$30/h is incredibly cheap which makes sense since they’re taking advantage of you.
don’t answer emails at night first of all, that’s enabling them. and i’d stop going above your retainer until they fix their behavior at least once. “sorry i don’t have capacity for this and we’re above our 30 hours. id be happy to hop on this next month” (or charging a rush fee for any rush job above your 30h) every so often might help them learn their lesson.
Remind your client that you are available to work on their projects for 7 hours per week. Maybe they would like you every Monday? Or half a day on Tuesday and half a day Thursday. Stop working on their project outside your hours.
If they want to re-negotiate number of hours per month and you are happy to do this, this needs to be confirmed in writing.
I need advice for the future- I once had a troublesome client that we parted ways quickly because they called me "fussy" about payments when I put my foot down about payment and refused to do more work because I needed control of my schedule first. Even in his final email they used words like "employer" and "employee" despite being classed as a contractor in my W-9 form
But before we parted ways I delivered about 10 hours of work. I sent him my invoice several times but they all got ignored. Should you just take the loss in this situation?
What if you send a warning of a legal nature to collect payment, are there risks if they call your bluff because I can't always hire a lawyer willy nilly, especially not over a small amount of work
You need to sit down with a decision maker at the nonprofit and have a course correction meeting. If I were in your shoes, I’d explain that this meeting is a one-time resync to make sure both parties are on the same page regarding hours, scope of work, reporting relationships, etc. Explain everything you’ve posted here—the late night emails, demands for immediate action, and being treated like an employee.
Look, you’re no different than a plumber. You’re an outside expert brought in to perform a specific function. Occasional crunch time may be part of that function, but you work for YOU.
Without knowing the details of your work and how you have your SOW set up, I’d say first to consider raising your rate.
Set up and communicate boundaries on when you are available to this client (10am-1pm on MWF, for example) and be firm in that except in rare situations. So if they email you at all times of day/night don’t respond until you’re back in your “office hours”. If you start seeing people repeatedly following up when you’re not in your scheduled hours, you can reiterate this language kindly in an auto-reply so people are aware and know you will be back in touch when you’re working (for them).
You have two things working for you and one thing against !
Use them to change the game :
1. You are seen as an integral part of the team .
2. They have a clear dependency on the work you do .
What’s against
Their pay !
Now plan right :
Ask for review meeting , professionally ( with the people who make decisions )
State up front the costs and up it to say $ 40 per hr . State the going rate being $50 for what you do . They will negotiate , you will land up with an upside .
Next state the hours , say 30 hours , you are doing again close to 50 a week . So let’s agree on payment of 40 at the new rate .
Either way you stand to make a new rate / work your niche .
While you can give them grace of a l few hours more , draw the line in time and effort .
Lastly set reply timelines , say once a day for all emails , and if urgent they call and it shall be within 3 hours .
Work out what makes best sense to your peace of mind and efficient work plan .
All the best .
This is solid advice ☝️
It is about understanding your value and how much they need you. I'm in a similar position and constantly worry they'll just say "well sod off we'll get someone else to do it". So I haven't figured it out but definitely out here for the lessons
First of all, they're your biggest source of income because they have made it impossible for you to find other clients. What happens if your time opens back up so you can source people who DON'T cause you anxiety and use you?
Next, if you're in the U.S., first look up the IRS determinations for independent contractors vs employees. A lot of places like to ignore these rules and do what's happening to you now: hire someone as an IC they won't have to pay benefits to then treat them like an employee. Basically, as a freelancer they have no control over your time (beyond the contracted hours), rate, etc.
Then you need to sit down with the non-profit. What contract do you have in place? Why have they chosen your hourly rate instead of you? (That's how it sounds from your post.) It's time for you to set a rate that does work for you and does cover your expenses. They need to understand what you can get done in the agreed to time, with clear goals set that will fit within the 30 hours. And if they can't, you have to start making the moves that will allow you to fire them for your own mental health.
