Young women under the age of 35 have colonized the third sector in Ann Arbor. Now, more than ever, these professionals are heading into non-profits, and thriving there – making a difference in fields they love. I spoke to a few to find out the why and how of non-profit leadership, and how best to get on board. Biggest revelation? That non-profits afford opportunities to succeed – without clawing your way to the top.
"One of the great things about nonprofits is that there is no glass ceiling for leadership because it is a field already dominated by women," says Vanessa Mayesky, who manages the
Literacy Coalition of Washtenaw County. "Perhaps that's one of the reasons why the pay rates aren't as good as in the corporate world. But in terms of opportunity I've never seen a woman not valued as much or not make as much as her male counterparts."
Although today she leads one of the most important and effective non-profits in the region, Mayesky didn't start out as a non-profit maven. In fact, her first "real" experience with local non-profit work started while she was studying English at the University of Michigan. One of her classes required students to engage in collaborative theater workshops with incarcerated or "high risk" youths and adults. Mayesky, who had grown up in a well-off, mostly white, and very insular Detroit suburb, found it to be an eye-opening experience. "Suddenly I was meeting and working with people who were thinking outside of their experience," she explains. "It was like a whole new layer of thinking."
Always devoted to the business of reading and writing, Mayesky was spurred to think more deeply about how people use words to build community and how she could apply what she knew to help. In November of 2007, after stints volunteering for the Ann Arbor YMCA and other groups, including the Ann Arbor Art Center, Mayesky, who loves kids and art, went to work for the Washtenaw Literacy under the
Americorps Vista program. Although it was certainly in her field of interest, Mayesky was surprised at the extent adult literacy services were needed in Washtenaw County.
"My experience had been that the person serving you coffee here has a better degree than you do. But I went in anyway and learned that there were 27,000 people in the county who could use their services," she says. "I was amazed – and I recognized that to achieve 100 percent literacy, community must be 100 percent engaged in the issue."
It follows that Mayesky is a big proponent of volunteerism and the non-career track afforded by non-profits – she's experienced first hand how necessary these are for change. Any one seeking leadership experience can get their start in the non-profit sector, cutting their teeth while sharing their expertise and strengthening the community, she points out. And locating opportunities has become easier than it ever was with a robust Internet and search tools like "211" - a telephone-accessible database of social services and volunteer opportunities maintained by the United Way.
And as non-profits become more visible, they become more powerful. Communities are respecting non-profit workers more than ever and realizing that what they are doing can help galvanize real change, says Mayesky.
The non-profit lifestyleNancy Shore, director of Ann Arbor's
getDowntown, had a volunteer mindset from the beginning. Throughout college and beyond, Shore worked and volunteered in nonprofits. Of particular interest to her were organizations that helped those afflicted by economic injustice, or those who had slipped through the cracks of the system. Originally from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Shore came to Ann Arbor with her husband (who also works in non-profits) in 2002. They liked the sound of Ann Arbor – its schools, its cultural scene, and its bevy of non-profits.
Shore graduated from the University of Michigan School of Social Work in 2004, having continued to volunteer throughout her education. (She also worked at Zingerman's.) While in school, Shore developed a keen interest in how communities can be a source of change. Even before she had moved here, Shore had witnessed that much of the strength and vibrancy that drew her to Ann Arbor was to be found in its downtown offerings. Ann Arbor's downtown is one of the attributes that helps keep the community strong, she explains.
While doing volunteer work in Washington, D.C., at a women's shelter, Shore had been a frequenter of the local mass transit system, where she experienced first hand how important the efficient movement of people is to a successful, dynamic urban area. Indeed, she had already been on the Board of the Ann Arbor Transit Authority (AATA) when she was offered the directorial position at getDowntown. It seemed a natural fit.
Unlike many in their early 30s, money was never very important to Shore, who had no hesitations about going to work for a non-profit. After all, she and her husband had been dedicated to volunteer service for most of their marriage. "My husband and I found that we can live a fulfilling life without having lots of money," she says. "What's really important to me is being with my family and friends and helping people out. It's definitely doable, and we have lots of friends in the nonprofit sector that make it work."
Shore believes that a good entry into non-profit work is to stay involved in the community; follow what's going on in city government. "Being invested in what's happening helps you see where the issues and challenges are," she says.
Women-dominated industryWhile many agree that there are females galore in non-profit leadership positions, everyone agrees there could always be more. "I don't think there are enough women on non-profit boards – from what I've seen," says Shore. "I definitely think there could be more young women. That's challenging in terms of wanting to start a family, and being busy." But Shore has proven that just about anything is possible: She's expecting a baby in September of 2010. It seems that for some people, and perhaps all of us, it is doable.
