I kicked off my week on Monday at a Chamber of Commerce event where the Mayor’s declaration naming this week Not-For-Profit week in the City of Edmonton was announced. Did you know there are over 165 000 not-for-profit organizations in Canada?? And 8000 in the Edmonton region alone!
I have worked for a not-for-profit almost all of my working days since I was 14 years old. With the exception of three jobs: one at a movie rental place in my hometown when I was 16, the famed Movietown (which was really more of a social convenience than a job, sorry Mr. & Mrs. Stone.) And I was a server for 2 weeks. And I worked at a wonderful gym in Calgary named Fit Zone, and LOVED that job! It got me through most of my University years.
Other than those three instances, not-for-profit has been my life, ABC Head Start among the best I have worked for. It has always called me back because I realize that I love the challenges and successes that come from working for a not-for-profit. So here are the top ten reasons to work for a not-for-profit organization:
1) You get the pleasure of working with the most talented and passionate people on the planet. Everyone that works at a not-for-profit organization is there because they truly love and are committed to the work they do, because let’s face it they are not there for the money!
2) You learn very quickly the meaning of hard work. Not-for-profits require dedication and hard work I’ve never quite experienced anywhere else. You get internally invested and inevitably work many unpaid hours, but in the end it is all worth it.
3) You get to change lives and the world! You witness it everyday in everything you do, some days more than others, but you are truly making a difference for everyone you work with.
4) You are creating better communities. All your hard work contributes to a better community and a better society for us all to live.
5) You will broaden your skills and knowledge as your responsibilities multiply. Because there are not large streams of revenue coming in, the biggest goal of a non-profit is to “do more with less.” That means you might wear many “hats” in your role at a not-for-profit. This is both challenging and exciting because you never know what you may need to learn next. You are constantly growing as a professional.
6) You get to use your skills! All of them! See #5…this all goes back to doing more with less. For instance sometimes I get to be our Tech Support person at the office, or some days I am a writer, or some days I am presenting at the University, whatever you are good at will be put to good use at a not-for-profit organization.
7) Your co-workers become your family. Every not-for-profit agency I have worked for have a sense of family. Maybe it’s in the work that we do, but the sense of belonging and support you get from your co-workers at a not-for-profit organization are immeasurable.
8) If you do not know how to budget, you will learn…quickly! And this is something you can use everyday in your own life.
9) You feel a sense congruence as your personal values and ethics line up with the work that you do. You get to come to work everyday feeling great about what you do and why you do it. And lets face it, you spend A LOT of time at work so having this align eliminates stress.
10) Less barriers from big systems and more freedom to be creative. Not-for-profit organizations value outside of the box thinking and allows their employees to take risks, learn and try new things.
HAPPY NOT-FOR-PROFIT WEEK EDMONTONIANS!
And speaking of not-for-profits, this blog with nominated for a Yeggie!! The ABC Head Start Blog and it’s author, Christi Lein, were nominated in the Best in Non-Profit category. If you would like to attend the awards show, May 4, and show your support for ABC Head Start buy tickets today!
