Ask ReproJobs: Are non-profits even more corrupt than corporations?

Dear ReproJobs,

I’m becoming super jaded about the nonprofit industry. I’ve worked at two repro health orgs riddled with financial issues, racism/colorism, and poor management, of course, while not getting paid a living wage. Now I’m at a foundation and it seems like it’s ALL overhead and no impact. No real organizational missions or strategies. I’m starting to think non-profits may be even more corrupt than corporate jobs because they do these things under the guise of doing good and via precious donor dollars. Am I burnt out or unreasonable or is the nonprofit industry indeed part of the problem in the grand scheme of things? 

— Jaded Truth Teller

Dear Jaded Truth Teller,

The answer is yes and yes. You sound like us, honestly. You might be burned out and that’s real and common. It’s extremely exhausting to see important, potentially life-changing social justice work be marred down by financial issues, the -isms, and all the things we say we’re trying to fight. And, the sad reality is that that’s the way the system is set up considering non-profits exist as tax havens for wealthy people to avoid investing in governments and local communities. This is the cycle of capitalism and what makes our work even harder on a global scale in addition to the day-to-day work.

The question for you now is to figure out how you can be at peace and do work that makes you feel fulfilled while also balancing the fact that YOUR VALUE AS A PERSON DOES NOT COME FROM YOUR WORK, but from you as a person. Perhaps that means a job or sector change, or resetting of expectations of what change is actually possible in social justice nonprofits. Of course, that’s hard when you see foundations spending several people’s entire salaries on useless things (or, say, the CEO’s pay). 

We’ve been there. When one of us burned out early in our career due to a very toxic work environment and onslaught of harassment, I moved to an entirely different sector in which I cared about the work generally, but not to the point that I ever took it home with me, or even stayed at the office past 4 pm. I was lucky that I could give myself the mental health break I needed and still be employed. When I was ready, I made the work that was my passion a volunteer project for my free time so I could fall in love with it again and do the impact work that actually made a difference in people’s lives, while avoiding the intra-movement mess, existential crisis, and heartbreak. I also shifted the way I work, where I tried to spend less time in movement bullshit and frustration and more time with friends and loved ones who reminded me of what’s real in people’s lives, what strides are being made, and that corruption and financial mismanagement is everywhere—it’s a function of capitalism. This probably isn’t the most helpful answer, but we chose your question because so many of us are feeling this right now and it can be disheartening and debilitating. 

Take some time to refocus yourself and your priorities and if you can, find ways to reconnect to why you got into this work in the first place. Take time to figure out how to do your job without losing yourself. You’re worth it. If you can, find ways to be fulfilled outside of the four walls of your office. Remind yourself that you can only change so much. The rest will have to change along with the moral arc of justice.

Love,

ReproJobs

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