You Don’t Need to Suffer to Do Good! With Susan Kenny of UPLIFT Foundation
Just because you want to do good in the world, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer for it; in fact, it means the exact opposite!
Join Matt Barnes as he reflects on his conversation with Susan Kenny from the first-ever episode of Nonprofit Connect!
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s here. We did it. Rogue Creatives came out with the first episode of Nonprofit Connect, hosted by me, Matt Barnes. To be honest, I couldn’t be happier with how great our first guest was.
The guest in question is the wonderful Susan Kenny, the CEO of UPLIFT Yoga Foundation and (I love this) the Founder and Chief DoGOODer at Do GOODer Partners. Her whole drive in the nonprofit sector is her want, nay, her need, to serve and help others. That’s it. That's what she wants to do. She just wants to do good in the world!
So without further ado, I’d like to share some of my thoughts from the episode, about what I took from it, and what I think we could all learn from Susan. However, I won't spoil the whole episode. (That would be ridiculous!) I’d recommend listening to the whole thing to get the full picture (but of course, I would say that. I’m biased–it’s my show.)
You Need to Be Inspired By What You Do
Up top, Susan makes it clear just how much she values what she does, as well as the value she can provide people, whether directly or indirectly. In the world of nonprofits, if you want to do good, if you want to genuinely make a difference, then you need to be inspired by your work; if you’re not, then it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do the best you know you can. The result of such efforts will appear blatantly shallow and heartless (the latter adjective may seem a bit extreme but… I think it’s an appropriate one).
“There are so many people who want to do good,” she tells me, preparing to follow it up with an impending ‘but.’ “BUT they’ve got to be inspired by what they’re doing. And so, if they meet me and they say, ‘I appreciate what you’re doing [...] and that’s all well and good, but I’m inspired by pets’ or ‘I’m inspired by the environment.’ If I just said ‘okay bye’ and walked away, that’s not serving anybody!”
She goes on to explain that the best thing she, or anyone in her position, can do then is point them in the right direction or connect them with someone who would be able to help them develop and grow in the area they want. All she wants to do is make the world a better place – that’s it! If you can suggest where in the nonprofit sector their talents and interests can flourish, then why wouldn’t you? Walking away from someone in need of a little guidance doesn’t benefit anyone - you’ve gotta do your part!
Are You Taking Care of Yourself and Your Staff?
With all that said, no matter how much you want to do good, no matter how much you feel you have to sacrifice, I want to make it abundantly clear: please look after yourself. It may sound obvious or cliche, but you’d be surprised by how many people, especially across nonprofits, feel like they have to suffer to achieve their goals. It’s a ridiculous mindset born out of the constant pressure and anxieties we’ve dealt with in life!
“That’s what we were talking about the other night, this sort of shift in thinking,” Susan tells me. “That thinking that nonprofits have to do without because they’re solving a social situation or some sort of crisis if you will. They are expected to solve it without the staff or without working computers or a safe office space to go to. These are incredibly important things that need to be solved, and when you can’t get the best minds working on it, it’s because we’re creating more poverty because we can’t even pay them. It’s insane.”
And, as always, she’s right! How can we even begin to make a difference if we don’t have the right tools to facilitate change? We’re so afraid as non-profit organizations to ask donors for funds so that we can work that it ultimately damages the process. When we can’t get funds, we can’t hire the right people, which hinders our ability to make a real difference.
So what’s the answer? How do we overcome these issues? Well, luckily there are savvy donors out there who get it, who understand that we need the funds to accomplish our goals. They do their due diligence to research the organizations they’re working with and what’s happening. It all comes down to a foundation of trust between the two parties, and we’re so thankful for those donors. We just need everyone else to get on the same level!
Listen to the Whole Episode!
I could write out a lengthy summation of the entire podcast episode for you, and believe me, I want to. I have it in me. But I also have a feeling that you’ll get far more out of it by actually listening to it. You’ll be able to hear the real, contagious enthusiasm that radiates off Susan, as well as my trying to equal it (I like to think I did an okay job).
What are you waiting for? Go, go, go. Listen to Nonprofit Connect! Now!
(Why are you still reading!? I have half a mind to not even finish this paragraph. I’m just going to keep writing until I reach the cut-off point for your attention span. The ‘boredom threshold’ I call it. I’m serious. This is all pointless text. None of this section is beneficial to anything or anyone. Not me. Not you. No one. I’m talking about nothing. Literally nothing. I’m— [BOREDOM THRESHOLD REACHED])