We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kendra Penry. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kendra below.

Kendra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

I am the Executive Director of a small nonprofit and, unfortunately, there is a lot that Corporate America, donors, funders, and community members get wrong about what that means. Yes, I do this job because I love it and I believe in our mission. I truly want to make a difference and that is why I have chosen this job. However, there is a perception that because I value what I do, I, and the rest of my employees, do not deserve to be paid fairly. There is a misconception about the need for administrative costs within nonprofits and paying people what they are truly worth. Too many nonprofits have spent years bragging that they are 100% “volunteer run” or they have zero administrative costs. This has damaged our entire industry because having paid employees is actually much more stable and innovative for the long term and having zero administrative costs is impossible. Too many passionate, intelligent, dedicated people cannot do what they love because of debt, student loans, or other costs of living and our inability to pay well, all because of a misconception of the value of our work. Many grant making organizations or corporations don’t want their money to support our people, but rather want 100% of their donation to go to programming. This often sets up a situation where my own employees could not afford to participate in the programs we run because of cost. What I want Corporate America to know is that “nonprofit” is just a tax status. Myself and my employees are just as capable, smart, and driven as any other for-profit employee would be. I want our donors and supporters to trust us (and other nonprofits working for good) with their dollars as we will put them to good use to make a difference in our community and to also trust us to make good decisions about programming and growing our organization. It is unrestricted giving that allows us to grow and to make a positive impact on the community around us. Yes, do your due diligence about an organization before you give, but if you believe in their mission and can see the impact they have, then trust the leadership to make the best choices with your gifts.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have worked in the nonprofit field for more than 20 years. I attempted to work in both the for-profit world and for the government and neither felt like a good fit as their goals were very different from mine. I truly want to leave the world a little better than it was when I arrived, at least the part of the world within my influence. We, each and every one of us, do not get to choose if we change the world. Just by living in it, you are changing it everyday with the decisions you make from the food you choose to eat to the way you move about in the world. The only choice we have is whether that change is positive or negative, and I want to be sure my impact is positive. That is why I landed in the nonprofit world. I have worked for a variety of different organizations as I have sought my true passion. Where I have landed is that I want to affect the root causes of problems. Raising awareness about an issue is important, as is providing services for those affected. However, I believe my skills are best put to use addressing the root cause to prevent future problems or victims. Otherwise, the issue (whether climate change, hunger, poverty or any other global challenge) persists for generations and that is not acceptable for me. I believe what sets me apart is my willingness to just do what needs to be done, whether vacuuming a floor or presenting to our legislature, I am in it to ensure our work is successful and do not believe anything is “beneath” me as every job or task gets us a little closer to our mission.

Any advice for managing a team?

Always put your people first. As the Executive Director, I am often the public voice of my organization, but I am here to serve my staff first. If they feel supported and cared for, they will do a better job of serving our community. Programming is not my job, though it is often the “fun” part of a nonprofit. My job is administrative and ensuring our employees are engaged and fulfilled in their work. This means I have to be creative to find new types and sources of benefits, especially as we cannot afford the typical ones. It also means I have to listen to my staff and I highly recommend other leaders do the same. Do not assume because one benefit or feature seems appealing to you that it will be everyone. As ours is a small organization, I can also be flexible and provide both a structured work environment for those who thrive that way as well as a much looser, remote work environment for those who work better with fewer guardrails. I know this is not possible for everyone, but what could be? Could that look like offering one day a week where staff can choose to work from home? Could that look like mandatory vacation for employees rather than simply an allowance? Putting your staff first means ensuring not only they have the pay they deserve, but they are cared for as people and it matters. It isn’t “touchy feely,” it is imperative to ensure loyalty and longevity.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Building our reputation is an ongoing work, it never ends. Another way to define reputation is trust and while easy to break, trust is hard to build, so it can never be taken for granted. We have built trust through years of transparency, clear communication, and listening to our community. We are willing to let go of programs that we might love ourselves, but the community is not responding to which builds our reputation as a place that listens and changes as needed. We always share our financials, strategic plans, and annual reports which builds trust in our financial health and the future of the organization. We also have carefully recruited and maintain a highly educated and capable staff that have a proven track record for leading engaging, safe, and fun programs. Because of this, most of our programs sell out incredibly quickly and are constantly being requested by schools, community members, and visitors. Our work, though, to keep that trust and reputation will be a constant effort for the entire lifespan of this organization.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have worked in the nonprofit field for more than 20 years. I attempted to work in both the for-profit world and for the government and neither felt like a good fit as their goals were very different from mine. I truly want to leave the world a little better than it was when I arrived, at least the part of the world within my influence. We, each and every one of us, do not get to choose if we change the world. Just by living in it, you are changing it everyday with the decisions you make from the food you choose to eat to the way you move about in the world. The only choice we have is whether that change is positive or negative, and I want to be sure my impact is positive. That is why I landed in the nonprofit world. I have worked for a variety of different organizations as I have sought my true passion. Where I have landed is that I want to affect the root causes of problems. Raising awareness about an issue is important, as is providing services for those affected. However, I believe my skills are best put to use addressing the root cause to prevent future problems or victims. Otherwise, the issue (whether climate change, hunger, poverty or any other global challenge) persists for generations and that is not acceptable for me. I believe what sets me apart is my willingness to just do what needs to be done, whether vacuuming a floor or presenting to our legislature, I am in it to ensure our work is successful and do not believe anything is “beneath” me as every job or task gets us a little closer to our mission.

