This is the first interview in this week’s We Are the Possible series, so named after my favorite Maya Angelou poem, “A Brave and Startling Truth”. I’m profiling several young nonprofit leaders I admire not only for their professional work, but for the values they live out for themselves.
When we come to it
We must confess that we are the possible
We are the miraculous, the true wonder of this world
That is when, and only when
We come to it.
Allison Jones is a Brooklyn girl who left home at age 17 to attend Haverford College in suburbs of Philly. In college she was able to travel, connect, and learn from a variety of people and places that shaped my view of social justice. She lived in Philly for a year after college and moved back to NYC in June 2008. Allison is a blogger, entrepreneur, advocate, sister, daughter, and wanna be comedian.
I first started reading Allison’s blog, Entry Level Living about six months ago. Her insightful writing about being a young person doing the work of social change – in her case, education – was brilliant and honest. Allison is an inspiring young woman of color who knows who she is, who she wants to be, and how she wants to change the world. I’m excited to introduce her to all of you!
Allison Jones, Blogger at Entry Level Living, Project Coordinator of Onlyup.org, Director of Development and Marketing at St. James Elementary School
Age: 23
Lives in: Brooklyn, NY
How did you end up doing the work of social change?
My involvement in social change is not accidental and initially was not motivated by hope and positivity. I was angry. I was angry with a lot of what I saw and a lot of what I was learning in college–pervasive inequality, disinterest, and intellectual dishonesty that polarized discussions about what the problems are and how to solve them. My anger drove me to ask questions and to read incessantly: I spent the bulk of my high school and college years reading books from different perspectives and talking to people from different walks of life.
The issue I am most passionate about is education. Education was my saving grace and has been for many low income people of color. So I channeled my energy into doing volunteer work and sought full time work in the education field. I am not sure of what kind of work I will do in education (now I’m in development last year I was in direct service) but I know that this is where I want to be.
Tell me about your first nonprofit job.
My first nonprofit job was through my college’s post-graduation service program Haverford House, where recent grads live together and do service. I was a program coordinator at a community based arts organization in North Philadelphia. I loved the students—they came hungry for knowledge, friendship, and advancement. They kept me on my toes and really pushed me to think of great ways to engage them. Unfortunately, the organization was falling apart, suffered from a lack of strong leadership, and was in a neighborhood that was getting worse by the day. Students and staff felt unsafe and uncertain which was a horrible place to be in. I was able to initiate some great programs for my students but I found myself delving deeper in nonprofit specific issues like leadership and organizational structure. It is not enough to be angry or passionate: there are tangible important skills necessary to bring about change.
What do you do in your position as Director of Development and Marketing at St. James Elementary School?
This is another fellowship position for recent grads where I do fundraising and marketing for a small Catholic School offered by the Patrons Program of the Archdiocese of NY. Fundraising for a school that is part of a larger system is difficult. I’m not always kept in the loop, we don’t qualify for a myriad of grants (as we are a religious institution) and changes are happening all of the time which can slow things down. The aspects of fundraising I do regularly are student enrollment (tuition is our earned income) and donor management: keeping donors updated and involved in the school. I am discovering that marketing, curriculum development, and structural management are my passions. I’m fortunate that my organization is small enough and my boss is supportive enough to allow me to try to new projects regularly. I got some students to blog and do community service which I will offer as a possibility for teachers in the fall, I completely revamped our marketing materials, have recruited a third of our student body, and helped students apply for over $170K in scholarships.
You’ve been writing about nonprofit issues for a year now on your blog, Entry Level Living. How has blogging impacted your career?
Blogging has given me a space to explore ideas and connect with other people. I’m learning all of the time and love sharing how I am growing with others. By putting my voice out there I’ve been able to secure more writing opportunities, press, and contacts with amazing people, all of which make me a more competitive employee. Additionally, people come to me for advice which is an honor—the fact that people value my opinion enough to seek it is truly a blessing.
Where did the idea for your new project, Onlyup.org come from?
The idea is actually by Brandon West with whom I went to school and lived with after graduation and is currently our executive director. We all had nonprofit jobs and were dismayed by the lack organization and opportunities for development offered to young people. He began toying around with how we could make changes and invited some people to talk and work on the idea, myself included. We basically sought out to answer what are the barriers to young people entering and staying in service oriented careers and how can we address them?
We work closely with nonprofits on making their organization more “young person friendly.” Through our consulting and ultimately our grants we will strengthen the sector by making it better prepared to recruit and retain the largest generation in our nation’s history. We combine our work with advocacy and ongoing research so ensure we are making structural long lasting changes. We received a start up grant from mobilize.org and are currently exploring partnerships and funding opportunities. Look out for us!
So you’re a rockstar blogger, full-time nonprofit professional, and a fellow at NYU’s Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service, and much more. How do you hold it all? Are there any daily rituals or spiritual practices that help you stay centered?
I make time for the people I love and I make time for myself. I will turn down an event or opportunity if I am feeling low or need to some down with my loved ones. I think it is important to develop deep long lasting bonds with people. Staying connected is what keeps you sane!
I also make an effort to live deliberately: that my actions line up with my beliefs and that my choices are thought through carefully. When you understand why you do what you do and you are not chasing things because you think that’s what you are supposed to do, you’re instantly happier.
How would you like to see our generation change the world?
Take aim at problematic structures and institutions—take them down, reshape them, and recreate them. We work too often in isolation focusing on smaller issues which are important but the kind of changes that must be made must be done on a larger scale.
You can follow Allison @ajlovesya on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ajlovesya. You can also contact her at ajlovesya@gmail.com to learn more or chat!
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