I was sitting in my office at a university foundation, well-compensated, with good benefits, doing work I genuinely loved. From the outside, it looked like I had it made. But inside? I was miserable.
My boss and I were constantly at odds, and despite loving the actual work, I felt stuck doing good work instead of the great work I knew I could be doing. I was so desperate for change that I actually looked into becoming a flight attendant. Deep down, I felt lost and knew I could be making a bigger difference.
That’s when I found a coach who helped me realize something crucial: I was bored.
Not bored with the work itself, but bored with the limitations. I’m a systems thinker, and in big organizations, it’s nearly impossible to make systemic change like you can in mid-size to smaller, agile nonprofits. I had learned everything I know working for large nonprofits, and I realized I could bring all that knowledge to help the small ones that were struggling.
So I started traveling around the west, talking to people in our sector. And you know what I discovered? Everyone was working incredibly hard, spinning their wheels, feeling like they weren’t getting anywhere. It was one big sufferfest.
It doesn’t need to be this hard. And I can help.
During my 20+ years in the nonprofit sector, I’ve held just about every role you can imagine in the nonprofit world: staffer, fundraiser, executive director, and board member. I’ve felt the weight of impossible expectations, the frustration of limited resources, and the exhaustion that comes from caring so deeply about a cause that you forget to care for yourself.
I’ve been the executive director, trying to figure out how to manage a board that seems more interested in micromanaging than supporting. I’ve been a development professional staring at an impossible fundraising goal with no clear path to get there. I’ve sat in board meetings where everyone means well, but nothing actually gets accomplished.
I’ve walked in your shoes and understand how difficult filling these various roles can be.
After spending years in the trenches, I’ve developed what I like to call a superpower of “pattern recognition” for nonprofit challenges. I can spot the systemic issues that are keeping you stuck, and more importantly, I know how to untangle those knots.
When I’m not helping nonprofits remember why their work can be fun again, I might be following World Cup ski racing around the globe, or avoiding meditation by gardening, cooking, and spoiling my cats. I’d have big dogs if I didn’t travel so much!
I believe in live music, good food, honest conversations, and the power of small-town values.
The nonprofit sector is full of incredible people doing essential work, but too many of you are burning out because you’re trying to figure it out alone. You don’t have to do this alone.
Most of us weren’t handed a playbook on how nonprofit work actually functions. We got into this because we care deeply about our causes, but caring isn’t the same as knowing how to build sustainable systems, inspire boards, raise money effectively, or create a workplace culture where people can do their best work.
That’s where I come in.
I want to help you remember that nonprofit work isn’t just fulfilling—it can be fun, too.
Follow Kari as she travels around the world helping save nonprofits. Tune in to her live webinars and learn practical tips on all things nonprofit.
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