senior manager

vice president of technology operations

vice president of business development

special projects manager

senior system engineer

NeighborWorks America

NeighborWorks America has an enviable position for national nonprofit work, in the housing and economic development "industries" especially. The organization is national in reach and impact, works closely with on-the-ground local community affiliates, and enjoys strong, stable funding. The mission balances noble intentions with the realities of working as an intermediary between government and private sector partners.

NeighborWorks is an excellent place to work for grant management and grant-making, program management, and public affairs. The offices have open floor plans, lots of natural light, a variety of work spaces, and proximity to commuting options. 

The culture has conflicting characteristics. On the one hand, you can work with bright, motivated, competent colleagues and often form friendships. Working with the local affiliate network is particularly satisfying, as you can feel the impact of work on the ground and meet a diverse and dedicated set of partners. Most staff strive to do excellent work here, with integrity, and this feels good to be around.

On the other hand, there is a different working experience between senior leaders (a larger group than the leadership team) and mid-level and junior employees. Senior leaders enjoy work/life balance, often long tenure, and share little transparency around decisions. At the lower and mid-levels, workload can be heavy and hours bleed into evenings and weekends. More junior ranks work amidst rumor and speculation around opaque leadership decisions. Competition for middle positions can be fierce, turnover is high, and a sense of stability is low. Staffing can be cutthroat if you don't fit in the culture and workflow.

Simply put, this is good place to work at both the most junior and senior levels. At entry level, you can gain some great functional experience and opportunities for advancement one step or two. The senior leaders are a bit on cruise control, with the possible exception of the high profile CEO role. Everyone in between has few and highly competitive prospects for growth. Most wind up leaving once programs end or growth opportunities emerge elsewhere.

A typical day at work is smooth, but there are moments when there is conflict that requires mitigation.  I work a great deal with individuals at our affiliate organizations.  Every once in a while, they discuss with me a flaw that was not necessarily within their control, and they ask that I discuss the matter with them and to not disclose to others in my organization what I know requires a correction.  I don't enjoy having to disagree with the individual who's request is, for the most part, inappropriate to conceal.  If I'm being asked to make a decision that I do not have the authority to make, I feel obligated to disclose it.  Upon doing so, I appeared as though I wasn't entirely certain of my decision, and therefore I was perceived as not being able to make the proper decision.  I looked at that as simply a misunderstanding, but I didn't necessarily look as such.  The manager spoke directly with the manager of the person who had reached to me.  I was mentioned and it was relayed to the person who had wanted me to remain silent.  I felt like I was in a no-win situation.  I apologized to that person, and given our history of working together, it wasn't as bad as I would have thought it could have been.

My co-workers are typically effective at their jobs and enjoyable to be around in the workplace.  I think that we are successful at balancing work relationships with friendship.

The hardest part of my job is balancing my private schedule with my work schedule.  I have no support staff and the work continues to increase over time.  My salary will not increase, and in my current position there is no opportunity to advance.

The most enjoyable part of my job is having the opportunity to work with our affiliate agencies.  I have established strong relationships with them, which is particularly important given the time we have to spend in our shared responsibilities.

I'm a seasoned employees that has worked on the front lines and as a middle manager.  I've had the opportunity to contribute and succeed with very little resistance.  Innovation, in most areas, is welcome but you to pursue and own it or it may not happen.  The organization went through a significant challenge several years ago and many seasoned employees and top leadership departed, however those who hung in there and weathered the challenges, continued to do our good work and helped to reclaim the culture to are successfully moving forward.  The organization has strong top leadership once again and have managed the COVID and virtual environment is the best way possible.   

Overall it was a great place to work and I had a solid work experience. My team was solid and my direct boss was a great leader and manager- which made all the difference. This was not consistent across the organization. For a nonprofit organization- the pay and benefits were solid, and there was an effort to provide a flexible work environment & try new things. If you were someone identified as a performer, you would acknowledged but the flip side is you would get more work. This would be my only “complaint”. You definitely work.  There have been leadership changes over the years, so hopefully the positive attributes have remained. 

I love this place.  I was laid off during the sequestration. Shortly after I heard the organization went under a total re-org on the executive level.  BUT, under the previous executives this was a great place to work. The team I worked with in the training department was irreplaceable and knew how a team work environment should operate.  I had a great boss who was very smart; She pushed her staff to take advantage of professional development opportunities on a consistent basis and provided resolutions to problems when the arised versus putting you down and placing blame. On top of that, the pay was great!

A typical day at the office is definitely not routine. There is change happening all of the time. Relationships with government and private sector are varied and challenging. 

The people I work with are great -- committed to the mission. 

The hardest part of the job is the frequent inconsistent messages coming from the C-suite around business objectives.

Most enjoyable part of the job is the mission -- we help people.

This is a 100% traveling position. As consulting faculty, you are among a pool of instructors. Each engagement is typically 2 to 5 days depending on the courses offered. There is no guarantee of assignments. I teach their client management system software classes during the national and regional training institutes which translates to about 20 days of training per year. There are 3 one week national training institutes per year. Regional trainings are on an as-needed basis.

Having the ability to multi-task
Learned the organization's mission and its relevance to the community
Management did not enhance opportunity for promotion
Co-workers were friendly, cooperative and supportive 
Hardest part of the job was scheduling meetings with external board members
The most enjoyable part of the job was the opportunity to travel

One of the most rewarding aspects of working here is seeing the impact we make in the community. NWGF is dedicated to enhancing housing quality, opening doors to financial stability, and empowering residents to take charge of their futures. The work culture is supportive and positive, and there’s also flexibility when it comes to scheduling. While the workload can get demanding at times, the team is always there to support one another. I’m truly proud to be part of the NeighborWorks Great Falls team.

I was fortunate to be chosen as one of NeighborWorks America's twelve community scholar interns, nationally. They are a leader in their field, and it shows. I was given a fantastic immersion in affordable housing and community development. They allow their interns to assist with high level strategic goals and campaigns. This type of internship is both challenging and rewarding, and I recommend them without reservation.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Senior manager 4 salaries reported	$99,713 per year
Vice president of technology operations 3 salaries reported	$168,000 per year
Vice president of business development 2 salaries reported	$162,500 per year
Special projects manager 1 salary reported	$87,400 per year
Senior system engineer 2 salaries reported	$117,000 per year

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