The Labor Market We Could Have (Part 2)
The nonprofit sector’s compensation crisis—and what workers can actually do about a market that wants them powerless.
Nicole Daniels as Nonprofit Boss on TikTok.
In Part 1, I laid out the paralysis: a “low-hire, low-fire” market where everyone’s frozen, plus what government and employers need to change to build a labor market where people can actually choose their own adventure.
But there are two more players in this story. One is an entire sector sitting on $1.68 trillion while its workers can’t afford rent. The other is you.
Since Part 1, the numbers have gotten worse.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy is now tracking nonprofit layoffs—at least 22,000 jobs lost since January, likely closer to 40,000. One in three nonprofits serving communities lost government funding in the first half of 2025. Among those hit, 21% were already serving fewer people within months, and 29% had reduced staff. Candid estimates 2.8 million jobs are at risk if federal cuts continue.
Which makes the math I’m about to share even harder to stomach.
