Do rich kids work in non profits?

[Anonymous]

Lots of these kids on the Hill and some in the agencies too.

[Anonymous]

Yes. If you’re not rich, get out while you’re young and can still pivot. Some people don’t figure this out until their 30s and are very bitter. Life is not free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. If you’re not rich, get out while you’re young and can still pivot. Some people don’t figure this out until their 30s and are very bitter. Life is not free.

+1. I got out into a high-paying industry a couple of years before starting a family, and it was easily one of the best decisions of my life. I don’t regret at all the decade I put into non-profit orgs, but I’m glad to have the $ now that I have kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. If you’re not rich, get out while you’re young and can still pivot. Some people don’t figure this out until their 30s and are very bitter. Life is not free.

+1. I got out into a high-paying industry a couple of years before starting a family, and it was easily one of the best decisions of my life. I don’t regret at all the decade I put into non-profit orgs, but I’m glad to have the $ now that I have kids.

Non-profits allow young people to make connections with other influential young people and wealthy donors (where they get awards) - call it an extension of their Ivy League education - resulting in numerous connections that can be exploited later in life when they're working at major corporations, law firms, the Hill, or in an administration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. If you’re not rich, get out while you’re young and can still pivot. Some people don’t figure this out until their 30s and are very bitter. Life is not free.

+1. I got out into a high-paying industry a couple of years before starting a family, and it was easily one of the best decisions of my life. I don’t regret at all the decade I put into non-profit orgs, but I’m glad to have the $ now that I have kids.

Non-profits allow young people to make connections with other influential young people and wealthy donors (where they get awards) - call it an extension of their Ivy League education - resulting in numerous connections that can be exploited later in life when they're working at major corporations, law firms, the Hill, or in an administration.

I think you overestimate the benefit of these roles.

When i think about DC nonprofits, i think about a ton of either (i) rich or (ii) naive kids who want a fairly easy 9-5 job that didn't require a STEM degree or other notable skill set to get, but for some reason still generates respect from the outside world. The jobs do typically require good school resumes, so it's essentially just extending their school/resume pedigree, but doesn't take a lot of work or skill set. At least not in your 20s or 30s.

The typical 20 year old in DC at a nonprofit is not generating some wonderful network of high impact connections; they're drafting press releases and sending emails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. If you’re not rich, get out while you’re young and can still pivot. Some people don’t figure this out until their 30s and are very bitter. Life is not free.

+1. I got out into a high-paying industry a couple of years before starting a family, and it was easily one of the best decisions of my life. I don’t regret at all the decade I put into non-profit orgs, but I’m glad to have the $ now that I have kids.

Non-profits allow young people to make connections with other influential young people and wealthy donors (where they get awards) - call it an extension of their Ivy League education - resulting in numerous connections that can be exploited later in life when they're working at major corporations, law firms, the Hill, or in an administration.

I think you overestimate the benefit of these roles.

When i think about DC nonprofits, i think about a ton of either (i) rich or (ii) naive kids who want a fairly easy 9-5 job that didn't require a STEM degree or other notable skill set to get, but for some reason still generates respect from the outside world. The jobs do typically require good school resumes, so it's essentially just extending their school/resume pedigree, but doesn't take a lot of work or skill set. At least not in your 20s or 30s.

The typical 20 year old in DC at a nonprofit is not generating some wonderful network of high impact connections; they're drafting press releases and sending emails.

Agreed. I work for a legal services nonprofit and there is nothing glamorous about the work that staff right out of college are doing. They are not meeting board members or donors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s that there are some very interesting non-profit jobs and someone with no student loans and means to buy a house, take vacation, etc. without a high paying job has more freedom to choose an interesting job over a high paying one.

In this situation you are assuming high paying = boring. High paying jobs can be interesting and nonprofit jobs can be boring.

I have worked my way up in corporate and started at a nonprofit. The level of dysfunction that exists at some nonprofits is staggering. Lots of cults of personalities and such.