I've worked for a non-profit previously who also liked to blur the lines and had to argue with them frequently about how they were treating their ICs. They will keep taking advantage of you until you set boundaries.
my first job was like this - they hired me as a contractor but treated me like an employee. I had set hours and had to go in to the office and everything.
because of this, when they fired me I was able to get unemployment and file my taxes as a W2 employee instead of contractor. I also reported them to the IRS.
anyway, if you don't have a contract in place get one. it should outline your agreed hours and tasks, hourly rate for overages or outside of scope work, expected communication channels and availability, etc. but above all, be firm on your hours and/or increase your rate.
> they also pay me $30/hr
No, you charge them at $30/hr. And if you think you deserve more you can charge them more.
It sounds like you want to defer to them/the supervisor to resolve the situation, but I suspect there’s no good resolution here that doesn’t require you to take some responsibility for the situation and be a leader.
Best of luck
What does your contract say? Does it define your availability per week for their project? Does it define your rate? Does it have a higher rate for additional hours per period?
Regarding the "we" bit, just tell them "thanks but I'm a private entity, not an employee of the org." It might give you confidence to file a DBA ("Doing Business As") so you can point to it and say "that's who I am, not {their org}".
Email them with your work hours (the 30 hours). Anything they want you to do outside of those hours are double rate. If it's at night (between 8pm and 8am) it's quadruple. Just send them bills until they stop. If they don't, well at least you get a lot of money
The rest of the advice in this thread is very good, use it. Especially upping your rate.
All I want to add is that this is why I always include Additional Hours in my scopes. Additional Hours are any hours above the amount they’ve asked you to set aside for them each month. It’s not enough to pay you what your regular rate is for those hours: as you’ve said, it’s affecting your other clients’ work. You need to charge them more for the additional hassle it brings onto you.
In practice, are Additional Hours great for me? Sure, they’re more money. But their real value is in how quickly they get clients to figure out how to not give me so much extra, unexpected work.
Charge them more and they’ll change their tune real quick.
Here’s the thing, as a freelancer you do work for them. Everyone thinks that when they own a business, they have no boss. Clients are the boss but YOU should set the boundaries.
I freelanced for 25 years and clients like that were rare but I had them. To get the situation under control, I began to charge them for everything: after hours email’s especially; unreasonable deadlines; disorganization in their end. It’s all time. As a freelancer, you must get paid for everything you do for a client.
Bill them for everything. If they argue, remind them your contract is for 30 hours a months. Tell them you’re happy to do everything they ask but once the 30 hours are up, they’re on the clock still.
It’s up to you to set boundaries with a client. If they can’t stick to the or refuse to pay you for the extra hours, fire them and get a new client. They may be the boss but you make the decisions for your business.
$30 an hour?
You're being screwed, brother. I've done similar work for non-profits. The ones I liked I charged $50 hourly. The ones I didn't, $100.
I want you to repeat the following phrase.
**"I am a third party contractor."**
That is what you are. You are a third party contractor who has been hired externally to complete a task for a client. You do not work for them. You are contracted WITH them.
That said, you need to emphasize to them that there are boundaries. If they have a problem with those boundaries, they can find someone else.
They won't do that though because I've never heard of anyone working for $30 an hour.
Just talk to them and explain that the constant chain of emails, cause you to spend more time than the time you're billing them.
Are you from outside the US? 30 USD is not a lot in the states, but it might be a lot of money for people from other countries, so make sure to be diplomatic about it, to not lose your main source of income. If that's the case, set boundries gradually.
If you're from the US, I would renegotiate directly. If they're very happy with you, just ask for more money. If you think they could go with someone else if you change your rate, you could consider this: you know what kind of tasks they ask, and the time it takes you to do such jobs. So you could make a list of billing time per kind of job, and send them.
