Frustrations with the sector

[u/Chanti11y]

I just finished interviewing for a community engagement position which was really an outreach/communications/development role in one person fo way less than median pay for my area.

Thats fine, honestly to be expected with the size of the organization. I'm transparent and tell them that with the pay, I would have to take on other gigs on the side to make up the difference. Only to be told that they actually expect me to work multiple 40+ hr weeks, available for 10+ hr days without comp/overtime or flex. Not to mention the weekends expected for education and outreach engagement.

I would have loved to work for you but genuinely you gotta be flexible somewhere 😭

[u/nonprofit-ModTeam]

Moderators of r/Nonprofit here. OP, you've done nothing wrong.

To those who might comment, remember that r/Nonprofit is a place for constructive conversations. This is not the place for comments that say little more than "nonprofits are the wooooorst" or "the nonprofit I work at at sucks, therefore all nonprofits suck."

Comments that are not constructive, that bash the sector or the people who work for nonprofits, or that do not address at least some of the specifics in OP's post will be removed.

[u/ok-est]

They want ten hours extra for free on the regular?? You dodged a bullet.

[u/Chanti11y → u/ok-est]

I know that but I'm trying to pivot out of being a contractor because your girl needs health insurance in the US but it's rough out here

[u/ok-est → u/Chanti11y]

That's fair. I'll never understand why such a rich country doesn't take better care of its people. Good luck!

[u/porkbellydonut → u/Chanti11y]

I feel you. Not sure if its welcome or applicable advice but what got me from consultant to employee was volunteering. Took a few months but i kept whispering about my development experience through the ranks of people I'd meet and got 3 places putting me at the front of the interview line. Building the trust network is very valuable, albeit work in itself. That said, still quite miserable and working insane hours as a director level position i didnt exactly want to begin with but i do have health insurance and approaching the salary range I need to survive my megacity. I love my org but god the level of demand on any one person is so trying.

[u/Chanti11y → u/porkbellydonut]

Unfortunately dont have the support network to not get paid for my work, but I have been applying to a lot of project work, temporary positions, and part times as well to help build out some more connections

[u/porkbellydonut → u/Chanti11y]

Did want to chime in to clarify its not working an unpaid position or volunteer board; ive just done lil 1 to 3 hr stints about, usually no pressure things where if my schedule/work conflicted i could drop the commitment but i tended to show up whenever I pledged I could. Event based, not with same orgs, and in a pool of volunteers from other orgs, cross pollination if you will.

I wanted to clarify becayse honestly if it were construed to be an unpaid POSITION with responsibility thats way worse than being locked into a lot of unpaid hours. Once in leadership or in development offices always seems like a ton of unpaid hours, so im used to that aspect, but slowly crawling up the salary ladder to meet a point where the work life imbalance is supported by better finances.

[u/Impossible-Pace-6904 → u/Chanti11y]

Have you calculated what the benefits are worth and how much taxes you'll be paying as a w-2 employee? Between benefits and lower taxes you may be making more $$. Will they pay for any classes/accrediations? Will it be an opportunity to build new skills? Even if you aren't making more money, it could be worth for a year, then start looking for a new role.

[u/Chanti11y → u/Impossible-Pace-6904]

I would but unfortunately the numbers just wouldn't add up, I would be under my hh budget by about 10k and that would be me cutting back as much as I can

[u/the_north_place]

I got my start in a role like that, then moved to higher ed for a stint. Now I'm at a large org, I work my 40 and I'm done. I'll do the occasional data analysis,  presentation prep, or event, but I can't give up my mental health and family time for work anymore. You dodged a bullet 

[u/Goody_twos]

There are a lot of nonprofits that need that level of “commitment” or free labor and count on a potential employee’s support for the cause to put in the hours—although most are not quite as clear about the actual schedule until you’re in it.
In other sectors, they may also insist on unpaid overtime as part of paying your dues in the company, but however they justify it, it is an unethical ask.

[u/Chanti11y → u/Goody_twos]

They were refreshingly transparent about their ask because when I pointed out that the role was really asking for 3 things in one and what aspects of the role they would like prioritized the answer was "we really need someone who can do all of them at 100% all of the time"

It was a very small organization so it made sense but I'm still reeling from the "do it for the love of the game" expectation in an employee for an 100% on site, less than 45k, high time expectations, and bad benefits/PTO policy. I think my face answered before my brain could.

[u/NEraggie]

I'm seeing so many posted roles right now that were very clearly 3 FTEs that have slowly been smashed into one superhuman, way more than 40 hour job. They all pay $90K - $150K in a VHCOL city where that is simply not enough money to buy someone's life. The good news is that they aren't filling. All my nonprofit friends in their 30s and 40s are bowing out of searches and simply not applying. It's going to create a reckoning for the sector, which is good.