Social impact workers’ hidden health toll the reason behind 2nd Changemakers Wellbeing Summit

Working at Future of Good for the past five years, I always wondered why our sector didn’t have a conference dedicated to our mental health and wellbeing.

I mean, think about it. Canada’s social impact sector is vibrant and innovative, yet the wellbeing of changemakers who drive this work often doesn’t get talked about – or even seen – even though we are the backbone of the wellbeing of others. 

Think about conferences that you’ve attended in past years as well. Strategies. Outcomes. But when do these conferences address the personal and emotional toll of all this demanding work? Why the scarcity? How can we keep the sector going and continue being innovative when there is a glaring gap in our collective efforts to create sustainable social impact? 

Perhaps it’s because wellbeing is seen as a personal responsibility rather than a collective priority. This is no surprise to the Future of Good community. I connected over a wellness break earlier this summer with Mauricio Rojas, Co-Founder of Interwoven, sharing the sentiment that when we put so much into the communities we serve, we feel a personal fulfillment in the outcomes of the external. This alone is exhausting – yet, sectors expect us to keep going. Why don’t we think about our inner wellbeing more often to show up for the wellbeing of others? 

Here’s the thing: Inner wellbeing is actually a trainable skill. Rojas put it nicely: “There is a prevalent attitude that high turnover, burnout, and career change rates are ‘just part of the sector’ … Low wages and benefits, contract positions, and the constant high intensity of emotionally demanding work…”

But why, I asked? Isn’t encouraging the status quo only going to normalize such behaviour? I, for one, do not want to normalize burnout. 

Indeed, Rojas agreed that these challenges should not be an excuse to collectively give up. In fact, while burnout is experienced on an individual level, “its most powerful drivers are systemic.” That’s why Rojas, along with other inspiring organizations, are leading the way in educating wellbeing, inspiring well-doing, and transforming culture for organizations’ wellbeing. 

Organizations are under immense pressure to deliver measurable results, report on vanity metrics, and stress about performance over anything else impactful. Self-care and mental health becomes secondary to the mission. Moreover, funding for the social sector often prioritizes direct programmatic outcomes over the wellbeing of the people delivering them. 

We hear it repeatedly. Changemakers operate in high-stress environments, but without the care and attention to prioritize their wellbeing, the result can ultimately lead to burnout and attrition from the sector.

This is precisely why we’re hosting the second Changemaker Wellbeing Summit. 

Mark your calendars – March 25-26, 2025 – Click here to register!

I’m beyond excited to announce that our second Changemaker Wellbeing Summit will be held on March 25-26, 2025. We’re already cooking up plans to make this event even more impactful, innovative, and full of those “aha” moments that we live for. The event will be online so that we can include voices from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Trust me, you’re going to want to be there.

Here’s what we heard from partners, friends and changemakers from last year’s event: 

• I’m actually going to disrupt these systems we’re faced with at work. I have a responsibility. Otherwise, our wellbeing will continue to suffer. 
• It was nice to think about wellbeing and how to support it, not just worry about it.
• I finally felt validated and seen.
• What an impressive range of speakers and topics. These are meaningful conversations to have with each other … Many of us simply don’t take care of ourselves despite (intellectually) understanding that we can’t care and support others if we don’t also care for ourselves.

Do these resonate with you? 

By fostering spaces where wellbeing is prioritized, we can sustain the energy and creativity that changemakers bring to their work. The 2024 Changemaker Wellbeing Summit was a first for the Canadian social sector. Those who attended had the resources to do their job smarter, and partners who support the wellbeing of their communities were able to share their impact. 

One year later, we want to hear back. Our journalism and programs team is already putting issues and innovations to watch for, and our partnerships team is ready to work with leaders who want to participate. 

We’ll be covering emerging topics that teams and changemakers have expressed are of importance to them, including integrating EDI with wellness programs, leading for leaders 2.0, disrupting current systems and adopting more innovative practices (and what’s out there?), leveraging digital tools and technology for wellbeing, and many more.

It’s pretty simple: If we prioritize changemaker wellbeing, we not only support the individuals driving social change but also ensure that their work is impactful and sustainable in the long term. Let’s create those spaces—vibrant, uplifting collaborations where we recharge our spirits, share our stories, and build the resilience needed to tackle the world’s toughest challenges. 

One last thing: Cultivating collective wellbeing doesn’t happen overnight. But let’s remember that all things impactful aren’t. In other words, let’s not make it complicated. See you at the summit. 

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Get your tickets to the 2025 Changemaker Wellbeing Summit.

Do you know a speaker who would contribute significantly to this? Nominate them here.

Do you want to partner or sponsor the event? Contact: anouk@futureofgood.co

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