Amy Milligan agrees. As development director for
Ann Arbor's Neutral Zone, she frequently sees long hours. "If I worked for a for-profit, I would probably make a full third more than what I make in non-profit," she says. "And that's a choice I made: it makes the most sense to be working here. Every day I come home after work and I feel great about what I did all day. I feel like it mattered, and that the community appreciates having this amazing resource. I'm also happy because I know Neutral Zone will be here when my kids are teens."
Milligan raises funds for Ann Arbor's Neutral Zone, a non-profit organization that strives to create an opportunity for young people to develop leadership skills and a voice, and to create their own community through art, music, writing, education, and social justice. "You can volunteer for organizations when they have great missions and are doing great work -- but if they don't have the funds they need, they can't do anything. Fundraising is something I fell into as a way to keep these missions going."
She has had time to find out where she can offer the most value. She has worked with the Ann Arbor Art Center, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, the Humane Society of Huron Valley, and other non-profits. "Creating community and strengthening the community that I live in have always been very important to me," Milligan says. And now with three small children in tow, she certainly has a stake in building the community, which she came to originally for its open and accepting cultural atmosphere.
Milligan agrees that Ann Arbor non-profit leadership roles are rife with women. She thinks it could be a function of lower pay. Women who work in non-profits, she points out, are often the second breadwinner in their family. "You see a lot of women who are stay-at-home moms who are returning to the workforce," she explains. Boards, she notes, are still majority male.
Whatever the composition, she would like to see more of everyone direct their energies into the non-profit sector: men, women, and particularly young people. She points out that while young people try to give money and time, they tend to be best about responding to things that come to their home, like Sierra Club envelopes, but are poor at supporting their local non-profits.
Yet Milligan also thinks that the terrain for recruiting to non-profits is becoming smoother with intern development programs like those offered by the University of Michigan and the Ross School of Business, which help fit students and graduates into complementary non-profits. "For the first time, young people are graduating with non-profit training," she says.
A changing perceptionWhen her interviewer at
826Michigan asked whether she had any non-profit experience, Amy Sumerton responded with a resounding, "No." It was 2005, and the Ann Arbor 826 was still in its formative stage. While she liked the way the organization looked, Sumerton recognized that starting and growing a non-profit represented a different world from the one she had known so far.
Sumerton had earned her English degree at Michigan State University and had spent the intervening years circling in on her love of publishing. She had waited tables, worked as a nanny, copy-edited, landscaped, worked at a vanity press, and even edited a literary journal. When she was offered the position as Program Director for 826, she found it both perfect and alien.
"I was excited about the publishing aspect of what we do," Sumerton says, referring to 826's periodic publication of student work. "But it has been so much more. Since we started, this job has totally changed my life." With two staff members, hundreds of volunteers helping thousands of students, 826Michigan posed a new set of challenges, and Sumerton had "an enormous learning curve."
"I learned to be mindful about the education system – how it can help and harm students. I also came to really understand what school closings and large classrooms mean to students," she explained.
Like many non-profits, 826Michigan's mission and purpose have shifted slightly since its inception in 2005. Sumerton points out that initially it existed to be a creative space for kids, for self-expression and fun with regard to creative writing. Yet she says that the more they started working with schools, the more they had to add and tailor programs and offerings to what was needed – tutoring, more basic writing instruction. And it has succeeded in helping the community's children thrive: Sumerton frequently hears "I wish there had been an 826 when I was a kid." She even says it herself.
"Three years ago, we didn't have volunteers to help us," says Sumerton. "We were struggling to pay the rent. Now we have so many volunteers it's hard to keep up, and we've stopped having to focus on survival, and can now put even more focus on our mission."
Sumerton believes that involvement breeds involvement. She also cites President Obama's vocal support of volunteering as one of the reasons volunteerism has become more popular lately. "When I was in college, there was very little emphasis on volunteering – there was one program nearby and it was literally walking dogs – so we did it." Now, she points out, professors are requiring students to volunteer for their classes. These days the climate is different - Sumerton frequently gets emails from college women or recent graduates with career questions. They want to know how she got the job, and whether there are positions available.
"Today, it's perceived as really cool to work in non-profit leadership positions --even though you aren't making lots of money, you're giving back to the community. There has been a real shift in perspectives lately: Success is not so much of a ladder anymore."
No clawing to the top? No glass ceilings? Equal opportunity? Supportive work environment? Helping others? Doesn't sound so bad…
To find non-profits in Washtenaw County (they are legion), limber up your Google hand, pick your area, ask a friend, check out the resources organized at by the
New Center, and stay abreast of local events.
According to Shore, with the number of non-profits around, those starting out should pick an area of interest and focus on that. "It's so easy to spread yourself thin, and you can get overwhelmed. It would most benefit you and the non-profit if you dedicate your energies to one area."
Leia Menlove is an Ann Arbor-based writer.
She is also a frequent contributor to Concentrate.
Her previous story was Pure Fantasy In Ypsilanti. No glass ceilings were broken in pursuit of this story.
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All Photos by Dave Lewinski