For nonprofits, mission is key to employee morale
By Katie Hawkins-Gaar
poynter.orgThe headquarters of The Lens, an independent nonprofit newsroom, is a small, no-frills facility in an uptown New Orleans industrial park. Instead of windows, there are glass doors protected by burglar bars. The office modem awkwardly dangles above the toilet. The furniture is a mix of plastic folding tables, worn chairs and mismatched lamps bought from thrift stores. The staff is tiny, made up of eight full-time employees and two part-timers.
Despite the odds, employee morale and sense of purpose are sky-high.
“We’re doing some of the highest level of journalism in some of the smallest, less conducive-to-journalism conditions,” said Editor Steve Beatty. Staff writer Marta Jewson echoed those thoughts: “This is exactly what we need. We’re all independent, mobile journalists. A pretty space and glass tables don’t make us and don’t have anything to do with the journalism we produce.”
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