hospitality team member

marketing specialist

family support specialist

marketing manager

guest service agent

Focus on the Family

Spent 12 years in the organization over two work stints. Started as a temp admin out of college and left as a Sr. Director. In my first years, there was a fairly stable budget. The management was loyal to staff and there was enjoyment in the work for most. 

Over time, the focus became more about playing it safe and preserving what existed. The legal budget was massive. In my years there the org budget decreased by 40% and the staff was reduced by 60%. The hallways became quiet as folks tried to say "yes" and preserve their jobs in order to provide for their families. 

The annual budget was largely dependent on end of calendar year gifts, so most spending would occur in Feb-Apr after processing donations, and then funding would dry up in the months ahead and annual plans would get put on hold until the following Feb. This happened pretty much every year I was there. Projects would start in the early year and then get squashed and very little would actually get accomplished. Most of the production came out of the counseling dept or call center in handling day-to-day calls, but the majority of other work often felt like a game of "Mother May I" with the C Suite. Nothing was really getting accomplished other than internal marketing.

My observation was that most of the creative folks left or were let go when I was there. The organization was in a period of becoming extremely bureaucratic and most everything had to be run through the C Suite.

I specifically recall having to provide statistics to the C Suite for Board meetings. Often times, I'd get word back that leadership didn't like what they saw and they'd ask for a different view. I remember feeling way too much stress over that and didn't feel right about it. But what could I do?

When I would go out into public and meet people, more often than not, they'd express they'd been hurt by the organization. I realized more harm may be occurring than good. I eventually left, and without a job, because I couldn't sleep at night wondering what I was contributing to and what I was doing with my time and energy. 

In my 12 years there I mostly learned what not to do. However, I gained a ton of experience working with people and left with a few very dear friendships. I was able to provide for my family, just not the way I had hoped or envisioned.



The effective and albeit controversial message of the Christian family ethic has been subdued in the name of not giving offence, with the hope that it would widen our audience and support.  The enemies of Focus on the Family have largely gone quiet, but also the grass-roots supporters have all but vanished.  By every measure Focus on the Family has been in a steady decline for well over a decade.  Focus’ enemies have accomplished their goal. The Founder and President Dr. Dobson was slowly forced out and stripped of power all while being praised with “speech as smooth as butter” (Ps 55:21).

Day to day, Focus had remained a good place to work, with fringe benefits like daily morning devotions, chapel services and other perks.  Benefits during my tenure have been relatively solid for a non-profit organization.  Compensation has improved in recent years, but still remains well below market.

Management at the department level can display a surprising cruelty in dealing with its staffing issues.  The most egregious examples is seeing long time employees and positions vanish from the department.  No announcements or good byes, but when asked, just vague mentions by managers that so-and-so is no longer with the ministry.  These people have often been there for many years. I later learned they were asked to resign and would be given a couple weeks of pay, or else they will be fired and escorted out of the building.  The terminated employee is encouraged to tell potential employers that they quit voluntarily.  This dirty trick keeps Focus from paying severance packages and having to announce embarrassing layoffs to the staff and media.  All of this is justified in their own mind as “being a good steward of FTE resources.”  

If you are seeking a position with Focus, know that having Focus on your resume can be a career killer.  Future hiring managers will not want to deal with the potential HR hot-potato controversies that might arise.  Focus generally has a poor reputation in Colorado Springs, but more recently has just dropped off the map entirely.  I would stay away from Focus and try to have a Christian influence in a regular secular company.


Let me start by saying most of the people here are amazing and are always there for you. With that being said, there's consistent lay offs that could be avoided if they managed their money better. 

They fired 14 people one week out of nowhere throughout the ministry, and then asked for prayer at the monthly staff chapel for the management prayer retreat at the broadmoor that was catered. Focus has a beautiful campus with plenty of conference rooms. They also fly most management first class to events and conferences that aren't necessary which could save people's jobs. It's extremely frustrating to employees to see this! They also spend money on 90 inch HD TVs for every conference room and there was at least 35, management also holds meeting for themselves which are catered by an expensive dining company. I couldn't write the monthly thank you letters to donors in good heart after seeing how they spend their money. 

They just lost almost every senior member of the customer service team, people who had been there 25 years left without notice it's getting so bad. It just shows how fast this organization is going down hill, the new tenants on campus brought a new environment and it's not a good one because they are treating the tenants better than the focus employees.

