Advocating for Change: Will Rivera’s Mission to Uplift Voices and Transform Nonprofits

Tasha: Good morning. Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your nonprofit origin story?

will: Hi, good morning, Tasha. Thank you for having so my name’s Will Rivera. I am been in the nonprofit community for almost over 18 years now.

I started out right out of college actually started out before that as a volunteer intern at my local college for my local program and I’ve been doing. Within the nonprofit community, gender based violence work, tech facilitated violence work work regarding protecting, supporting marginalized groups and individuals through policy work, advocacy, and direct support services.

Tasha: That’s a really unique niche within the nonprofit community, but one that’s definitely underserved and needs a lot more support.

What do you love about nonprofit work?

will: I mean, for me, I never even thought I was going to do this work. Honestly, I always, everyone asks me like, why do you do this? Or how come you’ve been doing this for long? And one, it’s really called me. I say that the fields call me, right. And I do this for survivors.

I do this for individuals that haven’t had the opportunity to speak up, and I do this for the, for me to bring their voices into all the spaces that I have the privilege to be in so that they can be heard in any decisions that are going to be made, are going to be heard and I do this because when I was a kid being a victim of child abuse, family violence, street violence, no one really spoke up for myself.

And what was happening to myself and my family. And so I always, just recently, I came to the forefront of why I was doing this on a random walk with my wife.

I do this because no one spoke up for me and my sisters through those situations we were in. And I want to make sure that people have the opportunity to be heard when they’re being affected by these kinds of types of violence and crime.

Tasha: I think nonprofit is very personal for the majority of people. When I do these interviews and I get people talking about their work. And some of them are like yourself where it’s very recognized why they’ve gotten in it, but I do think that there’s a personal piece to nonprofit that can be really hard to explain to people outside the sector because this isn’t an industry you get into to make a ton of money to find fame, that’s never going to be how it works.

And it very rarely, I know, you and I have talked about this, it’s very rarely a job you leave. at the door of your workplace and then don’t think about when you’re at home.

will: I am not a good advocate for work life balance, just because, the type of work I do, I have done is really 24 7.

And so, I come home and I’m still working and it’s because, somebody always needs help or, someone’s reached out and I never want to leave someone unanswered. But in the nonprofit world, the reason why I think some of us are doing this, so, so passionately or vigorously I think it’s cause we really have a calling for it.

We really see the impact of what we really are championing, whatever efforts within our nonprofit area is and we’re just true. Keep striving. And they also think it’s like there’s a scarcity issue. We work so hard because we already have so little. So we’re trying to gain anything we can by working hard.

And so I, it’s a variety of things. And, as much as I want to advocate for changes in the nonprofit system and do advocate for it, I am my own worst enemy sometimes. But just by, these workloads,

Tasha: I had another Hive member Leah Marone, I don’t know if you know her, but she’s fantastic.

And we were talking about burnout and that’s kind of what she focuses in on is burnout in the sector. And one of the things she was very much highlighting was that the people who are attracted to this kind of work are not great boundary setters, right? Like the people who are attracted to this are not great at setting boundaries for themselves.

Potentially for others, they want to help. And that’s a beautiful thing that you help and that you care. But when you’re always last on the list, there’s long term repercussions to that in our lives. And I do think. I’ve seen lots of nonprofiteers hitting that wall and they hit it hard and like the recovery from burnout can take a long time.

will: Yeah. It’s funny. So yesterday actually my wife sent me this meme, and it was saying something like if you asked me this last year in January, I would have never told you that this year would have been the worst year of my life or something like something really like funny like that.

And the burnout does hit and and it happens. It happens. And. I’ve never thought I would be affected by it, but it does happen. And I think you see it more when it’s affecting others around you. And for me I always want to make sure that others that I’m leading or supporting or, or on my team, they’re not working the same way I do, right?

Because, we’re a different breed, right? Like we’ve done this for a very long time. There’s other reasons why we do it so vigorously, and so I want to make sure others don’t do it. And I know we should set examples by our own work style, but, it’s just sometimes in this nonprofit field, you just have to get it done while the opportunity is there.

Tasha: Yeah, you hit on something really critical because there is a sense of urgency. I thought it was the statistic is 80 percent of nonprofits fail in the first five years. And there’s no nonprofit so big, so well set up that there isn’t an ongoing fear that money will run out. Opportunities will disappear.

And if you’re a small nonprofit, which most are, most of them are tiny under 5 million budgets, that’s, the fear is very high on a regular basis. So. Yeah, like you said that opportunity presents itself is really hard to put that down and put that away.

will: Yeah, absolutely. So then that’s why you go to all the events, you do all the networking, you never say no just in hopes that you don’t have to really have this like scarcity mindset all the time or worry about your budgets.

