Favorite Parts Of Working In The Nonprofit Industry As A Co-Founder And CEO
Michael, the Co-Founder and CEO of Improve Your Tomorrow, finds fulfillment in the nonprofit sector despite its challenges because they "get paid to help young people who grow up like" they did, ultimately breaking cycles of poverty and increasing socioeconomic mobility across generations. The opportunity to change not only a young person's life but "their grandkids life" through education is what Michael finds most rewarding.
Nonprofit, Social Impact, Socioeconomic Mobility, Mentorship, Education
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Lynch
Co-Founder and CEO
Improve Your Tomorrow
Cal Poly Humboldt
Sacramento State - Masters of Public Policy and Administration
Business Management & Admin
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Business Strategy
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The nonprofit industry is a flawed business model where services are provided for free, relying on external funding, which creates financial constraints.
2. The rewarding aspect of the nonprofit sector is the ability to help young people from challenging backgrounds improve their lives and future generations.
3. Obtaining a college degree significantly reduces the likelihood of involvement in the criminal justice system and living in poverty, leading to increased socioeconomic mobility for families.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your industry?
The nonprofit industry is really tough; it's a flawed business model. You provide a service for free and hope that someone else will pay for it. This means you don't have the same ability to borrow or raise money.
You're also highly restrained by how you spend money because nonprofits have grants and restricted dollars. But after all that, I like that I get paid to help people. I get paid to help young people who grew up with challenging environments, like I did.
Yet, we get an opportunity to change not only their lives but their grandkids' lives. If you get a college degree, your likelihood of getting involved in the court justice system or living in poverty drastically declines. This means that if you grew up in poverty and now have a college degree, your kids and grandkids are most likely not to live in poverty.
So, I love that we get an opportunity to increase socioeconomic mobility for the families and young men that we serve.
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