I worked at Focus for almost 2 decades. Very mission driven, excellent benefits, and purposeful work. Opportunities for advancement, but sometimes you have to network with the right people. It's unfortunate qualifications and loyalty don't always translate in promotion. Instead, outside hires are encouraged and often demoralize existing staff. Upper level management needs to dig in more with their direct reports to gain a better understanding of day-to-day operations. Decisions often made without gaining feedback of the workers who have the keenest insight into operations. Improvements have been made from a project management standpoint to help reduce systems and process complexities. Relationship Services team is the heart of the organization in terms of cultivating constituent and donor relationships. Focus needs to find ways to better promote the wealth of resources and information to those in the culture/within hurting families who need it most -- many families around the country still do not know the ministry exists.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The people are amazing! Everyone is very friendly and really care about each other. This is a welcoming organization dedicated to spreading the message of Jesus Christ and the gospel. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The organization as a whole is ran very inefficiently and in return it makes work extremely chaotic and hectic. The “C” suite is tone deaf to this fact and do not support the necessary change required to make the organization a success. This results in constant chaos.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment is one that is under staffed and under paid. The employees are all very seasoned, as in they have worked there for many many years, or they have been employed for less than a year there. Many employees leave this organization when they realize that the workload is not commensurate with the pay. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day at FOF is chaotic because anything goes here, no one is held accountable for last minute decisions or changes. There is very little planning ahead.

•	Assisted and relieved the vice president of a variety of administrative duties by specific or general authorization; utilized independent judgment, determining when to act for him and when to refer problems for personal attention 
•	Managed VP’s Outlook calendar, ensuring optimum time management; Interfaced with other Cabinet assistants to schedule meetings with the 16 Cabinet members 
•	Arranged meetings, prepared agendas, and communicated meeting schedules 
•	Collected, summarized and proofed departmental reports and presentations, constantly meeting monthly and quarterly deadlines
•	Booked domestic and international airfare, hotel and car rentals
•	Successfully planned and managed the logistics of team events 
•	Secured motivational speakers for bi-monthly staff devotions
•	Prepared expense reports and bi-monthly account summaries
•	Researched information needed for the VP projects
•	Data entry for various computer programs and generated computer reports
•	Department’s Designated Purchasing Agent
•	Prepared diverse letters/memos
•	Placed, answered, screened, and referred phone calls
•	Received and screened incoming mail

Materials handling is a very physically demanding and often monotonous job. But, for anybody who believes in the organizations mission, there is no denying that the position is an important part of getting the message to it's intended audience. 

The job most commonly involves: bundling and wrapping mail, moving filled mail trays and pallets, feeding and adjusting mail inserter machines, hand filling smaller mailings with irregular materials (i.e. cds), or sorting and strapping bundles of mailers or magazines. Pallets and mail cages often weigh in excess of 800 lbs.

Breaks are regular and communal, team-building exercises regularly occur during paid work hours, overtime was optional, and paid time off requests were usually granted. The team was overall very easy going and enjoyable to work with.

Focus on the Family has a great group of employees who share a purpose in their work and are loyal to the cause of helping families thrive in Christ. Working at a Christian non-profit when economy causes continued downsizing is hard, but the response of each employee was positive and encouraging. The medical benefits offered were excellent and they truly care about families, which is their driving purpose. One unique aspect of Focus on the Family was the 24 classes offered weekly ranging from Ping Pong tournaments to Watercolor classes all taught or led by volunteers from the employee base. Over half of the employees participated.

Focus' executive management is very isolated and completely unaware of what is truly going on past their direct reports.  Sr. management uses names of executive members to advance their own agenda even when it conflicts with other departments.  Most employees who have been there many years are entrenched and it is very difficult to remove the ones who really need to go. As a result, if you aren't a "yes man" you are removed rather quickly.

Focus has a poor culture of tremendous bureaucracy due to the above mentioned entrenchment of people who have long past their usefulness and the ignorance of the executive team.  This makes getting anything done laborious and unnecessarily long and complicated. 

Most of the non management employees are wonderful to work with and are truly there for the mission.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Serving God, helping families, saving babies, and many salvations. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Like any job, there are people issues.  Working through different agendas or priorities can be challenging.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Majority of people have the same overarching goals and buy into the mission, so challenges can be overcome without too much difficulty.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
As a middle management as a Director, I was in lots of meetings, and also overseeing a team of people who got the work done.  Collaboration with other departments is absolutely critical.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Hospitality team member 33 salaries reported	$17.36 per hour
Marketing specialist 2 salaries reported	$27.42 per hour
Family support specialist 12 salaries reported	$23.97 per hour
Marketing manager 2 salaries reported	$77,973 per year
Guest service agent 7 salaries reported	$16.59 per hour

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