How Can a Board Help an Overwhelmed Executive Director?
The best boards don’t just show up to meetings, they show up for their Executive Director when it matters most.
The Reality of Overwhelm
If you’ve ever sat in the Executive Director seat, you know how much weight comes with it. Budgets, board reports, fundraising, volunteer needs, community partnerships, it can feel like your brain has 47 tabs open, all needing your attention at the same time.
I’ve had quite a few seasons as a founder where I carried so much at once that I didn’t know which fire to put out first. And I’ve learned this one thing the hard way: an Executive Director can’t carry the weight of the mission alone.
That’s where the board comes in. Not just as an oversight body, but as real partners in the work.
Why Boards Matter When Overwhelm Sets In
Most Executive Directors don’t burn out because of a lack of passion; they burn out because the support structure around them is too thin. The board is designed to be that structure if you build the right board. When it works, it can be the crucial aspect that prevents overwhelm from turning into exhaustion or even resignation.
But beyond the formal responsibilities of fiduciary responsibility and strategic guidance, there are so many practical ways a board can help their Executive Director breathe again when the overwhelm sets in. My own board members likely don’t even know the impact they’ve made. This week, I sat down with one of my board members and here are five things I noticed about how I lean on my board when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
5 Ways My Board Helps Me When I’m Overwhelmed
1. We Share the Load Strategically
When I’m overwhelmed, I don’t need a pep talk, I need a lighter load. That’s when my board steps in.
Our finance chair takes the lead on budget reviews and gives me clear summaries instead of asking me to carry it all.
Fundraising follow-ups get divided across members so it’s not just me chasing every donor.
It doesn’t take me out of the loop, it just means I’m not the only one holding every loop together.
2. They Offer Me a Safe Listening Ear
Sometimes the most powerful support isn’t a solution, it’s a safe space. I’ve had moments where being able to say out loud, “I’m drowning right now,” to a trusted board member was enough to reset my perspective.
My board doesn’t try to fix every problem on the spot. They remind me that I don’t have to carry the weight alone, and that shift in itself is enough to keep me moving.
3. They Streamline Communication
Want to know one of the fastest ways to overwhelm a board or an ED? Fifty different emails and texts, all at once.
My board helps by creating a communication funnel. In my case, we operate with a small board, so we discuss most issues during our quarterly Zoom meetings, which gives me the breathing room to focus on what really matters. It leaves space for specific questions to be addressed during coffee with one board member or another.
4. They Connect Me to Peers
Leadership is lonely. And nonprofit leadership? It can be even lonelier.
My board has encouraged me to connect with other business leaders through local networks, conferences, or even just coffee with someone who understands. Those conversations are a reminder that I’m not failing; I’m just human. Sometimes hearing “me too” is all the reset I need.
5. We Reframe Success Together
One of the sneakiest causes of overwhelm is unclear or unrealistic metrics. Honestly, there was a time when I felt disappointed if kids didn’t complete our two-year program at LaunchPad.
But my board quickly reminded me that the point wasn’t completion. The point was opportunity. The point was to help them find a special spark.
That reframe lifted so much weight off my shoulders. Now, instead of chasing perfection, I remembered that impact was always the goal. And that’s what the best boards do, they help you see the bigger picture when you’re too deep in the weeds to see it yourself.
My Story: The Board That Caught Me
There was a season when I was buried in nomination forms, fundraising, and grant deadlines all at once. I felt paralyzed by the to-do list. So during that next board meeting, I openly shared: “I don’t know what to focus on first.”
Instead of criticizing, my board asked one simple question: “What’s the next best step with the biggest ROI?”
That shifted everything. We decided together that launching kids came first. The board divided up fundraising tasks, the finance chair double-checked numbers, and I was able to breathe. That support turned what felt impossible into pure momentum.
The Next Best Step (For Boards and Executive Directors)
If you’re a board member wondering how to support your Executive Director, here’s the short version:
Share the load. Don’t let your ED carry it all.
Be a safe space. Listen before you fix.
Streamline. Funnel communication through clear channels.
Encourage connection. Help your ED build a peer network.
Reframe. Remind them of the mission when the metrics feel heavy.
And if you’re an Executive Director reading this in the middle of overwhelm? Don’t wait until you’re burned out. Call your board chair. Name what’s on your plate. Let them help you decide the next best step.
Leadership doesn’t have to be lonely. The best boards don’t just sit at the table once a quarter, they show up in the hard, messy, everyday moments too.
For Aspiring Founders
If you’re considering starting a nonprofit yourself, I’ve got two resources that can help you right now:
🎥 Watch this video on my channel where I break down the truth about getting started
📘 Check out my course, Unleash Your Purpose, which walks your step by step through starting a nonprofit with clarity and confidence
Let Your Board Offer Help
At the end of the day, the role of a board isn’t just governance. It’s a partnership. It’s making sure the mission is sustainable, not just for the organization, but for the leader carrying it.
When overwhelm hits (and trust me, it will), the right question isn’t “Can the Executive Director handle it?” The right question is “How can we handle it together?”
That’s what turns overwhelm into momentum. And that’s what makes a mission last.
