With an MBA in finance, Bruce Gunter was a banker and partner in his own investment management firm for 10 years, before switching to the nonprofit sector of the job market around 1990. Today, he's president and CEO of Progressive Redevelopment Inc., Georgia's largest nonprofit developer and owner/manager of affordable housing for homeless or low-income families. Employing about 170 people, the company that he co-founded in 1988 has about 3,400 units under development and serves more than 7,000 households.
"Working with Habitat for Humanity was a career-changing event for me," said Gunter, who had served as treasurer of the board for Habitat for Humanity International. "When we traveled, we stayed in modest hotels, and our sightseeing visits were to villages and slums.
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| Trey Burley, development director for PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) Atlanta, does his part to find loving homes for pets like Puddin Pie, a 3-month-old cocker spaniel mix, who found hers last week. He draws on his background in radio and public relations to get the message out about PAWS Atlanta's mission. 'Passion is important, but you have to have the right skills, too,' he said. 'Charitable organizations want to find people with the passion and the skill set — that's the magic ring.' |
 LEITA COWART/Special |
| Sherrie Snipes-Williams, executive director of Samaritan House, talks with Eric Lewis, chef at Café 458, about the menu for the organization's booth at the recent Taste of Atlanta event. |
 LEITA COWART/Special |
"One day I realized that my investment duties weren't doing it for me, so I asked my partner to buy me out and went full time with PRI. Once I made the switch, I felt this wonderful melding of workplace with faith, personal values and motivation. It was a wholeness thing. Suddenly, everything I did in my life was consistent."
Gunter said that no one goes into the homeless or low-income housing field to make money, yet it takes an executive skill set to run the company.
"I wouldn't hire anyone who thought that a nonprofit job was going to be slower or easier," he said.
He hires people with the talent to develop projects, buy land, secure loans, construct buildings, manage properties and provide resident services, such as drug- and alcohol-abuse counseling, child care and literacy training.
He estimates that most employees are making 20 percent to 30 percent less than they would in the for-profit sector, but he believes the benefits package — which includes health care, long-term disability and a pension plan — is better than that offered by most small developers. Smaller paychecks but excellent benefits are the norm at many nonprofit organizations.
If people can adjust to the salary differential, they find that there's another bonus to working for a nonprofit.
"It's the meaning thing," Gunter said. "I can point to a long list of names of people who would be homeless without us. I never wake up in the morning wondering what I'm doing to save the world. I get plenty of that."
"Passion is what draws many people to take jobs in nonprofit-land. They believe they can make a difference," said Trey Burley, development director for PAWS Atlanta, a no-kill adoption center for pets. "Passion is important, but you have to have the right skills, too. Charitable organizations want to find people with the passion and the skill set — that's the magic ring."
Like his co-workers, Burley has a passion to reduce the number of animals killed in Atlanta and "to get more critters adopted." He uses his background in radio and public relations to help the cause.
"My job is to raise awareness and educate the public and to market our special events," he said, but he also wears other hats — a common occurrence at many nonprofits.
He likes the flexibility and more casual atmosphere of the workplace. "I love what I do. I'd love to work myself out of a job, but, with more than 80,000 animals killed a year [in metro Atlanta], there's still a lot of work to do."
He's proud that PAWS Atlanta's revenue has increased dramatically in the three years he's been there and that the organization has a reputation for managing its mission and budget well.
Still business
For-profit and nonprofit are two different worlds, but companies in both worlds are businesses, and there are similarities, according to Sherrie Snipes-Williams, executive director of Samaritan House, an organization that helps homeless men and women prepare for and gain employment.
Snipes-Williams has held jobs with progressively more responsibility at nonprofits since she graduated from college. She believes that her skills and abilities as manager of a $2 million budget would cross over well to the corporate world.
"I've been curious but never pursued it. My passion is people, and I believe I've found my life's work," Snipes-Williams said.
She likens Samaritan House to a growing startup company; it has 16 full-time employees, three full-time volunteers and 10 master's-level social-work interns.
Part of the operation is Café 458, a restaurant where homeless guests receive meals cooked by a chef and served by volunteers. The homeless people also participate in programs to help them stabilize their lives.
Snipes-Williams advertises positions and, despite the lower salaries, finds plenty of qualified applicants.
A recent study by the Listening Post Project at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that nonprofits were not losing employees to for-profit companies, as some had suspected. It did find that people with technical skills were harder to recruit because of differences in salaries and advancement opportunities.
The job titles may differ, but the responsibilities are similar. An associate director of fund-raising translates to sales; the outreach manager does public relations.
The Samaritan House's executive chef needs the same culinary and management skills he would need to work at any restaurant. In fact, Café 458 is open to the public on weekends to raise money for Samaritan House.
"We hire for talent, and we reward success," Snipes-Williams said. "We want to end the year in the black, and we're accountable to our stakeholders. We have annual goals and targets, and we're aggressive about making them, but our bottom line isn't cash. It's the impact we make on the community and the lives we touch."
In lieu of bonuses and other corporate perks, Samaritan House promotes career development.
"We encourage employees to attend conferences and get training to improve their skills," Snipes-Williams said.
She hones her leadership skills by attending seminars and by taking classes through the Georgia Center for Nonprofits.
While abilities and responsibilities vary by individual, employees share the trait of compassion, and that creates a different company culture.
"We're like a family. It's OK to bring spouses to events and get to know our guests or board members. The boundaries are looser," Snipes-Williams said. "Being part of an organization . . . where I feel like I'm making an impact on the lives of people is important to me."
Doing more with less
With an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Kathleen Thomas had worked for large accounting and financial analysis corporations in New York and was running her own payroll business from home in Atlanta. Then a friend asked if she would consider working for a nonprofit organization.
Thomas became director of finance and administration at Jerusalem House four years ago. The organization provides permanent housing and supportive services for homeless HIV/AIDS patients and their families.
"Money was not a high priority for me. I wanted to do something constructive and make a contribution," she said. "It proved to be a very positive career move. I appreciate the flexibility and get to make the job as challenging or creative as I want."
The culture is professional but more relaxed.
"No one is here only for the money, and my co-workers are less stressed and have a good work/life balance," she added.
She's learned that, in a lean staff, everyone brings something vital to the table and people appreciate one another's expertise. Thomas uses her financial skills to manage cash flow, balance budgets and keep accounts, but she doesn't have the administrative support that she had in the corporate world.
She oversees $1.5 million in federal, state and local government grants, as well as $500,000 in private donations.
"The government grants are pretty stable, but there's no guarantee that we'll get any of the private donor money, which comes from the kindness of others. You learn to trust that we'll manage to find it," she said.
For anyone who wants to make the transition from the corporate to the nonprofit world, Gunter advises approaching it like any other job search.
"Choose work you are passionate about," he said. "Know your skills, talk to people in the field and do some financial planning. If you're used to staying at the Ritz, you'll need to adjust."