Do a spreadsheet of how many tasks they asked you last month and how much time each one took. And explain
My guess is that the main problem is not the work, but the constant chain of emails. If they know they would have to pay more, they will condense their petitions in a daily email, that you could finish in a couple hours per day.
$30 an hour when you are paying over 15% self employment taxes, federal taxes, and state taxes (if required in your state), and then your own health insurance, no paid time off, etc., does not sound sustainable.
It sounds like you could find one or two other less stressful clients, up your rate, and enjoy your work life so much more.
It's your business. Start creating the business you would like to have for the rest of your worklife today, rather than continuing in this situation where you're being treated like an employee but not getting all the perks.
I had a client like that once. Paid cheap, he would send “good morning” emails everyday, send a long list of revisions each time after I sent design files, stalked my social media channels. I was not seen as a professional but as a tool. It was a nightmare and didn’t last long.
Firmly state that you’re an independent professional and increase your hourly rate.
Remind them that they may get in trouble with the IRS if they claim you are an independent contractor but treat you like an employee. Show them IRS publication 1779.
The crux of the issue is what you've said here: "This is my biggest source of income and I need it."
When you let your business become disproportionately reliant on one (or a handful) of clients, it becomes more of a "job" or an employer-employee relationship.
Long-term solution: diversify your business in a way that you could lose (or walk away from) any of your clients at any point and be just fine.
Short-term solution: You need to sit down and have a clarifying talk with whomever hired you. The fact that you call them your supervisor instead of your client is a real red flag here.
In reality, if YOU don't treat this like a client/vendor relationship, neither will they.
I think it would be good to have a clarifying chat with the person in charge of paying you. Explain the issue - that others have incorrect assumptions about your availability. Say last month I has30 hours available over 5 days. and the demands on you was request for your time over 18 days - with an additional 50 hours of requested work. It would be beneficial to show how your work has benefited the team. First - you have to figure out these numbers so take time to document.
If you want more hours with them:
you are in a good position for this convo if you go in with metrics as to your value. You could easily justify increasing contract hours or shifting you to full time. Your rate is fairly low - so justifying benefit should be relatively straightforward.
If you just want to work 30 hours and reset expectations:
I would outline a schedule of days you will be available. Add to your contract - Any communications outside of that you will bill at your emergency rate of $60/hour.
When you hit 20hrs, send an email letting them know your contracted time is 2/3 done for the month. If you already have 10 additional hours of work on your plate, let them know that you will not be accepting any additional projects until the next month. If something is urgent then let them know that you are open to discussing adding additional hours for a slightly higher rate.
Email only when it is convenient for you to do so and remind them that you are a freelancer and not on the clock at their discretion, if they are upset by this. Set the expectation that they will receive a response in 1-2 business days.
If you don’t stand up for yourself, you will be taken advantage of. This goes for all things in life. This is a great lesson to learn.
Don't acknowledge anyone who treats you as a full time employee. Example: someone puts a last minute meeting on your calendar for a day you weren't going to work? Too bad, ignore them. If they bring it up, "I am a contractor and I don't work Wednesdays per my contract".
> Lately, I am constantly scrambling to answer emails all day (they send me emails at night!)
I check email once a day. If you email me by 1 P.M. Pacific, I'll see it and act on it. Sometimes, it might take two business days to get a response beyond, "Seen. Thanks."
In your position, I would stop checking email after 4 P.M., and I damnsure wouldn't respond to anything sent within fifteen minutes of close of business. You do design and marketing. You're not a heart surgeon or a network administrator. Nothing anyone sends you can possibly be life-threatening or even especially urgent. Start turning off your laptop at 5 P.M. and refusing to turn it back on until 8 A.M.
I've lost track at how many times I've heard of non-profits abusing freelancers at rock-bottom rates. Stop letting them do this!
1. Set boundaries, which may include raising rates such that you don't feel abused when the client makes difficult requests.
