Fostering Employee Well-Being in Nonprofits: Positive Psychology Interventions to Address Burnout and Cultivate Resilience at Building One Community

This paper focuses on enhancing the well-being of employees within a non-profit organization, B1C, dedicated to serving the immigrant community. Through the lens of positive psychology, our objective was to provide insights and interventions to support the well-being of B1C employees in fulfilling the organization's mission. Despite the positive impact of nonprofits, challenges such as burnout and compassion fatigue are prevalent among its workforce due to the insatiable demand for services, resource deficits, and the passionate nature of the individuals drawn to this work. The exemplary B1C organization demonstrates flexibility, compassion, and commitment yet struggles with compassion fatigue, hopelessness, and issues with self-efficacy. To address these challenges, our interventions encompassed three critical efforts. First, we designed and delivered a 60-minute workshop introducing Character Strengths to B1C employees. Second, we implemented a Character Strengths Spotting Wall to reinforce the concepts introduced in the workshop. Lastly, we initiated a six-month-long staff interaction program called the Hope Buddy Circuit to foster peer support and resilience-building. By employing a strengths-based approach and peer support model, our interventions aim to combat compassion fatigue and promote the overall well-being of B1C employees, ultimately enhancing their ability to serve the immigrant community effectively.