What Type of Person Thrives in the Nonprofit Industry, According to a Volunteer Programs Manager at Adler Planetarium
Success in the nonprofit sector, according to a Manager of Volunteer Programs at Adler Planetarium, hinges on "personal accountability" and a belief that "your work matters," even in seemingly small tasks; every employee's contribution is crucial due to the lean staffing typical of such organizations. The work demands a high degree of ownership and self-motivation to ensure smooth operations.
Personal Accountability, Personal Responsibility, Nonprofit Management, Volunteer Program Management, Contribution to Public Service
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Grace Souza
Manager of Volunteer Programs
Adler Planetarium
Loyola Marymount University
N/A
English, Writing & Education
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Human Resources (HR)
Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Personal responsibility and accountability are crucial for success in the nonprofit sector.
2. Every role matters in a nonprofit, even seemingly small tasks contribute to the overall mission.
3. A passion for the organization's mission and a belief in the importance of one's work are essential.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
People who work for a nonprofit have to have a lot of personal responsibility for their work. We don't have a large staff here, which means that everyone really has to take ownership of their tasks and complete them to the best of their ability every day.
Or else something falls through the cracks. There's no backup, no one who's just going to pick up the pieces if you decide to only do 50% of your job today.
Every person in this organization matters. You have to feel that and really believe that your work matters, even if it's responding to emails. It's not necessarily the life-changing details that you think it's going to be, but it is important in the scheme of things.
So, you have to have that attitude when you come to work for a nonprofit, because everyone has to contribute in order to provide the service that you are providing to the public. Definitely that personal accountability, that personal responsibility for what you do.
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