More than eight out of 10 small charity leaders say their work has negatively affected their mental health, new research has shown. 

A study involving more than 350 leaders in non-profits with annual incomes of less than £1m in England, conducted by the social enterprise Fair Collective, found that 20 per cent of those affected said the effect on their mental health had been severe. 

A report into the survey, called Breaking Point: The Mental Health Crisis in Small Organisation Leadership and published today, finds that of those who said their mental health was negatively affected, more than 90 per cent said it affected their work and 28 per cent said they felt unsupported. 

The report quotes one respondent who said: “I have experienced a burnout that led me to be hospitalised in the local psychiatric hospital. 

“I was feeling overwhelmed and depressed by the level of need and my inability to make ‘enough of a difference’.

“I even contemplated suicide as the sector has been my entire life for the last 10 years and I didn’t know how I would live without it but couldn’t also comprehend continuing. It took me several months to recover to a point of stability.” 

The research, which was carried out in partnership with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, found structural and systemic issues that specifically affect social purpose organisations, with disproportionate effects on smaller organisations.

It says the people who lead those organisations “often shoulder the burden of managing precarious financial situations, while feeling responsible for maintaining salaries and service levels for those they support”. 

The research puts forward recommendations for individual leaders, small organisation boards and funders. 

These include a call for funders to increase the availability of unrestricted and multi-year funding for small charities and a request for all those working in or alongside small charities to talk about the research and its recommendations so small-charity leaders can be better supported. 

Emma Cantrell, chief executive of the children’s charity First Days, said she had at times found the pressure of her role overwhelming. 

“I have found myself in some dark places over the years, where my mental health has really suffered,” she said. 

“The combined weight of responsibility to the people we are helping, chronic funding shortages and a team to look after, as well as everything else that comes with leadership, has meant that at times I have been pushed to my limits mentally. 

“It is only now I realise, after connecting with other charity leaders, that actually this experience is, sadly, common. 

“The pressure in my role is still huge and I have to work hard to ensure my mental health is protected in order to carry on in the sector I am passionate about.”

Vic Hancock Fell, research lead and founder of Fair Collective, said: “We were blown away, but not necessarily surprised, by the honest and raw experiences of the leaders we spoke to for the report. 

“Nearly 100 per cent of charity closures in the last 10 years were small organisations, which shows the heavy burden on leaders’ shoulders.”  

“However, it’s important this research doesn’t contribute to a ‘them versus us’ culture, particularly between leaders and boards or organisations and funders.”

She said many funders and sector organisations are meaningfully engaging with small charities but the research showed there was more to be done. 

“Small charities are essential to their communities and to ensure their survival, we need a shared understanding of the unique pressures they, and their leaders, face. 

“This must then be combined with a collective commitment to creating fairer processes responsive to their needs and strengths.”

The data for the report was gathered using a digital survey that was open between the end of August and the start of October and that attracted 337 responses, and a series of one-to-one interviews and focus groups involving 58 people.