“So, What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?”
In the United States, and I am sure in The Bahamas as well, many children are asked this question early in their academic careers. When I was growing up, the answers were always more similar than not: a teacher, a doctor, or a firefighter mixed in with the occasional astronaut, movie star, or professional athlete.
Several years ago, I was shocked to read that a survey showed that 54% of American youth and adults aged 13-38 would choose a very different career path from those my friends and I would have selected years earlier: influencer. Yes, that’s right. Not a doctor, not a lawyer, not a professional athlete, but a YouTuber.
My Role in Nonprofit Leadership
For several years now, I have served as a Professor of Practice in Nonprofit Leadership at Clemson University in addition to my work with One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF). I typically teach 100 students each semester the basics of establishing and managing a nonprofit in the U.S. Students represent all different majors, and I am sure that many of these highly intelligent and driven students will be launching their own nonprofits down the road.
I agreed to serve in this teaching capacity because I know the important role that nonprofits fill in my country. Since the late 18th century, nonprofits in the U.S. have led the way in addressing societal challenges that the for-profit and governmental sectors are not well suited to tackle. Today, thousands of nonprofits provide many essential services and support to our communities. From an economic impact, the U.S. nonprofit sector accounts for 5.6% of U.S. GDP while contributing $1.4 trillion to the overall economy. Nearly 13 million Americans are employed by a nonprofit.
Encouraging the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders
At the beginning of each semester, I tell students that I am teaching Nonprofit Leadership because I believe in the power of nonprofits in our communities and world. At the end of each semester, I challenge my students to consider how they can support the sector as a part of their life as they move into the workforce. Using the image of concentric circles, I talk about the different levels of participation in the nonprofit sector that they might pursue in the years to come. I offer this same advice to students and people of all ages in The Bahamas looking to contribute to the positive growth and well-being of their communities and country.
Ways to Get Involved in the Nonprofit Sector
1. Volunteer
My first recommendation is to volunteer. If you have never dabbled in the nonprofit world, start out by volunteering for a few hours per week somewhere. Choose a passion that you have—feeding, mentoring, or housing people, for example—and contact a local nonprofit doing work in this area. These organizations will be thrilled that you reached out, and you will be blessed more than you can imagine as you serve several days a week or even a few hours. Don’t underestimate the impact your time and talent can bring to an organization where understaffing and financial constraints are a very real challenge.
2. Become a Donor
Consider becoming a donor. As you grow in your service to the nonprofit sector, the next step is to become a regular donor to one or more nonprofits to aid their work. The monthly donation does not need to be great. The nonprofit of your choosing will be grateful, and your ongoing, reliable financial support will fuel their respective missions.
3. Join a Board of Directors
The next step in your service may come if you agree to serve on the Board of Directors for a nonprofit. Nonprofits are always looking for gifted and talented people willing to serve as Board members. Board members typically serve in an oversight role while also assisting the Executive Director in fundraising for the nonprofit. This support is crucial to the stability and longevity of the organization.
4. Work for a Nonprofit
If you follow in my footsteps, you may choose to become an officer or employee and work for a nonprofit one day. While I loved my thirteen years in the for-profit world, where I worked as a CPA and private banker, these last nearly twenty-five years working in the nonprofit sector have been the most fulfilling. They have contributed significantly to my personal and professional growth, exposure, and network.
A Lifelong Journey of Purpose
Because we are constantly growing and evolving in our pursuit of purpose, meaning, and happiness, you can ask yourself the same question I started this article with at any phase of life. Over the last four decades, I have answered that question in many different ways: business executive, pastor, chaplain, nonprofit executive, and professor. While my path has seemed more circuitous than not, there has been a thread that ties all of my experiences together: giving back to my community and serving a higher purpose through my nonprofit work.
The Growing Nonprofit Sector in The Bahamas
While the U.S. nonprofit sector is much larger and more developed than in The Bahamas, this sector continues to grow exponentially each year in The Commonwealth. An integral part of this growth is the willingness of gifted and talented Bahamians like you to give their time, talents, and treasure to support local nonprofits of their choosing.
Make a Difference in Your Community
I encourage you to get involved. Our world needs fewer people interested in being influencers and more people interested in influencing their neighborhoods and communities through service. I have no doubt that you will be blessed as you seek to uplift and serve your community and nation!
About One Eleuthera Foundation
Founded in 2012, One Eleuthera Foundation is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to transforming our local island communities into thriving, self-sufficient ecosystems. We do this by focusing on five key areas: economic ownership, meaningful educational advancement, pathways to wellness, and environmentally sustainable communities centered around our island’s unique cultural identity. We run a number of social enterprises, including CTI, our vocational school; the Retreat Hotel, a training hotel for hospitality students; and our farm and Cooling House, which trains future farmers in the best sustainability and food production practices. Through OEF’s consistent dedicated efforts, the tenacity and resourcefulness of our legacy community, and the support of donors and partners, we are creating change in Eleuthera.
