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When I first told people I was pursuing my nonprofit full time after graduation, the common response was: “Why would you want to work for a nonprofit? You won’t make any money.” I usually replied: “It’s not about the money. I’m doing this to change lives.” Though I tried to brush it off, the thought always stuck in my head as to why this was the reaction I received.
In the months that have passed since graduation, I’ve realized that ironically, money is the answer. For nonprofits to achieve impact at scale, funding is required to ensure that the important work can be completed.
It seems quite counterintuitive how the most impactful work receives the least amount of support. If we were to exclude the giving of Bill, Melinda and Mackenzie, it would leave a serious dent in global philanthropy.
Aside from this crucial impact enabler, every nonprofit has an origin story that shaped it all. To start with your “why” is at the heart of many nonprofits and shapes their mission. The most successful nonprofits are typically remembered for an inspiring story that rallied together the first community of supporters and believers.
I’d venture to say that you will find people who start nonprofits are often the grittiest—it’s a long, uphill journey that not only requires resilience after hearing countless people tell you “no” but also sheer perseverance to build something out of nothing.
So now you may be wondering—why would I work for a nonprofit? It comes down to three factors: vision, impact and culture.
It all begins with a vision
The vision is an organization’s guiding principle, and it is what makes brands such as Apple and Google so successful. They bring people together to achieve it. That sense of community and vision is felt when you work for a nonprofit.
A vision results in impact
You will see your hard work result in changing countless lives—whether that be through water, schools or houses. This path is created by committed visionaries, who are rewriting the status quo. The path you create continues to evolve with each new solution and every dedicated maverick who believes that their actions will result in real change.
Impact feeds culture
I can’t speak for every organization, but from my experience, it’s the familial culture that is uniquely shaped by working alongside your team to make a difference in the world. There are no ulterior motives, only the radical belief that someone’s life—even an ocean away—has been impacted by the work you have done, and the skills needed to deliver can only be developed by the rare culture you are part of.
People seek purpose-driven companies where they feel fulfilled and valued while working towards a shared vision. Altruism is pivotal and should be normalized.
I believe that we need to start encouraging giving without expecting anything in return. When did working for charity become so negatively perceived? The root of “charity” is love, after all. I’d like to think if we have more of that, the world would be a more hopeful place.
This starts with public-private partnerships and requires individuals who have been afforded much in life to support a cause which they are passionate about. A $5 Starbucks coffee bill could likely be a 3-day salary of someone like you in Madagascar who lives on less than $1.90 per day. Your actions matter.
I look forward to the day when nonprofits are celebrated for their commitment to building a brighter world without a monetary ROI. I hope that more companies and individuals will consider investing in innovation within the humanitarian space.
Shifting our view beyond our short-term horizons would help close the nonprofit salary gap by infusing support directly to projects and enable organizations to ensure livable employee wages without worrying about completing funding goals that the people they serve depend on. This could be through brand partnerships or lending a platform to champion the voices who are doing the work behind the scenes.
We should value more than a public image and we ought to leverage the resources we have to address real issues that we are typically not exposed to. At the end of the day, future generations are shaped by the actions we take today. Only together will we achieve this but we must embrace change to think differently and blaze a new path forward.
Innovation is often reserved for revenue-driven business, but this needs to change if we want to make any tangible headway in tackling the world’s most pressing problems. Let’s start by viewing working for a nonprofit to be as cool as working for Google. Because nonprofits should be regularly listed and celebrated on the “Best Companies to Work For.”
