My interest in nonprofits began with a high school senior project. While my classmates explored everything from learning a new instrument to researching disability laws, I struggled to choose one topic. I loved learning, challenging myself, and exploring new ideas – but the subject that kept calling to me was helping people. For my project, I began volunteering with Horses for the Spirit, a horse therapy program where I discovered a particular connection with the at-risk teenagers.
I continued volunteering with equine-assisted learning programs throughout college and eventually found a career where my passion for helping people could really shine. For more than ten years, I was a case manager providing direct services to teenagers and young adults in the foster care system through the Ron Wood Family Resource Center’s Independent Living Program. I helped these young people navigate employment, education, housing, money management, and the many struggles that come with transitioning into adulthood, often developing strong relationships with clients who I had mentored from ages 14 to 21 and beyond. It was incredibly rewarding work, but it was challenging too, and it taught me something I had not fully understood when I started: good intentions are not enough.
As I moved into leadership roles, I became increasingly interested in program development, policy, and the financial decisions that cause programs or entire organizations to succeed or fail. I have seen firsthand how strategic planning, operational decisions, and organizational leadership can directly affect an organization’s ability to serve its community. Deciding that I wanted to help at this higher level, I chose to pursue my MBA. I want to better understand the business side of accomplishing a mission and explore how nonprofits can balance purpose with sustainability.
This blog is an opportunity to think out loud about those issues and hopefully answer some common questions too. I will explore nonprofit programming, youth and family services, grant funding, volunteerism and philanthropy, leadership, and the difficult decisions behind creating robust organizations. I also want to consider the bigger philosophical questions: Are we making the most meaningful investments we can in our communities? What does it take to move beyond short-term solutions? And how do we create lasting change?
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