Here, we’re really worried about funding and just in my area of the field on the. federal and statewide levels. And so, you’re always trying to think of ways to be sustainable. So that again, those that you’re serving, don’t lose out on the opportunities for the services you’re providing.

Tasha: Absolutely. And what do you see as some of the core challenges? I mean, we’ve talked about a few of them here, but in your work, I mean, you’ve held executive director level roles. What do you find are some of the. biggest challenges that you’ve faced in your career?

Professionally, my new thing is, so I’m from the streets.

I went to the C suite and, it’s send me back to the streets. Because I think the C suites are not ready for me. And that’s okay. I, I’d rather be out there advocating and supporting those who are affected. And so right now, I really found a great place and looking for other places where they’re allowing me to be my authentic self.

I’ve been doing this for way too long to not be my authentic self. And have to worry about what I’m wearing or how I speak or the tones that I’m speaking at. And if I can’t do it the way that it represents me, then that space is not for me.

, the biggest challenges in this field that I’m seeing are wages, right wages for our direct level staff. And a make advocating and making sure that our wages are impactful for them. Many in our fields in the nonprofit sector are eligible or receiving, federal or statewide benefits.

They are poverty level wages. And we really have to be better than this and we have to advocate better for this and really break the system and all unify and take a stand against this because at the end of the day, we’re all fighting for the same amount of money and if we could come together and make an impact together and just take a stand, I really do think that could mean something but you know, in my career, I’ve gone through lots of things that have really impacted my career.

Primarily being diagnosed with hospice and FOMA right before my first treatment was right before my daughter’s first birthday. And that really changed my whole perspective and in life, really thinking about I. I’m going to die tomorrow and just thinking about what impact have I left.

And so thankfully I’ve been given the opportunity to be healthy and to be well, but ever since that I had a whole mind change, right? Like my mindset changed. And so I know I’m working hard today because tomorrow isn’t granted. And so I’ve been given this opportunity and space to do this work. And so I do a very energetically, very passionately and very focused and.

I’m making an impact for all longstanding.

Tasha: . I love that. And I do think it makes a difference. Like your background absolutely plays in to how you move in the world of your nonprofit roles in the future and what you bring to the table. And I think for leadership within nonprofit, a lot of leaders are not given The tools and the support they need to succeed, which then goes down the line to their staff, then the people that they’re serving, it is a really challenging role and.

To be a nonprofit leader and they can be the source of much frustration for the rest of their teams as well, or the source of much joy, right? For the rest of their teams as well. It’s a big role with a lot of responsibilities. And then people above you that, not everybody at a CEO level that has a board above them, even when they’re small.

And so, I think nonprofits are in a really unique position, a lot of challenges that. We don’t see in the for profit sector.

will: Yeah, absolutely. There are lots of different challenges for the for profit sector versus, nonprofits. And I also think it’s an opportunity to really rethink, right?

Like, why can’t we look at things differently? Why can’t we have systems in place or our functions in place or governance in place, that really looks at, the why and the hows and the structures that these Yeah, absolutely. These systems were built on to really look at, our mission, our values and govern that way.

And so I really think it’s an opportunity as well to look at that. And I will, it would be amazing to see some great research and models of others that are doing that kind of, thinking within the field so that others can see it as well.

Tasha: Well, we’re just going to have to start that well together.

You and I will just have start doing some research. I’d love that.

If you’re saying anything about disrupting or creating anything new call me anytime

Tasha: We’ve talked about the challenges of the work, but how does peer support.

With others in the field that is unique to your niche, but others as well, just across nonprofit, how has that supported you in your further work?

will: Oh gosh, this year I really gained a lot of like close friends colleagues, fellow advocates that are always there, phone call away, text away and really there to help out any way they can.

But honestly, even, me using. The hive, the hive was something I just saw on LinkedIn and reached out, to you and started the meetings and just having that network of fellow nonprofiteers to reach out to has been great, Tasha, I reached out to you and said, Hey, I, really thinking about this, or do you know anyone about this?

And it’s yeah, I got somebody hold on. And, you really connect and have this massive network and that’s really not seen, or it’s not tied to a paywall or a way where we have to buy in.

Tasha: I think you’ve hit the head on the nail. And I mean, there’s been different points where people are like, well, it’s a community with members. So of course you’re going to monetize membership. And it’s yeah, but I don’t think that’s the point.

Always like communities shouldn’t be built always to be converted because then it puts really there’s a, too much structure around it. I think communities are a living and breathing entity, right? And when you give space to breathe, when you give space for people like yourself to share with me what your experience is, that makes it so much easier for me to go back and go, Hey, okay, we should be doing something cool like this.

