Nonprofit organizations come in all shapes and sizes. Independent organizations, federated organizations, and public foundations all seek to enhance the greater good. I was reading a colleague’s biography for a magazine article and she beautifully summarized her 20 year career in nonprofit service, “I am passionate about helping others.” It is a remarkably simple and equally powerful phrase when you consider it in the context of summarizing one’s career. She wasn’t focused on what kind of nonprofit she worked for, she went where there was a need for her service. 

I was talking with a nonprofit board member about financial sustainability last week. She asked if I had ever worked with an organization as small as hers. I had to pause, I didn’t think about her organization as being small. The organization has a national reputation and is well-respected in the community. “What do you mean by small?”, I asked. Had I served an organization with fewer active constituents? Yes. Had I worked for an organization with fewer volunteers? Yes. I pushed her, somewhat deliberately, to define small. She was talking about the organization’s budget but I wanted her to consider her perception of the budget through the lens of organizational impact. Her organization served thousands of active constituents and had a reach much greater than some of the “large” organizations I have worked for. Was the organization small from a financial perspective? Yes. Was their impact extraordinary?  Absolutely. Their reach determined the organization’s value, in my opinion, and I wanted her to see it that way too. Their work was meaningful and made a significant difference. 

I have worked in organizations with operating budgets ranging from $20 million to $100 million. I have worked for small private schools and national federated nonprofits. I have found the number of programs, volunteers, and constituents served as a clearer indicator of size than simply the operating budget number. Does money make a difference? Of course. Can an organization do more with more resources? Yes. But what determines impact? Heart. 

Merriam-Webster defines philanthropy as “goodwill to fellow members of the human race.” If you consider the scope of the human race broadly, that is an extraordinarily large impact. If you think about the human race at the micro level, that can mean impacting one individual member. The good work nonprofit organizations do is often reflected on a micro level. It’s the little things that frequently make the biggest difference. Think about awarding a scholarship to a deserving student who could not afford the cost of their education?  That has an individual impact.  What that student chooses to do with their education, perhaps they find a cure for cancer, can change humankind. 

As a nonprofit leader, I know that my work on the micro level has a macro level impact. I am driven to nonprofit service to help make the world a better place. It’s altruistic and at times, feels utopian. Then I consider the micro level changes that have happened as a result of my work, my colleague’s work, my friends work, and I am reminded that I am part of something much bigger. Each individual charitable act removes a barrier and clears the pathway to transformational change. I find tremendous comfort and inspiration in being part of something so large. It serves as a source of inspiration when I need motivation and simultaneously provides assurance that I am not alone. Building a career in nonprofit service has given me fulfillment and purpose. It’s my mission to help others make their mark on humankind through service and philanthropy.