Any advice for managing a team?

Always put your people first. As the Executive Director, I am often the public voice of my organization, but I am here to serve my staff first. If they feel supported and cared for, they will do a better job of serving our community. Programming is not my job, though it is often the “fun” part of a nonprofit. My job is administrative and ensuring our employees are engaged and fulfilled in their work. This means I have to be creative to find new types and sources of benefits, especially as we cannot afford the typical ones. It also means I have to listen to my staff and I highly recommend other leaders do the same. Do not assume because one benefit or feature seems appealing to you that it will be everyone. As ours is a small organization, I can also be flexible and provide both a structured work environment for those who thrive that way as well as a much looser, remote work environment for those who work better with fewer guardrails. I know this is not possible for everyone, but what could be? Could that look like offering one day a week where staff can choose to work from home? Could that look like mandatory vacation for employees rather than simply an allowance? Putting your staff first means ensuring not only they have the pay they deserve, but they are cared for as people and it matters. It isn’t “touchy feely,” it is imperative to ensure loyalty and longevity.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Building our reputation is an ongoing work, it never ends. Another way to define reputation is trust and while easy to break, trust is hard to build, so it can never be taken for granted. We have built trust through years of transparency, clear communication, and listening to our community. We are willing to let go of programs that we might love ourselves, but the community is not responding to which builds our reputation as a place that listens and changes as needed. We always share our financials, strategic plans, and annual reports which builds trust in our financial health and the future of the organization. We also have carefully recruited and maintain a highly educated and capable staff that have a proven track record for leading engaging, safe, and fun programs. Because of this, most of our programs sell out incredibly quickly and are constantly being requested by schools, community members, and visitors. Our work, though, to keep that trust and reputation will be a constant effort for the entire lifespan of this organization.

Any advice for managing a team?

Always put your people first. As the Executive Director, I am often the public voice of my organization, but I am here to serve my staff first. If they feel supported and cared for, they will do a better job of serving our community. Programming is not my job, though it is often the “fun” part of a nonprofit. My job is administrative and ensuring our employees are engaged and fulfilled in their work. This means I have to be creative to find new types and sources of benefits, especially as we cannot afford the typical ones. It also means I have to listen to my staff and I highly recommend other leaders do the same. Do not assume because one benefit or feature seems appealing to you that it will be everyone. As ours is a small organization, I can also be flexible and provide both a structured work environment for those who thrive that way as well as a much looser, remote work environment for those who work better with fewer guardrails. I know this is not possible for everyone, but what could be? Could that look like offering one day a week where staff can choose to work from home? Could that look like mandatory vacation for employees rather than simply an allowance? Putting your staff first means ensuring not only they have the pay they deserve, but they are cared for as people and it matters. It isn’t “touchy feely,” it is imperative to ensure loyalty and longevity.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Building our reputation is an ongoing work, it never ends. Another way to define reputation is trust and while easy to break, trust is hard to build, so it can never be taken for granted. We have built trust through years of transparency, clear communication, and listening to our community. We are willing to let go of programs that we might love ourselves, but the community is not responding to which builds our reputation as a place that listens and changes as needed. We always share our financials, strategic plans, and annual reports which builds trust in our financial health and the future of the organization. We also have carefully recruited and maintain a highly educated and capable staff that have a proven track record for leading engaging, safe, and fun programs. Because of this, most of our programs sell out incredibly quickly and are constantly being requested by schools, community members, and visitors. Our work, though, to keep that trust and reputation will be a constant effort for the entire lifespan of this organization.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.logannature.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stokes_nature_center/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StokesNatureCenter
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kendra-penry-clutter-0b40b716