We should be trying something cool like this. And I think. A really open ended feel was a little bit scary when the nonprofit high was started, people were like, well, what are we supposed to talk about? And what’s been hilarious is that you talk about whatever you want. This is about nonprofit work.

This is your rallying point, but I don’t know. I try to put people in interesting conversations together, knowing that they probably have something more additionally in common, but it’s been amazing when you let. People take the reins of the conversations and not try to make it too reductive or too limited.

They just go nuts and find all these cool things. And they, people are so generous with their networks. And I think that’s something in nonprofit that especially smaller nonprofits feel that’s their like biggest limiting factor is that they don’t have a network, right. And they’re not sure how to get in touch with the right people in the right place that can make a real change for their nonprofit.

So I love the community and the Hive has been amazing because everyone is so generous and you’re self included to go, I know someone. And so it doesn’t really stop at that 30 minute conversation. The whole point is for it to be that next level of peer support and real communication.

will: I agree. I can’t wait for it in person. Hive three days summit. But I think so many times in the nonprofit world, we. A lot of other people may want to gatekeep, their resources or their contacts. But for those who are really in this for the right reasons to make an impact in our society, we want to share all of our information and provide any resources and opportunities for others to thrive.

And the Hive has been the place. The Hive has been like the most successful place for me that I’ve ever had. Within this nonprofit community to gain access to so many individuals, learn so many people, learn so much about people and their missions and their whys and their hows. And not really, it’s not even just here in the States, right.

It’s international and just meeting so many people all over the place. I mean, the Hive is such a valuable resource to even think about monetizing that, when you’re gaining so much for the society, I really think that has to. That, that, that’s really connected to the, your why Tasha, right?

Like why do you created this and why this is so successful? Because you’ve given everyone that space to like, just have at it, have open conversations and not feel like they’re tied to meeting a goal or performance measure. It’s I’m going to be, I’m going to be my authentic self for 30 minutes.

What do you want to talk about?

Tasha: Exactly. And I love that authentic self piece. And I think, everyone gets a little like, The word authentic got thrown around a lot, but it still matters. It’s probably one of those ones where you’re like, yeah, but it’s actually worth it. Right. It’s actually worth being that person.

And similarly, to yourself having some health issues that very much were at the forefront of me going. No, I can’t continue the same way before. I don’t know exactly where, if things change in the hype. I don’t know exactly where I’m employable and whether I’ve irritated too many people in the sector afterwards, but I think it’s something worth doing to be my authentic self because the people who want to work with me know exactly who they’re getting and that’s who they want to work with.

Right. And that’s power move in my mind to be able to bring that.

will: Yeah, exactly. I think, as I, leaders in this field I think we really have to allow everyone to know that it’s okay to do that. When I’m going and talking to I was talking to students, first gen students two weeks ago, and they said what’s one thing that you can tell us?

And I said, be your authentic self. Don’t let anyone take that away from you. Dress how you want, talk, how you want, eat how you want. If they don’t want you at that table, you don’t need to be there. You’ll go make your own table. And there’s people out there that will support you. Because I think it’s so important that when you say you want to have you be your authentic self, but you also have the opportunity to.

You have to have the opportunity to feel safe when doing that. And we, I totally understand that everyone has that. And it can’t do that, for financial reasons, safety reasons, variety of reasons. And I wish that everyone can do that. And I hope that as leaders, we can continue to have these conversations creating these safe and inclusive workspaces.

So that could happen.

Tasha: Absolutely. . And how can people get in touch with you? Where are you headed next? Well,

will: I’m all over the place, but so if you want to get in touch with me, I mean, LinkedIn is always the best place. Shoot me a DM reach out to me. My, my LinkedIn is really nothing professional really, for the most part, none of the fluff or scenarios.

It’s really just me being authentic and just posted it and moving on. If you don’t like it, I mean, sorry, but that’s who I am.

Tasha: No, that’s great. Well, that’s the exact same philosophy I’m taking. And yeah. It’s not for everyone, but it’s great. I appreciate you so much. Will super value member of the community, the hive community, and just excited to see what you’re up to next.

Cause I think it’s going to be brilliant.

will: Yeah, absolutely. And I’m excited to see everything that the Hive and our fellow Hivers are going to be doing. Appreciate the opportunity. I love everything you’re doing, Tasha and really grateful for all your support the last few months. And I do want to say for everyone that’s out there listening, advocates keep advocating.

We need you.

Tasha: Yes, absolutely. Couldn’t agree more. Thanks so much, Will.

All right, Tasha.