Social sector leaders call for urgent focus on sector’s wellbeing

New data reinforces the importance of action. Some of the Australian charity sector’s most influential leaders have called for more urgent action to support the wellbeing of people working in Australia’s social sector.

The call came during the opening session of Benefolk’s inaugural 2025 Workplace Wellbeing Summit, which ran throughout September. Panellists included Sarah Davies AM, Chair of the ACNC Advisory Group and CEO of Alannah & Madeline Foundation; Denise Cheng from Pay What It Takes movement, Ryan Ginard from Minderoo Foundation; Ben Vasiliou from The Man Cave; Adele Stowe-Linder from Institute Community Directors Australia; and Hon. Andrew Leigh MP, with discussion facilitated by Julia Keady, Benefolk Founder and CEO.

The urgency of the issue was also reflected in data collected from those who participated in the month-long Summit, as part of the Benefolk Wellbeing Index. When asked how they felt at work, more than half reported they often felt stressed or anxious, overwhelmed or frustrated and exhausted. Only a small minority said they rarely felt these pressures. For around two thirds of respondents, motivation was rarely a factor, nor was feeling ineffective. However, 20% said they always felt their workload was unachievable and 15% felt they were not looking after themselves.

The data confirms what many in the sector already know: doing more with less is unsustainable. Without systemic change in how the sector is resourced and led, workforce wellbeing will remain under strain. The focus of the discussion was therefore on what can be done.

Sarah Davies started the conversation by noting that no one works in the sector for the money or the glamour and that while resources are scarce and the work is never done, it is one of the greatest privileges and most inspiring sectors to work in. She challenged leaders to reflect on whether enough is being done to ensure staff and volunteers are supported in the face of trauma, uncertainty, and funding pressures; to identify how we can attract talent, and share where progress is being made.

Adele Stowe-Lindner (ICDA) reinforced the stressors, sharing preliminary findings from a groundbreaking governance and wellbeing survey, which revealed strong mission alignment – a really great protective factor when things get tough - but rising stress among boards, with 83% of respondents welcoming more wellbeing support.

Denise Cheng (Pay What It Takes and Equity Trustees) emphasised the role of trust-based philanthropy, and the need to educate funders around direct and indirect costs:

“Speak to a potential funder or existing donors and actually unpack what goes on behind the scenes in order to deliver the incredible outcomes on the ground.

People are willing to pay overheads and key wellbeing costs if they know that’s needed. We need to communicate honestly with funders about what it takes to deliver outcomes.”

Ryan Ginard (Minderoo Foundation) cited alarming US data showing that seven in ten people want to leave the sector in the next year, urging action and especially awareness of the structural elements of the social sector.

“When not-for-profits are successful, they don’t scale up like business. They have these additional elements loaded up to their day to day - trying to find more funds, more staff, and it just keeps on compounding. Just convening events like this – and the work of Benefolk itself – is a huge help to raise awareness and drive change,” Mr Ginard said.

From Ben Vasiliou, CEO of The Man Cave, the answer lies in a mindset shift. “We should not be practising client-first. We should be practising people-first, because when we put people first… they deliver higher quality, better impact to the most vulnerable Australians.”

He highlighted the funding imbalance facing not-for-profits, and the need for benchmarking staff pay, sharing the stark example of a youth worker role advertised by government for $117,000 compared to $80,000 in the NFP sector. “When we think about recruiting, retaining and developing talent, if there's a $37,000 gap there, I wonder which one you'd choose?”

Hon Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Charities, welcomed the chance to engage on what the Government recognises as a very important topic, noting regular consultations around the country and recent roundtables. He also outlined steps the Government has already taken to support the sector.

“We hear about issues such as the duration of funding contracts, the importance of allowing organisations to invest in their staff and recognising the importance of ensuring that people can make an impact without burning out.

“In response, we've aimed to make life easier for charities through streamlining the path to deductible gift recipient status for a number of categories of charities, not-for-profits, and through creating the Community Foundation's category.

At the end of the session, panellists responded to Sarah Davies’ earlier call for some out of the box thinking.

Denise suggested continued advocacy to embed “Pay What It Takes” approaches across funding relationships. Meanwhile, Ryan floated the idea of a Wellbeing Commissioner for NFPs and Ben imagined a sector-wide benefits system – “the black Amex of the employment world” – giving all NFP staff access to top-tier wellbeing programs, health insurance, and psychological support.

Contributors to Benefolk’s Wellbeing Index poll also offered their thoughts on ‘radical action’, with one message standing out: funding reform. This was consistent with the sentiment in the room in 2023 when Benefolk launched The Community Well. Many called for funders to embrace “Pay What It Takes”, so organisations can pay fair wages, cover operational costs and reduce chronic overwork. Others highlighted workplace reforms such as introducing a four-day week, mandating wellbeing considerations in grants and ensuring boards and senior leaders are held accountable for modelling positive behaviours.
Andrew Leigh closed with a note of optimism about changing attitudes, how people are more inclined to talk about their vulnerabilities, and how the work of Benefolk has contributed so much to the sector’s wellbeing through initiatives like The Community Well and the Expert Bar.
“You’re the sector SWAT team that comes in to look after charities and not-for-profits at their time of need. You're the changemaker’s best friend.”