Dear Nonprofiteer: Why Do We Stay? with Evan Wildstein

What keeps nonprofit professionals in this work, and what does it cost them to stay?

Nonprofit professionals dedicate their careers to making the world a better place, but who takes care of the people doing the work?

In this episode of Nonprofit Nation, Julia Campbell sits down with Evan Wildstein, longtime nonprofit practitioner, fundraiser, author, and self-described “nonprofiteer,” to explore the realities of working in the social impact sector and his latest project, Dear Nonprofiteer, a collaborative, print-only zine created with and for nonprofit professionals.

Drawing on nearly 25 years of experience in the sector, Evan reflects on why people choose to stay in nonprofit work, what that commitment can cost them, and why burnout and self-sacrifice have become so normalized. Together, Julia and Evan explore the tension between caring deeply about a mission and feeling exhausted by the organizations carrying it out.

They also discuss the importance of staff well-being, the stories the nonprofit sector tells about passion and productivity, and what leaders often misunderstand about staff retention. Through humor, poetry, storytelling, research, and community, Dear Nonprofiteer creates space for nonprofit professionals to feel seen and heard, not simply encouraged to do more.

Because sustainable organizations depend on sustainable people, and caring for the people behind the mission should never be an afterthought.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Evan created Dear Nonprofiteer and why this project matters now
• Why nonprofit professionals stay in the sector—and what staying can cost
• The difference between mission-driven commitment and unhealthy self-sacrifice
• Why organizational sustainability must include staff well-being
• The nonprofit narratives we need to challenge, including “do more with less”
• What nonprofit leaders often misunderstand about staff retention
• How humor, poetry, storytelling, and community help us talk honestly about nonprofit work
• Why Evan chose a collaborative, print-only zine in an increasingly digital world
• What research and lived experiences reveal about why people stay or leave
• What continues to give Evan hope after nearly 25 years in the sector

About Evan Wildstein

Evan Wildstein is a nonprofit practitioner, fundraiser, author, musician, and advocate for the people who power social impact organizations. With nearly 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, he has held fundraising and senior staff roles focused on systems, programs, and people at institutions including The Juilliard School, Rice University, and Asia Society. His work has helped raise more than $30 million.

Evan is the author of The Nonprofiteer's Fundraising Field Guide and has contributed to research on nonprofit staff retention. He is also a co-lead of the Social Impact Staff Retention Project and the creator of Dear Nonprofiteer, a collaborative zine exploring why nonprofit professionals stay, what it costs them, and why the work can still be worth it.

Resources & Links

• Evan Wildstein's website: https://www.thenonprofiteers.com/
• Connect with Evan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-a-wildstein/
• Social Impact Staff Retention Project: https://www.thenonprofiteers.com/sisr

Let's Keep the Conversation Going!

What keeps you in nonprofit work, and what do you wish the sector would do differently to take better care of the people doing it?

Share your thoughts, and if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Nonprofit Nation, leave a review, and share it with a nonprofit leader, fundraiser, or colleague who could use this conversation.

Because the people behind the mission matter, too.