WAIT, SHOULD THIS BE YOUR JOB JOB? Whether you want to join a non-profit or start your own, consider these very important questions
You’ve been thinking about this for a while, yes?
Well, it might be worth pursuing, says Brigitte Amiri, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who fights for reproductive rights. She became interested in abortion access in high school and tried to start a pro-choice club at her Catholic university. It didn’t work out, but she knew she wanted to do it full-time.
Can you live with a smaller salary?
Making a difference in the things you care about is so fulfilling, but unfortunately, your take-home pay might not be, says Alexis McGill
Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. ‘You have to understand what’s really important to you,’ she says. If you’re comfy trading your salary for a purpose, maybe it’s time to go after it.
Do you like to rally people?
Being able to bring folks together is key, so if consensus building and conflict resolution aren’t your jam, you may want to reconsider this path, says McGill Johnson.
Are you cool working your way up?
The smartest way to get into the non-profit game might not be launching your own, says Foxx. ‘I started out canvassing and going to training sessions,’ she says. ‘Look at the work already being done and see how you can best plug into it.’
How’s your savings?
Having cash at the ready was essential for Nadya Okamoto, founder of Period, a non-profit focused on ending period poverty and stigma. Before launching Period, she held down six jobs until she had enough to live on while working for herself full-time. ‘I didn’t get paid until three years in,’ she says. Whatever your situation, you’ll need at least six months of savings to start your own worldchanging endeavour.