The Importance of Actively Pursuing New Challenges

As the nonprofit I was working for was closing down, I saw an ad for a grants assistant at a foundation. I was five years into my nonprofit career and I didn’t really know what a foundation was. In hindsight, I’d say I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time.

The organization that hired me was growing, so I was constantly able to take on new challenges and opportunities. I was fortunate to have managers who were supportive and helped me grow, but I also advocated for myself to be given new responsibilities. After working there a few years, I decided to get a master’s in business administration, which was very helpful in giving me a full picture of how nonprofits operate and how to be an effective colleague and manager.

After being at a large foundation, I got to a point where I was eager to be at a smaller foundation where there weren’t as many administrative layers. I took my current job at the Zellerbach Family Foundation, where I am able to wear multiple hats and focus on local communities.

I have also tried to stay engaged and continually learn about new developments, trends, and technologies in the field. I am intentional about pushing myself professionally by taking on new roles and tasks and pushing advancements in our grantmaking practices. I never want to feel like I am treading water or stagnating. Volunteering for PEAK has been central to my growth. I have gained management and leadership skills through my volunteering and built a network of friends and colleagues. PEAK has kept me connected to other people in philanthropy as well as current trends and ideas. The culture of sharing, learning, and collaboration is one of the things I value most about PEAK and the field in general.

My advice to other people in this field would be to never stop learning and challenging yourself. Realize that your growth trajectory might involve moving to a different organization. If you aren’t getting what you need at your job, try volunteering with your local PEAK chapter or another nonprofit so that you can give back and have a chance to build skills that you don’t get to exercise at your day job.

And even though that lean and struggling nonprofit job earlier in my career fell through, my experiences there ground me in my current work. I know how difficult it is to prepare reports and grant applications. I know that the people applying for money do not have fancy offices with lots of amenities. I know that the people doing important work are not always the people who are the best at asking for money, and that if we only give money to those with great grant-writing skills, we are only going to perpetuate inequity and miss out on supporting amazing organizations. I know that I have a position of privilege and do my best to not abuse that position.