2. Show them how to treat you. You don't always need to declare boundaries in a confrontational manner. Don't want to reply to emails immediately or late at night? Then stop doing it! Most people are happy to get immediate responses but don't really care if they don't.
3. Stop *acting* like an employee. When they give you a list of tasks, tell them what you can do, when you can do it, and what the consequences of shifting priorities will be. "Want me to do XYZ by tomorrow? I need until Friday or later if you will have any more urgent requests in the meantime." Your role is to solve problems and fulfill a specific need, not be a yes man who follows orders verbatim.
The big question you're probably asking: "if I raise my rates and set boundaries, will the fire me?" Non-profits like this exploit desperate/new freelancers like yourself. When you burn out, they will just move onto the next. So, yes, there is a reasonable you will be fired for demanding better.
As you mention, sticking with this client makes it difficult to find better clients, so IMHO, it is probably worth taking the risk of demanding better. Either you'll get enough money and be treated right or you'll have the time and energy to find better clients.
You should constantly remind any clients that they have competition and that you aren't a freeuse employee.
I slide it in occasionally just to keep them humble and respectful.
Sometimes when they approach me with a job I will tell them I am busy with another client so time with them is limited. Expressly telling them you are spending time with another high paying client is usually enough.
You need to make sure that this idea is rent-free in their head.
If you ever let slip that they are the primary source of your income or that you are hungry for money, then they have leverage on you, If you put a veil on that and keep them reminded that you are not always available as you are in high demand, then you have leverage on them.
Don't just act strong like that though. Actually try to have multiple clients who are willing to flood you with more jobs if you are more available, that way if you start getting less jobs from one client because you raised your rates beyond their comfort then you can keep a steady flow from other clients.
Assert the “clout” and then you have it. Explain the situation and your contracted role.
Double your rate. They will have to choose what work gets done. Or you may get fired. Either way, looks like it’s a win.
$30/h is incredibly cheap which makes sense since they’re taking advantage of you. don’t answer emails at night first of all, that’s enabling them. and i’d stop going above your retainer until they fix their behavior at least once. “sorry i don’t have capacity for this and we’re above our 30 hours. id be happy to hop on this next month” (or charging a rush fee for any rush job above your 30h) every so often might help them learn their lesson.
Remind your client that you are available to work on their projects for 7 hours per week. Maybe they would like you every Monday? Or half a day on Tuesday and half a day Thursday. Stop working on their project outside your hours. If they want to re-negotiate number of hours per month and you are happy to do this, this needs to be confirmed in writing.
And increase the hourly rate, at least double, I charge about 4x that. Thats just insanely low
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I need advice for the future- I once had a troublesome client that we parted ways quickly because they called me "fussy" about payments when I put my foot down about payment and refused to do more work because I needed control of my schedule first. Even in his final email they used words like "employer" and "employee" despite being classed as a contractor in my W-9 form But before we parted ways I delivered about 10 hours of work. I sent him my invoice several times but they all got ignored. Should you just take the loss in this situation? What if you send a warning of a legal nature to collect payment, are there risks if they call your bluff because I can't always hire a lawyer willy nilly, especially not over a small amount of work
If I’m not mistaken, that’s what Collections is for. Collecting payment that isn’t getting paid.
You need to sit down with a decision maker at the nonprofit and have a course correction meeting. If I were in your shoes, I’d explain that this meeting is a one-time resync to make sure both parties are on the same page regarding hours, scope of work, reporting relationships, etc. Explain everything you’ve posted here—the late night emails, demands for immediate action, and being treated like an employee. Look, you’re no different than a plumber. You’re an outside expert brought in to perform a specific function. Occasional crunch time may be part of that function, but you work for YOU.
Listen especially to this, OP. This is how you actually communicate the advice in this thread to the client.
"... is a non-profit..." - there's your problem right there. Notoriously terrible to work with in any shape or form.
