When Lewis Carroll created the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland in the mid-1800s, mercury was used to manufacture felt hats. This caused a high rate of mercury poisoning among those working in the hat industry. Mercury poisoning causes neurological damage, including slurred speech, memory loss, tremors, irritability, and hallucinations, which led to the phrase mad as a hatter.
Mad Hatter Day is in October. It seems like the perfect time to discuss all the hats that nonprofit professionals wear, especially in small organizations. One person may be the accountant, board liaison, fundraiser, communications director, human resources specialist, marketing leader, IT professional, operations manager, volunteer coordinator, and strategic planning committee.
We recognize all the nonprofit professionals who wear multiple hats. Thank you. We see you. We see your passion, commitment, sacrifices, strength, and resilience. On top of all your other responsibilities, you probably have a board meeting, a funding event, a site visit, and an audit in the next three days.
But let us also say, wearing multiple hats is a talent not necessarily to be celebrated. If it leads to long and unhealthy hours, it can cause burnout, hopelessness, and despair. Many nonprofit professionals are so committed to the cause, they think self-care is indulgent and selfish. Resist that thinking and take time to have fun, eat healthy, sleep, unplug, and disengage from the work – without feeling guilty.
In addition, we recognize how funders force nonprofit professionals to wear so many hats. Like the hat manufacturing companies of the 1800s, we are creating occupational hazards. We agonize over every penny in your budget. We rarely provide general operating support. We are reluctant to provide multi-year funding. We change our priorities annually. Now that we think about it, it seems like we funders are the ones who are disturbed.
We are pushing ourselves and our peers to be better alongside following the lead of our community looking to shed some hats. Thank you to all the nonprofit professionals and advocates in the labor movement that fight for healthy working conditions, we’re inspired every day to step forward and change from the inside out.
We’ll leave you with a moment of reflection to dream the impossible. It takes hard work to change our systems, so let there be joy along the way, especially to start the day.
Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things
before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll
