Setting the house on fire to save the building

I frequent Reddit and when I started working at non-profits, I joined r/nonprofit, the subreddit for all things non-profit.

Despite the fact that it tends to be American-centric, I do like to scroll through there from time to time, occasionally adding delightfully pithy comments to contrast what it’s like to be part of a non-profit in Canada.

Recently, I read through a conversation thread where a new executive director walked into a cash crunch situation at their non-profit. The former ED had spent its reserve on purchasing a building, leaving no money for renovations. Grant money was declining, and the organization was projecting a massive deficit.

The new ED managed to hold on for the past year, and told the group they supported the mission and was looking at ideas to save the organization.

One of the options was to mortgage their house to stabilize the organization and correct long-standing mismanagement from the board.

It made my heart clench.

As the poster went further into their explanation, it became obvious that the board was either disengaged or not in a position to help.

It read like a one-sided, ultimately toxic romance. The kind where you want to kidnap your best friend, put them on your couch, feed them ice cream and cheesy movies, stomp on their phone and if the partner comes knocking, slam the door in their face and possibly call the police.

Commenters urged the poster not to mortgage their house and to do the best they could, but to understand they were fighting an uphill battle.

I’ve talked here before about not sacrificing your mental health for your cause. Setting yourself ablaze to keep others warm ultimately results in disaster.

The same goes for financial health.

As Canada careens into a likely recession (if we’re not there already), keep reaching out to others, but protect yourself, too.