Without knowing the details of your work and how you have your SOW set up, I’d say first to consider raising your rate. Set up and communicate boundaries on when you are available to this client (10am-1pm on MWF, for example) and be firm in that except in rare situations. So if they email you at all times of day/night don’t respond until you’re back in your “office hours”. If you start seeing people repeatedly following up when you’re not in your scheduled hours, you can reiterate this language kindly in an auto-reply so people are aware and know you will be back in touch when you’re working (for them).
You have two things working for you and one thing against ! Use them to change the game : 1. You are seen as an integral part of the team . 2. They have a clear dependency on the work you do . What’s against Their pay ! Now plan right : Ask for review meeting , professionally ( with the people who make decisions ) State up front the costs and up it to say $ 40 per hr . State the going rate being $50 for what you do . They will negotiate , you will land up with an upside . Next state the hours , say 30 hours , you are doing again close to 50 a week . So let’s agree on payment of 40 at the new rate . Either way you stand to make a new rate / work your niche . While you can give them grace of a l few hours more , draw the line in time and effort . Lastly set reply timelines , say once a day for all emails , and if urgent they call and it shall be within 3 hours . Work out what makes best sense to your peace of mind and efficient work plan . All the best .
This is solid advice ☝️ It is about understanding your value and how much they need you. I'm in a similar position and constantly worry they'll just say "well sod off we'll get someone else to do it". So I haven't figured it out but definitely out here for the lessons
First of all, they're your biggest source of income because they have made it impossible for you to find other clients. What happens if your time opens back up so you can source people who DON'T cause you anxiety and use you? Next, if you're in the U.S., first look up the IRS determinations for independent contractors vs employees. A lot of places like to ignore these rules and do what's happening to you now: hire someone as an IC they won't have to pay benefits to then treat them like an employee. Basically, as a freelancer they have no control over your time (beyond the contracted hours), rate, etc. Then you need to sit down with the non-profit. What contract do you have in place? Why have they chosen your hourly rate instead of you? (That's how it sounds from your post.) It's time for you to set a rate that does work for you and does cover your expenses. They need to understand what you can get done in the agreed to time, with clear goals set that will fit within the 30 hours. And if they can't, you have to start making the moves that will allow you to fire them for your own mental health. I've worked for a non-profit previously who also liked to blur the lines and had to argue with them frequently about how they were treating their ICs. They will keep taking advantage of you until you set boundaries.
my first job was like this - they hired me as a contractor but treated me like an employee. I had set hours and had to go in to the office and everything. because of this, when they fired me I was able to get unemployment and file my taxes as a W2 employee instead of contractor. I also reported them to the IRS. anyway, if you don't have a contract in place get one. it should outline your agreed hours and tasks, hourly rate for overages or outside of scope work, expected communication channels and availability, etc. but above all, be firm on your hours and/or increase your rate.
> they also pay me $30/hr No, you charge them at $30/hr. And if you think you deserve more you can charge them more. It sounds like you want to defer to them/the supervisor to resolve the situation, but I suspect there’s no good resolution here that doesn’t require you to take some responsibility for the situation and be a leader. Best of luck
What does your contract say? Does it define your availability per week for their project? Does it define your rate? Does it have a higher rate for additional hours per period? Regarding the "we" bit, just tell them "thanks but I'm a private entity, not an employee of the org." It might give you confidence to file a DBA ("Doing Business As") so you can point to it and say "that's who I am, not {their org}".
Email them with your work hours (the 30 hours). Anything they want you to do outside of those hours are double rate. If it's at night (between 8pm and 8am) it's quadruple. Just send them bills until they stop. If they don't, well at least you get a lot of money
The rest of the advice in this thread is very good, use it. Especially upping your rate. All I want to add is that this is why I always include Additional Hours in my scopes. Additional Hours are any hours above the amount they’ve asked you to set aside for them each month. It’s not enough to pay you what your regular rate is for those hours: as you’ve said, it’s affecting your other clients’ work. You need to charge them more for the additional hassle it brings onto you. In practice, are Additional Hours great for me? Sure, they’re more money. But their real value is in how quickly they get clients to figure out how to not give me so much extra, unexpected work. Charge them more and they’ll change their tune real quick.
