Beacons on the Frontline

About

There has been a lot of talk about burnout in the nonprofit sector. And it’s not just the baby boomers who are stressed and burning out. What alarms me is that “burnout” is the top reason why young people are leaving the sector, followed by low salaries and wages, then lack of career advancement, as documented in the 2007 report, Stepping Up or Stepping Out: A Report on the Readiness of Next Generation Nonprofit Leaders produced by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network.

Baby Boomers have good reason to be stressed and burned out as they have been on the frontlines advocating for social change for decades. Now, a new generation of leaders is emerging in the nonprofit sector. I am amongst this new generation that researchers call “Next-Gen” leaders. These are individuals under the age of 40 who will lead nonprofit organizations in years to come.

Based on the seriousness of the burnout issue for nonprofit leaders of my generation, I want to play a role in helping my peers and anyone else serving in the nonprofit sector to stay inspired, energized and healthy as we pursue our passion of service.

Because we are energy and physical beings, we are intimately connected and affected by our environment, those around us, our thoughts, feelings and diet, just to name a few. Therefore, Beacons on the Frontline will contain a plethora of useful tips that we all can implement to increase our overall well-being to prevent us from burning out of the sector.

It is my goal to provide you with information you can use that will also produce a few “Aha moments” for you too.

About Asia M Hadley, MA/MPA

Asia M. Hadley is the Training Coordinator at the Foundation Center-Atlanta, a learning resource library for foundations and nonprofit organizations. She earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Florida A&M University and a dual master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies and Public Affairs with a concentration in Non-profit Management from Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).

Asia’s work experiences include teaching history to middle school students, teaching English as a Second Language in the French speaking West African country of Gabon, serving as the Associate Director of Development at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, and working in the staffing industry.

She is a certified Kemetic Yoga teacher and serves on the board of the Atlanta Nonprofit Professionals, chairs a sisterhood group at her church, and is Vice-President of Public Relations for her Toastmasters club. In addition, she is a trainer with RAVE! Seminars, where she works with college students and corporations to enhance student leadership skills. Some of her other interests include reading, writing, playing tennis, traveling and experimenting with living food recipes.

Asia resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and simply loves life!