Her Story
About Emily
I love that no day is the same as the day before in nonprofits. When we have our event season, I am typically focused mostly on event planning, marketing, and organization of what that event will look like. When we're off of our event season, then I get to focus more on educational programming, making sure that our donors feel like they are engaged and connected with us, and just get to dabble in a bunch of other areas. One of my most notable professional achievements was being asked to be a panelist at the Nonprofit Tech Conference on a panel hosted by ActBlue, discussing digital fundraising and how to mobilize small dollar donors. I also published, or was featured in, a blog post for ActBlue back in 2021. What I love most about my career is that you get to learn a whole bunch of different skills. You're not just stuck doing the same thing every day, and one of the great things about nonprofit is it's about the connections and the people you meet along the way. You're constantly meeting new people, you're engaging, and you get to not only evolve in your professional skill set, but also your social and personal life as well.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Emily
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think what's made me successful is whenever a new project came about, I didn't shy away from it. I was always eager to learn more, expand my skill set, and also have those discussions with my boss about how can I move up to the next level. I think having that open communication and that mentorship really is valuable. I didn't shy away from new opportunities, and I was always willing to take on challenges that would help me grow professionally.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best career advices I have ever received was to trust my gut and not be afraid to speak up. I did work, unfortunately, at one place where I was told not to speak up, and it took a lot of time to unlearn that behavior. Once I unlearned it and got support from one of my bosses, it opened up a whole new world for me. That experience taught me the importance of finding your voice and having the confidence to use it in the workplace.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to find something that you are passionate about and just go forward towards it. Most likely, there's some place that you will fit in and you will excel, and it may not be exactly what you thought of when you either left your previous job or just graduated from school. But there's tons of opportunities and so much learning that can happen in the nonprofit space. Don't be afraid to explore different areas until you find where you truly belong.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think some of the biggest challenges is that there's only so much money that is set aside for nonprofits. So, it's constantly trying to make sure that we are communicating our effectiveness and how effective we are at what we do. We also need to make sure that we are not stepping on the toes of our partner organizations, because if one of us fails, then we all fail. So, we really gotta figure out a way to balance that and also lift each other up, which often makes lots of opportunities available as well.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
For me, the most important values would be accountability and being able to communicate. These values guide how I approach both my professional responsibilities and my personal relationships. I also love the fact that I can balance my work life with my personal life, so neither one feels like they're tugging for more attention.
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