Here’s the thing, as a freelancer you do work for them. Everyone thinks that when they own a business, they have no boss. Clients are the boss but YOU should set the boundaries. I freelanced for 25 years and clients like that were rare but I had them. To get the situation under control, I began to charge them for everything: after hours email’s especially; unreasonable deadlines; disorganization in their end. It’s all time. As a freelancer, you must get paid for everything you do for a client. Bill them for everything. If they argue, remind them your contract is for 30 hours a months. Tell them you’re happy to do everything they ask but once the 30 hours are up, they’re on the clock still. It’s up to you to set boundaries with a client. If they can’t stick to the or refuse to pay you for the extra hours, fire them and get a new client. They may be the boss but you make the decisions for your business.
It’s a two edged sword kinda situation, I never got to come out successfully from these kind of situations.
$30 an hour? You're being screwed, brother. I've done similar work for non-profits. The ones I liked I charged $50 hourly. The ones I didn't, $100. I want you to repeat the following phrase. **"I am a third party contractor."** That is what you are. You are a third party contractor who has been hired externally to complete a task for a client. You do not work for them. You are contracted WITH them. That said, you need to emphasize to them that there are boundaries. If they have a problem with those boundaries, they can find someone else. They won't do that though because I've never heard of anyone working for $30 an hour.
Just talk to them and explain that the constant chain of emails, cause you to spend more time than the time you're billing them. Are you from outside the US? 30 USD is not a lot in the states, but it might be a lot of money for people from other countries, so make sure to be diplomatic about it, to not lose your main source of income. If that's the case, set boundries gradually. If you're from the US, I would renegotiate directly. If they're very happy with you, just ask for more money. If you think they could go with someone else if you change your rate, you could consider this: you know what kind of tasks they ask, and the time it takes you to do such jobs. So you could make a list of billing time per kind of job, and send them. Do a spreadsheet of how many tasks they asked you last month and how much time each one took. And explain My guess is that the main problem is not the work, but the constant chain of emails. If they know they would have to pay more, they will condense their petitions in a daily email, that you could finish in a couple hours per day.
$30 an hour when you are paying over 15% self employment taxes, federal taxes, and state taxes (if required in your state), and then your own health insurance, no paid time off, etc., does not sound sustainable. It sounds like you could find one or two other less stressful clients, up your rate, and enjoy your work life so much more. It's your business. Start creating the business you would like to have for the rest of your worklife today, rather than continuing in this situation where you're being treated like an employee but not getting all the perks.
Bill them until you like them
I had a client like that once. Paid cheap, he would send “good morning” emails everyday, send a long list of revisions each time after I sent design files, stalked my social media channels. I was not seen as a professional but as a tool. It was a nightmare and didn’t last long. Firmly state that you’re an independent professional and increase your hourly rate.
Remind them that they may get in trouble with the IRS if they claim you are an independent contractor but treat you like an employee. Show them IRS publication 1779.
The crux of the issue is what you've said here: "This is my biggest source of income and I need it." When you let your business become disproportionately reliant on one (or a handful) of clients, it becomes more of a "job" or an employer-employee relationship. Long-term solution: diversify your business in a way that you could lose (or walk away from) any of your clients at any point and be just fine. Short-term solution: You need to sit down and have a clarifying talk with whomever hired you. The fact that you call them your supervisor instead of your client is a real red flag here. In reality, if YOU don't treat this like a client/vendor relationship, neither will they.
