El Nido.... NESsT

Here are some photos of my walk to the office (our street Jose Arrieta and our office door) so you could share a little bit of my NESsTER day-to-day. Hard to believe I'm starting my third week, time is flying by!


So what do I do there? A little background… NESsT is an international NGO that works in Latin America and Central Europe with headquarters in Santiago and offices in Budapest, Hungary and San Francisco. They work in Social Enterprise (developing a profit generating business tied to the social mission of the NGO to facilitate self-financing) and Venture Philanthropy (investments from donors into the enterprise or the NGO itself that ultimately generates a social rather then a financial return). Its exciting to me because I believe there are so many good people working very hard with worthwhile organizations in the Nonprofit world and really changing the world and their communities for the better. However, many of these organizations spend so much time in the exhausting cycle of fundraising just to stay afloat and while the directors and employees have a lot of focus and passion for their cause the burnout rate is very high, pay is quite low, and overall accountability in the nonprofit sector leaves a lot to be desired, especially from the perspective of serious donors.

NESsT is taking an approach of combining the tools and strategies of business with the mission and values of the NGOs to facilitate social change in a sustainable, creative and smart way. The importance of civil sector organizations (NGOs and nonprofits) is finally beginning to be recognized on a broader scale and many of the top MBA programs now offer degrees and certifications in Nonprofit management, emphasizing social innovation and the development of specialized management skills that are very much needed in the nonprofit sector. That’s kind of how I came to NESsT… I was getting quite frustrated with all the problems and inefficiencies I was experiencing in my work in the nonprofit sector and thought there HAD to be a better way to do things. The ideas of venture philanthropy and social enterprise (as well as microfinance) are gaining incredible momentum and hopefully will be able to pass the experimental phase in the coming years and become viable ways to literally change the world. NESsT is a leader in the movement and I’m hoping my experience with them will help me to decide if this is a career I would like to pursue.

My main responsibility as a "NESsTER” is working with the Latin American portfolio in the Venture Philanthropy Fund. Its neat because I get to meet face to face with the people behind the organizations that focus on Women’s rights, public land conservation, community development, and education, as well as work with their business plans, investment briefs, accounting, and assist a bit in consulting. I’ve been very impressed by the degree of professionalism and success that NESsT maintains across Latin America… they are a balance and a bridge between the down to earth, passionate people that are attracted to the nonprofit world with people that know how to actually get things accomplished in the business world. Movers and shakers with heart and a conscience, you could say. Lots of work but I’m enjoying it! And I work in a pink building… how can that not be cool? ☺