Reflecting on My Non-Profit Experiences

This post is sparked by a conversation I have been having via email with a young woman from VA doing nonprofit work. Working in nonprofits is tough and complex work not just in terms of your job description but also in terms of your growth as a person and as a professional. Below I highlighted some positive and negative aspects of nonprofits and discuss what I need in order to strengthen my involvement and committment to the sector.

Positive:

1. There is a place for everyone: Whether you have a high school diploma or a PhD; whether you are interested in protecting rainforests or fighting for the civil rights of immigrants; whether you want to work with young people as a teacher, or assist with web site development, there is a place for your passion and skill. This diversity gives nonprofits enormous potentional to attract many people (with different interests and backgrounds) to social justice and social enrichment.

2. There is room for growth and innovation: Because many of the goals of nonprofits are so broad (eradicating poverty, eliminating violence, etc) there is a great deal of creativity in addressing social issues. For example, when dealing with the growing environmental problems that cities create, one organization’s approach may be to turn empty lots and abandoned buildings into parks and gardens (creating more greenspace and curbing dumping) while another organization may provide training in environmental issues and environmental care in an attempt to create “green collar jobs.”

Negative:

1. Little money and little respect: As I have discussed before, nonprofits need to find a way to sustain themselves financially and work to solidify their place in this country. The work many nonprofits do is taken for granted which is reflected in how they are funded and treated and results in unhealthy competition. However, little seems to be done in the way of revamping their public image or tapping into new models of doing social justice and social enrichment work.

2. Lack of structure: Structure is more than just hierarchy; it is the manner in which an organization is run. From determining how data on constituents served will be collected to creating clear job responsibilities and boundaries (which is sorely needed–there are far too many people who do the job of 2 or more people) much needs to go into ensuring that the organization is structured so that business is done efficiently. Unfortunately, structure is a form of organizational administration for which donors generally do not want to pay–leaving many organizations in disarray.

What I Need:

1. More professional development: Professional development extends beyond a certificate from a school; it’s an atmosphere dedicated to ensuring staff members continue to learn and grow in their field. Thus, classes and workshops do not only have to come from a univeristy. Is there someone on staff who has a passion they would like to share? Or how about working with another organization who specializes in an area in which we could use some work?

2. More collaborations: We operate on islands sometimes which is counter productive–we are burdening ourselves with more work and engage in unnecessary and unhealthy competition. Let’s work with our neighbors more and establish a process for incorporating new ideas.

3. More assurance that what I am doing matters: many people get into the field to bring change, yet how do we know that we are doing that? How do we know we arent jst shuffling problems around or putting bandaids on bigger problems?  Like for-profit companies who need to see money to know they are doing business well, we could benefit from some reasearch and more reflection on the role of our work and it effectiveness.

If you work in a nonprofit, what do you like/dislike about your experience thus far and what resources do you need to grow and feel more comfortable in the sector?

I am interested in having this discussion because perhaps it could result in an online resource network/communty targeted at young people new to the sector. So please share!