Her Story
About Christy
I've been working in the nonprofit industry for almost 5 years now, and my journey here has been deeply personal. My husband is a Marine who graduated from the Camp Hope program at the PTSD Foundation of America, where I now work as a Development Specialist. Seeing the impact the program had on his life - honestly, there was a very big chance that he was either going to end up in prison or dead at one point - was my biggest inspiration for getting involved. I feel like I can never give enough back to the PTSD Foundation for saving his life and allowing us to have a family together. In my role, I focus on donor relations and development, connecting with supporters, maintaining relationships, and coming up with creative ways for people to contribute to our mission. A lot of my day involves being on the phone, answering emails, and making sure our donors understand they're contributing to something that truly means a lot to our veterans and to me as a family member of a veteran. Before nonprofit work, I went to school for artist management with the goal of becoming a venue owner, which I actually achieved. I worked in the hospitality industry and ran my own establishment in Austin, Texas, until COVID hit and the business closed. That's when I made the transition to nonprofit work, and I was blessed with great mentors and my executive director who guided me through this industry. Much of what I know has been self-taught, and I'm currently pursuing certifications through the George Foundation and Rice University to continue growing in this field.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Christy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I honestly attribute my success to my family and my parents. They've been hardworking for ever since I can remember - they've worked very hard in their lives, and my parents are amazing, so I definitely attribute a lot to them. And then, of course, just my current family being supportive, but also just being that motivation for me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to remain honest, to have integrity, and to always push through, even whenever things get a little bit difficult or feel a little hard during the day. Try to answer that phone with a smile every time you can. And as long as you're smiling, you know, you can get through it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them things aren't always going to be easy. It's going to be difficult. But to always persevere, push through, and remain having faith throughout the process. Just continue to drive, keep a smile, try to stay close with your teammates, try to stay close with your mission, and remain - just have passion. Just have as much passion as you possibly can.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in the nonprofit industry is that we just can't get enough support. We have amazing supporters and donors who care a lot about our mission, but unfortunately, the challenge is that sometimes it just isn't enough. We want to raise more awareness, and we want people to know, because as we know, we are losing up to 44 veterans per day. It's a challenge in itself to house these guys and make sure that they are comfortable, and make sure that they're getting the assistance that they need and the counseling services that they need. So I would say the biggest challenge right now is just funding and making sure that we have these guys taken care of and we're not continuing to lose veterans.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are doing everything with love, having integrity throughout every challenge, and also just empowering others.
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