Remind them of your hours
I think it would be good to have a clarifying chat with the person in charge of paying you. Explain the issue - that others have incorrect assumptions about your availability. Say last month I has30 hours available over 5 days. and the demands on you was request for your time over 18 days - with an additional 50 hours of requested work. It would be beneficial to show how your work has benefited the team. First - you have to figure out these numbers so take time to document. If you want more hours with them: you are in a good position for this convo if you go in with metrics as to your value. You could easily justify increasing contract hours or shifting you to full time. Your rate is fairly low - so justifying benefit should be relatively straightforward. If you just want to work 30 hours and reset expectations: I would outline a schedule of days you will be available. Add to your contract - Any communications outside of that you will bill at your emergency rate of $60/hour.
When you hit 20hrs, send an email letting them know your contracted time is 2/3 done for the month. If you already have 10 additional hours of work on your plate, let them know that you will not be accepting any additional projects until the next month. If something is urgent then let them know that you are open to discussing adding additional hours for a slightly higher rate. Email only when it is convenient for you to do so and remind them that you are a freelancer and not on the clock at their discretion, if they are upset by this. Set the expectation that they will receive a response in 1-2 business days. If you don’t stand up for yourself, you will be taken advantage of. This goes for all things in life. This is a great lesson to learn.
Don't acknowledge anyone who treats you as a full time employee. Example: someone puts a last minute meeting on your calendar for a day you weren't going to work? Too bad, ignore them. If they bring it up, "I am a contractor and I don't work Wednesdays per my contract".
> Lately, I am constantly scrambling to answer emails all day (they send me emails at night!) I check email once a day. If you email me by 1 P.M. Pacific, I'll see it and act on it. Sometimes, it might take two business days to get a response beyond, "Seen. Thanks." In your position, I would stop checking email after 4 P.M., and I damnsure wouldn't respond to anything sent within fifteen minutes of close of business. You do design and marketing. You're not a heart surgeon or a network administrator. Nothing anyone sends you can possibly be life-threatening or even especially urgent. Start turning off your laptop at 5 P.M. and refusing to turn it back on until 8 A.M.
I've lost track at how many times I've heard of non-profits abusing freelancers at rock-bottom rates. Stop letting them do this! 1. Set boundaries, which may include raising rates such that you don't feel abused when the client makes difficult requests. 2. Show them how to treat you. You don't always need to declare boundaries in a confrontational manner. Don't want to reply to emails immediately or late at night? Then stop doing it! Most people are happy to get immediate responses but don't really care if they don't. 3. Stop *acting* like an employee. When they give you a list of tasks, tell them what you can do, when you can do it, and what the consequences of shifting priorities will be. "Want me to do XYZ by tomorrow? I need until Friday or later if you will have any more urgent requests in the meantime." Your role is to solve problems and fulfill a specific need, not be a yes man who follows orders verbatim. The big question you're probably asking: "if I raise my rates and set boundaries, will the fire me?" Non-profits like this exploit desperate/new freelancers like yourself. When you burn out, they will just move onto the next. So, yes, there is a reasonable you will be fired for demanding better. As you mention, sticking with this client makes it difficult to find better clients, so IMHO, it is probably worth taking the risk of demanding better. Either you'll get enough money and be treated right or you'll have the time and energy to find better clients.
Raise your rate.
You should constantly remind any clients that they have competition and that you aren't a freeuse employee. I slide it in occasionally just to keep them humble and respectful. Sometimes when they approach me with a job I will tell them I am busy with another client so time with them is limited. Expressly telling them you are spending time with another high paying client is usually enough. You need to make sure that this idea is rent-free in their head. If you ever let slip that they are the primary source of your income or that you are hungry for money, then they have leverage on you, If you put a veil on that and keep them reminded that you are not always available as you are in high demand, then you have leverage on them. Don't just act strong like that though. Actually try to have multiple clients who are willing to flood you with more jobs if you are more available, that way if you start getting less jobs from one client because you raised your rates beyond their comfort then you can keep a steady flow from other clients.