As nonprofits continually adapt their staffing models to respond to fundraising and economic trends, layoffs and restructures are becoming more common. This month alone, three of our P2P Top 30 organizations have experienced significant reductions in force.

While those laid off are most directly impacted, it’s crucial to recognize the effect on the remaining team members and their workloads. Experts from the corporate world have written extensively on managing through such transitions:

• How To Manage Your Team Through Layoffs (Harvard Business Review)
• Supporting Your Team Through A Layoff (Forbes)
• How to Rebuild Team Morale After Layoffs (Teambuilding.com)
• The Impact Of Layoffs: Tech Workers’ Mental Health And Tips To Navigate (Forbes)

But what about the impact these changes have on our fundraisers and peer-to-peer events? As P2P leaders, how do we mitigate the damage?

Assess the portfolios held by the laid-off team members.  Identify the most critical relationships and contact those stakeholders quickly to reassure them of your commitment to their fundraising goals.

Engage your key volunteers & fundraisers in your path forward. Instead of simply offloading a former employee’s work to remaining team members, seek short-term support from volunteers or enlist top fundraisers to mentor new ones.

Create shared team goals for your upcoming events. Sit down with your team collectively to discuss how your upcoming events can achieve their goals and how other team members can contribute to recruitment efforts or sponsor support.

Finally, make the most of our P2PPF community. Connect with your peers at other organizations to hear how they navigated similar challenges and uncover quick-turn solutions. 

If your organization has recently undergone restructuring and you need support through peer networking, brainstorming, or even just emotional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out.