We know that chronic underfunding is a systemic reality of the nonprofit industrial complex – organizations are starved of funding and limited in their advances toward holistic transformation. Much like how public benefits offer inadequate resources with stringent eligibility regulations that block people from finding mobility, the demands of the non-profit workplace keep employees chronically wrestling for room to breathe and process. This status quo is unsustainable for employees, survivors, and our anti-violence movement.

The circle’s launch is a part of our commitment to strengthening the anti-violence field and movement. We seek to shift the narrative and culture that forces non-profit staff members to overextend themselves and neglect their own needs and boundaries. Recognizing that these impacts are symptoms of being chronically under-resourced, the circles simultaneously create a necessary space for member organizations’ staff while also garnering in-depth insight into staff wellness across our membership.

We believe that peer support circles will bloom into a space that is ultimately fed and led by the experiences and wisdom of participants.

Our hope is that, in the future, organizations will themselves recognize not only that investing in staff well-being improves overall service provision, but also that it ensures that organizations embody their values of holistically supporting individuals along their healing journeys.