In Part 1 of this series, people & culture strategist and What’s the Chari-tea? founder Louise Dawtry reflects on the unspoken pressure to be “nonstop” in nonprofit work — and makes the case for People Experience as a critical driver of wellbeing and impact.
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There’s an unspoken belief in the nonprofit sector. One that feels loaded and judgemental. It’s a nagging internal narrative “If you don’t give all of yourself, work through your lunch breaks, stay late in the office, push through just a little more, then maybe, you just don’t care.”

Throughout my HR career in the nonprofit sector, I’ve observed this way of working play out with many teams. Individuals with a huge passion for their mission taking on challenging work, often with minimal funding and resources. Work that is deeply rewarding but also comes with an emotional toll. In this world, the boundaries of work and wellbeing can easily become blurred.

My What’s the Chari-tea? Podcast guests share similar reflections on this with me, with charity leaders discussing the pressure they feel to be working 60-hour weeks to ‘prove’ their commitment, passion and purpose. To frontline workers having to put on their “game face” despite feeling drained. And these are not one-off reflections; this is a pattern seen throughout the sector. This mindset can spread quickly, breeding a culture of ‘busyness’ that seeps into conversations, calendars, and decision-making. It drives a culture that leads to cluttered thinking and a scattergun approach to the strategic objectives trying to be achieved.

This isn’t just a wellbeing issue; it’s a strategic one. And that’s where People Experience (PX) comes in. Wellbeing at work is a key part of a PX strategy but very often such strategy is forgotten. I’ve seen leadership teams focus, naturally, on finance, business development and operations strategies. These are of course core to most charities, yet I find that PX is often an afterthought.

I’ve learned that sustainable impact depends on how people feel, not just what they do. PX is more than HR. It’s the emotional, cultural, and practical reality of what it feels like to work somewhere. It’s how people are treated, supported, and empowered, from their first day to their last. In the nonprofit sector, where purpose is high, but resources are often stretched, PX is what makes the difference between the thriving teams and the burnt-out ones.

As a People and Culture strategist, I have developed bespoke PX plans for nonprofit organisations that boost employer brand, maximise retention, and reduce sickness absence for staff and volunteers within nonprofit organisations. This, combined with personal experience as a volunteer with King’s Trust and Smart Works Leeds, led to me founding ‘What’s the Chari-tea?’, a podcast and community space for all nonprofit people to talk honestly about the highs and lows of nonprofit life. I’ve seen firsthand how an organisation’s culture can lift people up, or sadly wear them down.

Nonprofit not Nonstop
A concept I talk about with my community members is that we are “Nonprofit not Nonstop”. We work with passion, but not without boundaries. We care deeply, but can’t forget to care for our people. And that’s where PX strategy comes in. But how do we create cultures where people can do good work without sacrificing their own health or identity.

In Part 2 of this series, I’ll share practical ways to build people-first cultures, where purpose and wellbeing can coexist.
Louise Dawtry is a People & Culture strategist, and founder of ‘What’s the Chari-tea?’ community and podcast. She advocates for better wellbeing in the nonprofit sector and regularly writes, speaks and consults on building sustainable, people-first organisations. You can follow Louise on LinkedIn and What’s the Chari-tea? on Instagram

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