Guest blog feature: Louisa Daubney

The more hours I work, the more money I can raise – or so I thought 

It was a Friday night. Most people had already left for the weekend. 

From across the floor, a colleague shouted: 

“Louisa, why are you still here?” 

Without a moment’s hesitation, I automatically replied: 

“Well, the more hours I work, the more money I can raise.” 

At the time, that’s what I genuinely believed. 

More funding meant more programmes, more support, more impact. Staying late felt responsible, necessary – even motivating. 

Looking back, I often wonder why I thought that way – especially since I would then head home on a Friday night to cook a ready meal, pour a glass of wine, and slump in front of the TV for the rest of the evening. 

More hours at work didn’t mean more impact – it just meant I was starting to run on empty. 

When commitment turns into overwork 

I’ve never burned out, but my body has often signalled that I need to slow down. 

I missed one of my own leaving dos because I had exhausted myself doing my day job and preparing detailed handout notes for my replacement. 

I worked long hours and ignored my limits, regularly hitting the override switch because the work was important and meaningful.  

It gave my life a sense of purpose. 

A big part of my identity was connected to my work and to my output. 

It took another ten years – whilst training to become a certified burnout coach – for me to understand why listening to my body’s whispers before they became shouts really does matter. 

So what is burnout? 

Training under Jayne Morris, the “UK’s Leading Executive Burnout Coach”, I learnt that burnout is the combined effect of: 

●  internal drivers – such as perfectionism, people-pleasing or over-responsibility – and 

●  external stressors – like the lack of clarity about your role or priorities, an excessive workload, understaffing, and limited financial resources 

These factors left unchecked can culminate in prolonged stress and poor lifestyle choices, severely depleting the adrenal glands and immune system, and ultimately leading to burnout. 

Moral injury burnout 

While Jayne’s definition helped me understand how internal and external pressures can contribute to burnout, Kelly Swingler, the Burnoutologist and Master Burnout Coach Trainer, introduced me to another dimension: moral injury burnout. 

It happens when our values come up against a system that prevents us from doing our jobs effectively and in line with what we believe is right. 

This can happen when the policies, procedures and practices within a sector – healthcare, education, the charity sector – make it difficult to do what we feel is right or to provide the standard of service we believe people deserve.  

You want to make a difference, but the reality of the system you're working within can pull you in directions that feel ethically uncomfortable. 

Over time, this tension can drain your energy, erode your sense of self, and increase the risk of burnout.  

Rising pressures in the charity sector 

Charities are facing a perfect storm: demand for services is rising, raising money has become more difficult, and costs are increasing. 

These conditions create a high-pressure environment, where staff are stretched, resources are limited and the work is increasingly urgent. 

Living and working in Oxfordshire, I was particularly struck by a roundtable discussion for BBC Oxford, held with charity leaders in the county in July 2025. The charity leaders highlighted not only the financial pressures charities are facing, but also the growing pressure to fill gaps that, in the past, the government would have covered. 

Pressures are also being felt by fundraisers themselves. A 2025 report published by Rogare, Caring Too Much: The burnout dilemmas faced by fundraisers and the emotional toll of a fundraising career, explores the particular pressures faced by fundraisers, including the pressure to “achieve more for less” and the expectation that they should be able to “deliver the impossible”. 

As someone who spent 18 years working in fundraising, I know how easily these pressures can translate into longer hours, difficulty switching off and putting my own wellbeing last. 

The true cost of long hours 

But working more hours to try and manage these pressures doesn’t always lead to “producing more” and often comes at a cost both professionally and personally. 

Professional costs may include: 

●  Reduced creativity and strategic thinking, right when your funding strategy needs fresh approaches 

●  Harder, slower decision-making on funding pipelines, priorities and where to invest limited resources 

●  A higher chance of mistakes, missed opportunities or struggling to manage more challenging funder and donor relationships 

Personal costs may include: 

●  Less time for rest and recovery, which your judgement and energy depend on 

●  Long hours, regular evening events and out-of-hours donor contact putting a strain on personal relationships 

●  Growing resentment towards a cause and career you once loved and gave so much of yourself to, over time 

Overwork and unresolved pressure don’t just reduce effectiveness at work – they can also chip away at the very essence of the people trying to bring about positive change in the world. 

Why I do this work 

After 18 years working as a fundraiser for Mencap and Oxfam, and whilst serving as a trustee for a local charity, I retrained as a Life Coach and later became a certified Burnout Coach. 

These experiences gave me a deeper understanding not only of the pressures fundraisers face but also how to work with them to create sustainable ways of working. 

I believe that the world needs changemakers - including fundraisers - who are truly connected to themselves and working within their limits not running on empty. 

Charities will struggle to thrive if their people are exhausted, overworked, or under-supported. 

What I have discovered is that high-pressure, purpose-driven work often draws people with strong internal drivers – a deep sense of responsibility, high standards, perfectionist tendencies, and a keen sense of injustice. 

These qualities can fuel positive impact, but if left unchecked and without a solid set of boundaries in place, they can also drive overwork and, when combined with significant external stressors, increase the risk of burnout. 

A more sustainable way forward  

If you’re a Fundraising Director trying to achieve ambitious targets whilst navigating a challenging funding environment, and would like to explore how you can work more sustainably and support your team to do the same, without sacrificing wellbeing or increasing the risk of burnout, let’s have a conversation.