There is a long history of wealthy women working in nonprofit type jobs, especially after kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. If you’re not rich, get out while you’re young and can still pivot. Some people don’t figure this out until their 30s and are very bitter. Life is not free.

+1. I got out into a high-paying industry a couple of years before starting a family, and it was easily one of the best decisions of my life. I don’t regret at all the decade I put into non-profit orgs, but I’m glad to have the $ now that I have kids.

Non-profits allow young people to make connections with other influential young people and wealthy donors (where they get awards) - call it an extension of their Ivy League education - resulting in numerous connections that can be exploited later in life when they're working at major corporations, law firms, the Hill, or in an administration.

You’re kidding? No one is putting a 23 year old Yale grad in front of donors. And no one wants to connect with a 23 year old Yale grad. And there is no path between random DC nonprofit to major corporation. You would have better luck as a Hill staffer.

[Anonymous]

It depends.

Not all non-profits pay poorly, depending on the position and organization. If you are looking at a job in a leadership or specialized role, it might be higher paying than you think. If you are interested in a certain non-profit, I would check out their financials on Guidestar. It lists the top five salaries for the company and their titles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to an affluent high school in the DC area (but was one of the poors) and notice tons of former classmates work in non profits. Are non profits a thing for rich kids with trust funds? A lot of them left the DC area to study in Europe or elsewhere and came back to work here in some non profit NGO type place.

Sure to assuage guilt, or to "look good" on their "resumes" as a junior philanthropist.

+1 International-foci only too. Americans in need don’t matter for their veneer maintenance.

[Anonymous]

Of course- they’re the only ones who can afford to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends.

Not all non-profits pay poorly, depending on the position and organization. If you are looking at a job in a leadership or specialized role, it might be higher paying than you think. If you are interested in a certain non-profit, I would check out their financials on Guidestar. It lists the top five salaries for the company and their titles.

^This....

I work in tech for a nonprofit, and I get paid 220K/yr with a 40K annual bonus, and I do not manage anyone. The CEO, CFO, CIO is 4M, 2.3M, and 2.2M, respectively. Over 40 people in the organization make over 700K/yr. Just saying...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. If you’re not rich, get out while you’re young and can still pivot. Some people don’t figure this out until their 30s and are very bitter. Life is not free.

+1. I got out into a high-paying industry a couple of years before starting a family, and it was easily one of the best decisions of my life. I don’t regret at all the decade I put into non-profit orgs, but I’m glad to have the $ now that I have kids.

Non-profits allow young people to make connections with other influential young people and wealthy donors (where they get awards) - call it an extension of their Ivy League education - resulting in numerous connections that can be exploited later in life when they're working at major corporations, law firms, the Hill, or in an administration.

You’re kidding? No one is putting a 23 year old Yale grad in front of donors. And no one wants to connect with a 23 year old Yale grad. And there is no path between random DC nonprofit to major corporation. You would have better luck as a Hill staffer.

The jump isn't from a non-profit straight to a major corporation. But when there's a change in administrations and politics align, many of the higher ups in non-profits take jobs in the new administration and bring along their favorites. When administrations change again, those same higher ups leave government and go to corporations and bring their favorites along with them (or recommend them for other jobs).

DC is a favor-driven, back scratching, connection making town. Everyone started when they were young, but those with Ivy league credentials and ambition find ways to exploit their pedigrees.

[Anonymous]

Yes, if they have a nice trust fund. Sometimes family will require them to work so choose easy job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s that there are some very interesting non-profit jobs and someone with no student loans and means to buy a house, take vacation, etc. without a high paying job has more freedom to choose an interesting job over a high paying one.

In this situation you are assuming high paying = boring. High paying jobs can be interesting and nonprofit jobs can be boring.

I have worked my way up in corporate and started at a nonprofit. The level of dysfunction that exists at some nonprofits is staggering. Lots of cults of personalities and such.

There is a long history of wealthy women working in nonprofit type jobs, especially after kids.

I’m not assuming high paying is boring. But, there aren’t many corporate jobs or salaries for entry level positions to save the pandas.