How to Overcome Nonprofit Savior Complex and Emerge Victorious 

Is a nonprofit savior complex eroding your ability to get things done? 

Contrary to what you might read about or see in the Marvel Universe, superheroes are not real.  

But I would venture to say that we have a real-life equivalent in the form of volunteer managers!  

Unfortunately, like Superman, volunteer managers have a form of kryptonite that can lead to poor judgment, maladjustment, and burnout.  

What is their kryptonite?  

We call it the “Superhero Syndrome.”  

It’s also more commonly known as the nonprofit savior complex.  

In short: When you love too much or care too much and it starts impacting your working relationships and your ability to do your job effectively.  

Often it shows up in the guise of “hard work” that is rewarded and praised. 

And just as often, it ends up disempowering others and burning out the superhero. 

Yes, there are aspects of the savior complex that are helpful in the nonprofit space:  

• Passion for the greater good 
• Altruism comes naturally, and  
• Perseverance to work through challenges.  

However, when taken too far, superhero syndrome can backfire and cause nonprofit leaders to walk along their journey alone, without assistance from anyone (staff, volunteers, their peers, etc.), blinded to the fact that sharing the load is almost always a better answer. 

The truth is that the realities our sector is working to fix can’t be fixed alone.  

You need a support system, just as Wonder Woman needs Wonder Girl and Batman needs Robin.  

What’s more, when you take it all on, you can become a bottleneck, impeding other’s productivity.  And you can even mask sorely needed resources (human and otherwise) that could actually help your program grow. 

Being a solo superhero may feel right in the moment, but it’s rarely right for the long term. 

Instead, let’s look to what it really means to be a leader – to have followers. 

It’s up to you as a leader to inspire others to step up and lead alongside you so that you don’t fall victim to the dangerous side of superhero syndrome.  

What exactly can befall you and your organization if you don’t?  

Read on to find out how you can ward off these potential volunteer management issues.  

The Problem with Compassion: Is it Possible to
Care Too Much?  

Compassion is defined as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” 

By that definition, volunteer managers are extremely compassionate! Through their work, they are able to understand deep, societal pains that afflict people in their community, and they help create solutions so that people can overcome these challenges.  

However, there are times when this compassionate trait can become toxic.  

First, it’s helpful to understand a few key distinctions that are often confused with compassion:  

• Empathy: The ability to understand the emotional experience of another person, but not necessarily feel compelled to act in a way that solves their challenge.  
• Altruism: Acting to promote the well-being of someone else, even if it’s detrimental to self-interest.  

So, where does the toxicity come in, you might ask?  

All of these traits seem like a good thing!  

While it is true that you can’t truly be too compassionate, you can experience feelings of guilt if you feel you aren’t doing enough to solve a problem. This guilt might compel you to act in a way that puts your own (or your organization’s) self-interests at risk.  

For example, you might work long hours to pick up the slack of not having enough internal and volunteer support, you might pay expenses related to the volunteer program out-of-pocket if your organization doesn’t give you a budget, or you might allow an ineffective volunteer to continue working at your organization because you know it’s the only thing that makes them feel good about themselves.  

How can you overcome this, so it doesn’t lead to chronic management issues?  

Don’t let guilt become a deciding factor in how you run your volunteer program. 

Create a deliberate decision-making process and refer back to it whenever you need to make a difficult decision that opposes your compassionate nature.   

Also, if you are too empathetic, a key component of compassion, you are prone to burnout.  

Here are some basic steps you can take to avoid hyper-empathy as a volunteer manager:  

• Take care of your own mental health. While it’s important to be understanding of another person’s emotional state, you don’t need to own it as yours! Self-care is important in this regard, but for more severe mental health challenges, please seek professional help! Bubble baths can only cure so much. 
   
• Practice letting go of negative emotions. You can do this by noticing what emotions come up when you are stuck in a stressful situation, perhaps you’re listening to a challenge a client is facing, or a volunteer who is complaining that they don’t have the support of the staff they work to support. If you find yourself absorbing someone else’s sadness, anger, frustration, etc. relax your body and let go of the emotion. 
   

• Speak up when you need help. It may not be clear to leadership all of the things that must be done to successfully engage and support volunteer talent. Hiding the fact that this is high-intensity work, or that things are falling through the cracks because there simply aren’t enough hours in the day will not help you get the resources you need.  Having a candid conversation about what it really takes, and the opportunity costs of insufficient staffing and budget, might. 

Want to dig into compassion, empathy, and altruism some more? The Greater Good Magazine has some great resources that can help you define your virtues (and your boundaries!) in these areas.  

Nonprofit Savior Complex in Action: How Hoarding Tasks Leads to Lack of Volunteer Commitment 

Another symptom of superhero syndrome is the desire to do everything yourself.  

If you aren’t delegating, there are things falling through the cracks. And, if you aren’t delegating, are you going to be able to take a day off or a vacation without the world falling apart in your absence?  

Also, delegating will save you time and will allow others to learn new skills, so what’s stopping you?  

