidth: Rest and downtime are essential for creativity, problem-solving and decision-making.
Emotional resilience: Boundaries and support help you respond to challenges without being consumed by them.
Sustainable leadership: Consistent wellbeing practices enable you to lead for the long term, not just survive each crisis.
This isn’t about bubble baths or mindfulness apps (though those can help). It’s about designing a way of working — for you and your team — that makes the work doable.
Practical Steps to Protect Your Wellbeing
Schedule recovery like you schedule meetings. Time off isn’t a luxury; it’s essential infrastructure.
Set clear boundaries around availability. You’re not “on call” 24/7 — and the work won’t collapse if you take a day off.
Share leadership. Build a team or advisory network so that responsibility doesn’t sit entirely on your shoulders.
Talk openly about wellbeing. Model what it looks like in your organisation so your team feels able to do the same.
Invest in support. Coaching, supervision, therapy or peer networks are not indulgences — they’re tools for sustainability.
You Are Part of the Mission Too
You started this work to change lives — and that includes your own. The communities you serve need you to show up whole, not hollowed out. They need you to lead with clarity and energy, not burnout and resentment.
It’s not selfish to protect your wellbeing — it’s responsible leadership. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and the world doesn’t benefit from another changemaker who gave everything until there was nothing left.
How We Help at Accounting for Good
Through Wellbeing for Good, we work with founders, directors and teams across the social sector to build healthy, sustainable ways of working. Whether it’s policy development, coaching, or board workshops, we help you embed wellbeing into the core of how you operate — so you and your organisation can thrive for the long term.