PHILADELPHIA, PA — Hundreds of nonprofit leaders from across the Greater Philadelphia region gathered November 6–7 for Call to Wellness, a two-day campaign aimed at addressing burnout and promoting sustainability in a sector stretched thin by growing community needs and shrinking resources.
The event, created by the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey’s Center for Leadership Equity (CLE) in partnership with the Black Nonprofit Chief Executives of Philadelphia (BNCEP), ImpactED’s Nonprofit Leaders’ Circle, and Creative Praxis, marks a new approach to leadership well-being. Organizers say the initiative reflects a growing realization that the people leading mission-driven organizations must prioritize their own health to sustain their impact.
“We cannot pour from empty cups, yet that is exactly what we’ve been asking nonprofit leaders to do for far too long,” said Kelly Woodland, Executive Director of CLE. “The strength of Call to Wellness lies in its collaborative foundation. When leaders come together to collaborate and share experiences, the communities we serve benefit.”
The campaign featured a blend of in-person retreats, virtual workshops, and community sessions designed to foster resilience among nonprofit professionals. Participants explored strategies for managing stress, balancing workloads, and building organizational cultures that support long-term health.
Highlights included immersive wellness retreats for executives, virtual lunchtime sessions for nonprofit staff, and the introduction of an interactive Nonprofit Wellness Toolkit—an online resource offering practical tools and best practices for workplace well-being.
At a time when burnout has become one of the greatest threats to mission-driven work, Call to Wellness reframed self-care as a leadership imperative rather than a personal luxury. By confronting the pressures facing nonprofit professionals, the initiative signaled a cultural shift toward sustainability, empathy, and collective renewal within Philadelphia’s nonprofit community.
For details about upcoming programs and resources, visit the Call to Wellness website at https://sites.google.com/sas.upenn.edu/calltowellness/home.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.