Appendix 3. Research Methodology

In June 2024, Fund the People decided that its Staffing the Mission project would launch a national study of how some nonprofit organizations have managed to greatly increase their job quality and staff satisfaction. As part of this study, in December 2024, we decided to conduct a smaller study of how the Endeavor Fund’s seven-year grants are impacting the grantee organizations, investigating effects on both staff and organizational health. In late 2024, the seven Endeavor Fund grantees were asked for two interviews, one with a decision-maker in charge of job quality improvements and one with a non-management staff person. Six organizations agreed to participate, and 14 one-hour interviews were conducted in person or on Zoom between December 2024 and May 2025. Interviewees signed consent forms to be recorded and to allow their name and the organization’s name to be published; they had the option to go off-the-record for any portion. The quotes and summaries in this report are taken from the on-the-record portions.  Each interviewee was compensated with a $100 gift card.

In most cases the Executive Director was the decision maker interviewed, but also one board president, one HR manager and one co-deputy director were interviewed.

In addition, the Relationship Manager of the Endeavor Fund was interviewed. The Haas Sr. Fund had no other role in this report, neither funding it nor influencing its content.

The interviews were semi-structured, using the interview guides below, with spontaneous follow-ups to draw out stories and opinions further.

Several grantee organizations also shared documents such as union contracts and HR policies. The Haas Sr. staff submitted written answers to questions.

The interviews were transcribed using Otter.ai software, and analyzed using NVivo 15 to find recurring themes and illustrative quotes.

Interview Guide for a Nonprofit Decision-Maker

1. Can you tell me more about yourself and your position within [organization name]? What can you share that would help us understand how you’ve observed or be part of efforts to improve employee experience?
2. BEFORE: What did turnover and burnout look like before the changes? (What year(s) are you referring to?)
   a. What problems did employees report before the changes? (e.g. overwork, organizational culture?
   b. If staff left, what positions did you notice people leaving?
   c. What do you believe were the primary causes of turnover and burnout among staff?
3. What aspects of your work environment have improved? (Prompts about any they don’t mention: pay, benefits, hours/PTO, HR policies, organizational structure, employee voice in decision-making, internal communication, physical work conditions, culture /DEI, professional development)
4. DURING - Who initiated the changes? How long did it take? Please tell me the story.
5. Did anyone oppose the changes? What obstacles did you encounter? How were they overcome?
6. Let me ask about each stakeholder in your organization, how they were involved (either as supporters or resisters of the changes).
   a. Funders - What, if any, role did your funders play in enabling positive changes?
   b. Non-management staff members
   c. Board members
   d. Managers
7. AFTER -
   a. How is staff morale now?
   [Additional question added after Trump’s cuts and threats to immigrants began:]
   b. How is your organization weathering the current political storms?
   (Prompts: Do you get federal funds? Do you employ immigrants threatened with deportation? Any other impacts?)
   c. When you look ahead to the coming years, do you see a relationship between the upgrades you made for your staff and what you need to do to protect the organization?
8. It would be helpful to get some documentation of the story. Are there any written documents about the process of change? Who else should we talk with to get the full story?
9. LESSONS - What feedback would you give funders about addressing staff burnout in organizations

Interview Guide for Non-Management Staff

1. Can you tell me more about yourself and your position within [organization name]? How long have you worked there?
2. What memories can you share about how the quality of your job and your colleagues’ jobs have changed over the years?
3. What BEFORE: Did you experience anything negative before the changes? (What year(s) are you referring to?)
   a. Prompts: pay? Benefits? Overwork? organizational culture?
   b. Thinking back to your life outside of work in those early years, was anything challenging?
4. What aspects of your work environment have improved? (Prompts on any they don’t mention: pay, benefits, hours/PTO, HR policies, organizational structure, employee voice in decision-making, internal communication, physical work conditions, culture /DEI, professional development)
5. DURING - Do you know who initiated the changes? How long did it take? Any problems along the way? Please tell me your memories.
6. AFTER - How is your experience now? Work-life balance? Your workload?
   a. Can you give me an example of how things are better for you in the last two years than before?
7. [Additional question added after Trump’s cuts and threats to immigrants began:]
   Is your organization being affected by the federal threats and attacks? In what way?
8. Who else should we talk with to get the full story?
9. LESSONS - What feedback would you give funders about addressing staff burnout in organizations like yours?
10. What lessons could other nonprofits take from your organization’s experience of change?