First, you may not even realize you are hoarding work. Here are some things to look for to determine if you should be delegating more:  

• You work long hours  
• You can’t take a day off or a vacation 
• Your volunteers, staff, or colleagues aren’t motivated  
• You feel like you are the only one who cares about the success of your program or projects  

Second, think about what is causing you to not delegate. Do any of the following resonate with you? 

• You’re a perfectionist who prefers to do things on your own 
• You’re concerned that your organization will view you as dispensable if others are doing your work  
• You lack self-confidence and worry that you will be upstaged by your volunteers or colleagues  

Now that you know how to spot a lack of delegation and understand why you might not be delegating, it’s time to start a process that makes it easy for you to delegate tasks.  

And, we won’t leave you hanging. 

Below is a simple three-step process you can follow:  

Step One: Decide what to delegate. Review your to-do list, your processes, your weaknesses, repetitive tasks, things you dislike doing, etc., and consider which of these tasks volunteers or other staff can take on.  

Step Two: Learn how to delegate. Follow the S-I-M-P-L-E framework below:  

• Set expectations. Think about the goals, roles, and expectations.  
• Invite commitment. What are the benefits for the organization and the volunteer? What tools and support will be made available?   
• Measure progress. Define the milestones and set aside time to check in. 
• Provide feedback. Determine what went well and what could be improved.  
• Link to consequences. What will happen if the work is not completed as agreed upon?  
• Evaluate effectiveness. What were the results?  

Step Three: Self-reflect and think about how it went and what you can improve upon next time. Ask yourself the following questions:  

• Was the task fully delegated? Did I explain it well? 
• Did I provide clear direction (deadlines, steps, etc.)? 
• Do they have the resources to carry out the task? 
• Do they know the goal and why it is important to the bigger picture? 
• Did I set up a plan to monitor progress and keep them accountable? 

Over time, you’ll become more comfortable with your delegation style and process. And when you do, your volunteers will feel empowered and motivated to take on challenging tasks and your plate will be clear so you will have the time and energy to create policies and processes that will help you avoid volunteer management issues before they come up.  

Overcome the Superhero Syndrome with Boundary Setting  

We all know the story of the volunteer manager who wears so many hats that they are constantly balancing along a fine line between work and personal time.   

And, regardless of how many limits you put into place, you can’t necessarily control what comes across your desk or what tasks are high priority.   

You can set maintain boundaries, though, which will lessen the likelihood of volunteer management issues creeping into your program.   

What are Boundaries?  

Professional boundaries for volunteer managers are clearly established limits that allow for safe connections between staff, volunteers, and clients. In order to set these boundaries, you need to understand where your role as a leader begins.   

Consider the type of boundaries you want to set for yourself, then be open and honest about them. 

When you suffer from superhero syndrome, you might wonder how you can set boundaries and still be an asset to your team.  

Read on for some common questions and tactics on how you can overcome these personal objections.   

Can I still be seen as helpful if I set limits on my workload?   

Yes! As Tobi likes to say, “boundaries are love.”   

By setting boundaries, and being clear and open about them, you are communicating to your boss that you respect your own wellbeing and the quality of work you can put out.   

However, people in the helping profession (volunteer managers included) are notorious for pitching in, taking one for the team, and helping drive their organization’s mission forward no matter what it takes.   

So, how can you limit the “additional duties as required” that are thrown your way?  

• • Communication is key.  
  • Think about and communicate the impact of your decision.  
  • Suggest an alternative.  
  • Be direct and firm.  

What are legitimate professional boundaries?   

There are three types of boundaries you can set at work: physical, mental and emotional.   

Physical boundaries are easy to define, while mental and emotional boundaries are more difficult because they aren’t tangible.   

With physical boundaries at work, they can include how you prefer to greet someone (with a handshake or hug pre-pandemic) or how you share your workspace and tools.   

Mental and emotional boundaries are about recognizing and respecting your thoughts, values, opinions, and emotions as your own. Knowing that they are distinct from everyone else you work with.  

When you have strong mental and emotional boundaries, and people respect them, you don’t have to be afraid to speak up and share ideas. 

How do I handle pushback on my boundaries?  

Sometimes, boundaries are met with anger or resistance. Don’t let the fear of resistance stop you from setting them, though!  

Use the tips below to learn how to respond to boundary pushers with grace.   

Step 1: Identify how you are feeling after boundaries were crossed.  

Step 2: Verbalize how you are feeling to the person who transgressed your boundaries.   

Step 3: Stand your ground. People who push boundaries will keep doing so if you allow it to happen with no consequences.  

Step 4: Don’t feel responsible for the other person’s response. You are not the cause of their anger or disappointment!   

There is also a time where simply boundary-setting feels too overwhelming or impossible.  Deeper issues stemming from our upbringing, past trauma, or dysfunctional relationships may make it very hard to set and maintain boundaries. 

If that’s the case for you, speaking with a professional therapist can help you get to the root causes of  your need to please others or your inability to say “no.”  

We recommend, Melody Beatty’s classic book “Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself.” If you find yourself manipulated by, or needing to control others, this book can give you some insight and action items to recovery and resilience. 

While we love to use the superhero metaphor to describe our work and that of our volunteers, it’s probably a good time to admit that we’re all merely mortal. 

What do you think?  Post in the comments.