Nonprofit burnout: Make-A-Wish Alabama’s Tracy Smith

Authentically Successful

"I feel like men think— and a lot of people think— oh, nonprofits are just nice and they're all volunteer ran and it's this nice, fluffy thing over here. But we are really meeting a need." - Tracy Smith

On this episode of Authentically Successful, we hear from Tracy Smith, the CEO of Make-A-Wish Alabama, a nonprofit organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Carol and Tracy discuss the origin story of Make-A-Wish and how the organization has evolved over time. Tracy points out how greatly one wish can affect the child’s future medically, leading to fewer ER visits and hospital stays according to data.

You’ll hear what a typical day looks like for a “wish granter”, a key role in the nonprofit. They also discuss the success of her internship program, which is paving the way for paid internships in Alabama to break down socioeconomic and diversity barriers.

On the leadership front, Tracy tells us about her long career in the nonprofit industry and her experiences with bad bosses in previous jobs, which taught her how not to behave when she became a leader. She also delves into the challenges of nonprofit work, including burnout and work-life balance.

Learn more about Tracy Smith and Make-A-Wish Alabama.

You can find more information on all our episodes at Vertical Elevation, and you can find Carol on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.