Free kit · Leadership and transition
Executive Director Burnout Self-Check: free burnout assessment in Word, Excel and PDF
Measure how depleted you are with a validated scale: the seven work-burnout questions of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, in about five minutes. Then see what the score means against the research, what nonprofit work adds to the load, and a next step for you, your board chair and your team. It measures symptoms; it is not a diagnosis.
Word, Excel and PDF · 8 pages · For executive directors and their teams
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What is inside
- Work-burnout questionnaire. Seven questions from the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, quoted unchanged, that give a work-burnout score from 0 to 100.
- Your score and score log. What the score means against the study behind the scale, a log for each retake and the signs to note between checks.
- Where the load comes from. Four prompts on what nonprofit work adds to the load, and a list of the tasks that land on you because nobody else covers them.
- Next steps. Four next steps: health first, a change to the structure of the job, one request to the board chair and a retake date.
- Team burnout check. Run the check with your team without names, share only group results and agree one or two changes.
How to use it
- Now: answer the seven questions (Form A) and work out your score (Form B), in the Word file or the Excel workbook.
- After the first check: look at where the load comes from (Form C).
- The same week: choose your next steps (Form D), starting with your health.
- Every three months: retake the same scale at the same point in your year, and log the score.
- With your team: someone outside the team runs the check without names (Form E), then runs it again three months later.
Not a diagnosis. This kit measures how severe burnout symptoms are. No questionnaire diagnoses burnout or tells it apart from depression, anxiety or a physical illness with similar symptoms. If your symptoms persist, worry you, or spill into your sleep, health or home life, talk to a doctor or a licensed mental health professional first, whatever your score. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: free, confidential and open 24/7 in the United States.
Questions
Is the kit free?
Yes. Enter your name, email and organization once, and every kit in the library opens on this browser.
Can I edit it?
Yes. The Word and Excel files are fully editable: add your own next steps, requests and team changes, and keep your scores side by side over time. Leave the seven questions as worded, so your score still compares with the research.
Does it work in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs; the tables and ruled lines carry over.
Can I share it inside my organization?
Yes. Copy it, adapt it and share it with your board and staff.
Read the guide
More kits for executive directors
One-on-One Meeting and Delegation KitA one-on-one agenda and notes log, a delegation matrix with four levels of authority, a handover sheet and a first-conversation guide
Leadership Development Plan TemplateA two-page plan: three priorities, 70-20-10 activities and monthly check-ins
Fund Your Leadership Coaching KitCost and return worksheet, board memo, grant budget and grant language
With burnout, the score is rarely where it goes wrong; the choices that feed it are. Coaching does not treat burnout, so if you feel unwell, see a health professional first. Once you are steady, a coach helps with delegation, boundaries and the conversation with the board chair you keep putting off.
Six sessions of executive coaching: $300, $400 or $600, set by your organization's yearly operating expenses.
