Promises Broken: Reclaiming Your Health and Humanity When Mission-Driven Work Lets You Down
For those drawn to mission-driven work, the promise is simple: make the world better while doing what you love. But what happens when that promise shatters? In Promises Broken, we confront the painful paradox of purpose-driven organizations that damage the very people committed to their cause.
Through intimate personal stories, this book exposes the unique toxicity that can flourish behind the shield of mission-driven work. It follows five women across different sectors whose dedication to their calling left them physically, emotionally, and spiritually depleted. Promised Broken challenges the destructive narrative that self-sacrifice equals commitment.
But this isn’t a story of defeat. It’s a powerful testament to what becomes possible when we finally put words to our experiences and find community in our shared struggles. Drawing from these real-life accounts of women who’ve walked this path, Promises Broken validates what so many mission-driven professionals suspect but still need to hear: It’s not you. You’re not alone. And it’s okay to put yourself first.
Whether you’re questioning your experience in a nonprofit or mission-driven social sector workplace, watching a loved one struggle in these environments, or want to attune yourself to the early warning signs in your own organization, this book offers both validation and hope. It’s time to reclaim the humanity that mission-driven work was meant to celebrate—starting with your own.
Mission-driven work has never been more important—or more demanding. This book is an essential read for anyone who has poured their heart into a cause, only to find themselves struggling within unhealthy organizational cultures. It unpacks the underlying patterns that can make purpose-driven work unsustainable, equipping readers with the awareness to identify and navigate unhealthy dynamics. This book is an invaluable guide for anyone committed to making an impact—without losing themselves in the process.
Anu Malipatil, Executive Director, Overdeck Family Foundation