Roots, trunk, leaves: A fundraiser's guide to mental health
By Kurstin Finch Gnehm, Senior Partner, Cairney & Company and Strategic Advisor to UK Fundraising, Chapel & York
When I first started thinking about my own mental health as a fundraiser, I was already in crisis. And I assumed I was probably the only one struggling – everyone around me appeared to be doing just fine. So it appeared that everyone else had it together and I was just finding it harder than most.
But as I started gingerly to talk about it, sound it out among my closest colleagues who were also friends, I found out I was not alone.
Not even close.
The landscape has changed
Fundraising has always been a demanding career. But the pressures we're navigating now, particular post-pandemic – burn-out, digital presenteeism, mental load, microstrain, imposter syndrome, the blurring of work and life (add your own here) – are both more visible and more acute than they used to be. The vocabulary has caught up with the reality, which is a good thing. The sector is starting to talk about this more honestly, and I have welcomed those conversations, especially at the CASE Europe Spring Institute.
The cost when we don't is real. Without strategies in place we are more likely to burn out, underperform, and leave roles we are perfectly suited for. That's a loss for us and for the organisations we work for.
Put plans in place before you need them. That's the single most useful thing I can say.
Plant your tree
The framework I find most useful for thinking about this is what I call the mental health tree. Your tree will look different from everyone else's, and that's the point. But every healthy tree has the same three elements.
The leaves are what make you fragile. Not a failing, just something worth knowing about yourself. Mine: imposter syndrome, accepting too much work so that I can look like the hardest working person on the team (followed by fear of letting people down) and criticism – even the most gently offered.
The roots are what keep you grounded. The relationships, routines, and practices that anchor you when things get hard. For me: my partner, my dog, time alone, talking with my therapist and my sister (yes, two separate people) and a sense that I'm doing something worthwhile.
The trunk is what lifts you up - the things that energise you and give you momentum. For me, that's my niblings, running, this community, and those blissful moments when I’ve done something right and receive praise.
No long lists. No elaborate system. Just honest self-knowledge, written down somewhere you can find it.
A few things worth knowing
Build your tree when things are going reasonably well, not when you're already in difficulty. It's much harder to think clearly about what you need when you're in the middle of a wobble.
Revisit it. Your roots, trunk and leaves might change as your career advances, life evolves and you get professional support (if needed).
If your tree ever looks like it's struggling – sparse canopy, shallow roots, leaves blowing off – you aren’t alone, and it’s time to take action. And if you sense a colleague's tree looks that way, there are things you can do. Sometimes just naming it with kindness is enough to start.
As a manager, a team of wobbly trees is a risk you can do something about. If you don't know what to do, ask. That's always the right first move.
Further reading and resources: