Six Years at Kent Youth and Family Services

9,180

9,180, as of right now, is the most important number in the world to me. It represents the accumulation of my professional life. From the University of Central to Kent Youth and Family Services, 9,180 is the total number of lives I have impacted. From students served to donors reached to youth and families impacted, 9,180 fills me with immense pride. 

Sure, my bank account pales in comparison to some of my peers. I hope for the first and fifteenth harder than most my age. I don't travel as much as I would like. I am not allowed to purchase everything my heart desires. Debt becomes long-term financial goals to squash. Yet, I am filled with pride. 9,180 is my life and I hope it is a life well lived. 

Of course, you may be telling yourself a couple of things at this moment: Humblebrag much? or Congrats, I guess. You're right. Sharing this is kind of boastful, but I promise my intentions are good. I could very easily look at my life in different terms. I could utilize a frame demanding that my value can only be seen through the lenses of wealth accumulated, hours worked, positions held, ladders climbed, people directed, and/or I could brag about how busy I am. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not Buddha or Jesus. The aforementioned things matter to me, but nothing compares to the value I am adding to those served. 

And here is where the humblebragging ends... What if we all decided to look at our lives through the lens of servitude over those goals society expects of us? What if the opening line to our resumes and cover letters boasted about the lives we helped change? What if financial advisors boasted of the wealth they helped create for their clients? What if realtors happily proclaimed the number of "I am home" dreams they made a reality over homes sold? What if lawyers bragged about the millions they saved for their clients instead of cases won? What would happen to our world if we reframed our focus? My annual letter is about exactly that. Let's do the work we do because we care about people first. Bottom lines, general ledgers, and investors may shudder in fear at such a notion but I would argue the world deserves that kind of outlook. While I am not the leader of such a movement, I do subscribe to the belief and I challenge you to do the same. 

Be good to each other, 

-Nathan 

5 Years at Kent Youth and Family Services

The average development professional spends less than 18 months in their role before moving onto another nonprofit or leaving the sector altogether. With 60 months behind me, I think I understand why turnover is so high in our field. Staff and senior leadership have expectations that do not correlate. Compensation leaves something to be desired. The fear of raising money and asking people to make a personal contribution is crippling for some. If you’re a department of one, the isolation from the mission and other staff can be daunting. Working with board members, can, at times, be frustrating.

To make it to the 2+ year mark, is part brush with luck and part determination. In this line of work, we are often called upon to reframe expectations, lead from within, and step outside of our comfort zone. To reach this milestone, we must work closely with senior leadership and the board to set clear and attainable goals. For many organizations, the compensation you desire or need may never be there. At some point in time, altruism may be required to win the day. In a strange paradox, the only way for one to overcome their fear of asking for money is to begin asking for money. Before you get out there though, realize a lot of work is done before the ask. Discovery meetings, donor research, capacity analysis, stewardship, practice, practice, and more practice, then you finally ask for a gift. Once the operation of asking is discovered, the whole entire exercise seems less fear inducing. Finally, to reach this milestone, you must realize you are an integral part of the mission. Without you, the mission doesn’t get off the ground, staff aren’t paid, services aren’t provided, change doesn’t occur. Sure, you don’t work on the front lines. You aren’t saving lives. You aren’t performing on the stage or saving endangered animals. Make no mistake though, the work you do makes all of that “hope & change” possible. For that alone, you should be proud.

If anything stood between me and the 2+ year mark, it was my isolation from the mission. When I dreamed of nonprofit work, I thought I would be working with clients, mentoring students, feeding the homeless, and/or advocating on behalf of those without a voice. It took me some time to realize my talents were not aligned with the work I dreamed of doing. I feel comfortable in front of people. I possess a special talent to write and create marketing pieces. The fear of asking for money was squashed when I realized it wasn’t me who was being rejected, but rather the opportunity. I am suited to do this work. I am made to tell stories that move people from apathy to action.

After this realization, I worked to connect myself to the mission. I got out of the office. I went out to our program sites, I interviewed former clients for success stories, I spent time visiting with staff, and I learned to talk about how my job impacts all others. Then, I quantified my work:

In five years, I have raised $933,304.43. Working with 1,326 donors, we’ve been able to use that money to positively affect the lives of 536 youth and families. The work I do every day has provided 332 kids a safe place to learn and play after school, 166 youth and families sound mental/substance abuse counseling, 21 kids have a spot in a Head Start or ECEAP classroom, and 17 homeless young moms and their kids have a place to call home. I have made my mark on our mission and you will too!

If you’re a new development professional, the best thing you can do is learn from those who have gone before you. Within my first 6 months on the job, I met with 10 other fundraisers. I wanted to hear their wisdom and apply it to my own life. Theirs words were powerful and still provide motivation. In some small way, it is my hope to return the favor, because we need you. The people of our community need your lust for change, your hope for the future, your desire to promote good works, and your love of rallying a community. The world needs development professionals who are in love with their jobs.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan 

Four Years at Kent Youth and Family Services

As a fund developer, I am obsessed with numbers. On a daily basis, my eyes are locked on spreadsheets, dashboards, charts measuring Year to Date performance and a dozen other indicators. All this information is used to inform the decisions we make. Believe it or not, there is a science and an art to asking for money. We look at your capacity to give. We measure what pieces of solicitation elicit a response. We track your passion through gifts to similar organizations. We track if you are a new, continuing or lapsed donor. We take notes based on every conversation about what moves you to give.

In four years at Kent Youth and Family Services, this work when joined with our public relations, social media and volunteer efforts has translated into 870 donors stepping forward to donate $606,517.79. While I am proud of those numbers, they don’t tell a full story. $606,517.79 means 870 donors have impacted the lives of 348 youth and families in South King County. This, above all else, is the number I care about. To break it down even further:

870 donors have provided; 216 youth and young adults a safe place to learn and play in our After School Program, 108 youth and families evidence based, results driven assistance through our Mental & Behavioral Health Counseling Program, 13 spots for eager minds to learn in our Head Start & ECEAP program, and 11 homeless moms and their kids a roof overhead and quality services through our Watson Manor Transitional Living Program.

This is why I do this work. I do this work with the ever present reality that most of my peers make much more money than me. I live in Seattle. I could easily be at Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing or a thousand other places where employees are better compensated. I could be at a place where I am not constantly consumed with making it to the next pay period. While, I don’t fault those who work at these places, the sense of satisfaction I get from doing nonprofit work is without comparison. There is no other work for me.

As I move forward in my career, I am forced to look back at both my time in higher education and the nonprofit sectors. Another number stands out in my mind, 7,947. Every year, I create an annual report for myself with the hopes of answering a fundamental question; “How many lives have you impacted?” After parsing all the data, 7,947 is the number the fills me with the most pride. Not the zeros in my paycheck, 7,947. As I watch this number grow, I will continue to measure the impact. For me, it is how I will get to the point of calling this a life well lived.

Thanks for entering my world,

-Nathan