Fighting Burnout in Haiti

Fighting Burnout in Haiti – Why We Started the Heart and Soul Fund

July 16th, 2025
by Charlie Estes, Managing Director

WHAT IS BURNOUT?

According to the World Health Organization, “Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: 1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; 3) and reduced professional efficacy.”

Within the US nonprofit sector, burnout is a perpetual concern among staff and leadership, with 95% of nonprofit leaders reporting that they feel concerned about burnout, and three quarters saying that staff burnout impacts their ability to achieve their mission. Burnout is a big reason that, in 2024, 45% of nonprofit employees said they would quit their jobs by 2025, and 25% of exiting nonprofit employees reported they would not look for a new job in the nonprofit sector.

BURNOUT IN HAITI

While burnout in the nonprofit sector is a common topic here in the United States, it is rarely discussed in the context of work done abroad by local staff, who, on top of managing the same struggles as Americans, also must face the challenges of their local realities. During typical times in Haiti, this means dealing with lack of infrastructure, inconsistent internet access, threats from climate disasters, and unpredictable transportation. Today, for many, it also means being displaced from their homes, witnessing unspeakable horror, and even losing loved ones. 

A 2024 focus group about mental health in Haiti found that the current sociopolitical and economic crisis is “the primary source of chronic distress, contributing to widespread mental health issues, adverse physical symptoms, and disruption in daily life.”

When burnout reaches its peak, many Haitians–especially those with degrees and professional experience–don’t just leave the nonprofit sector; they leave Haiti entirely, contributing to Haiti’s brain drain crisis and putting the critical work done by local groups in Haiti at risk. The downfall of USAID–and subsequent loss of consistent funding for many–has only compounded this issue. 

INSPIRATION FOR THE FUND

Then, as Roots began a survey of other organizations providing funding in Haiti, we learned about “Keep the Spark Alive,” a designated grant pool offered by the Imago Dei Fund specifically for mental health and fighting burnout among their grantees. According to the Center for Effective Philanthropy, “grantees describe their experience with the Keep the Spark Alive grant program as ‘an unparalleled initiative’ and ‘so rare’ across other funders.”

THE HEART AND SOUL FUND

Inspired by Imago Dei and our partners–who put everything they have into their work, often neglecting themselves in the process–Roots has launched The Heart and Soul Fund. 

The Heart and Soul Fund will fight burnout among our partners by allocating specific funds for mental health support, self care, professional development, team building, and organizational strengthening. This purpose can be interpreted in whatever way our partners feel will best address the needs of their staff and leadership, from international conference participation, to team retreats, to mental health counseling, to training and workshops, to hiring consultants for strategic planning or to take administrative burdens off of staff. 

The initiatives supported by this fund will help keep our partners and their staff and leadership happy, healthy, passionate, and invested–so that they can continue putting their hearts and souls into their work for years to come.

Our goal is to raise $30,000 by the end of 2025 so that we can launch the fund in full force in January of 2026, offering each of our partner groups–Rasin Devlopman and Gwoup Konbit–up to $15,000 throughout the year. To contribute to the fund, visit rootsofdevelopment.org/heartandsoul/.