Jamie Perry
Sarah Miller joined YNPNdc in 2018 as the Volunteer Event Manager for the Mentorship Program. During the day, Sarah is a Development Coordinator for the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation. Sarah is passionate about trying to save the world: “My main motivator for everything I do is to try and make any place/person/thing better than how I found them.” We asked Sarah some questions about her background and unique experience so come get to know her and make sure to say hello at our next event!
How have you grown at YNPNdc?
Funny Story – I worked with the YNPN chapter of Little Rock, Arkansas. When I moved to DC in May 2018, one of the first things I did was look to see if YNPN had a DC chapter and see how I could get involved. I went to a happy hour networking mixer and met another nonprofit professional who became one of my first friends in DC and one of my best friends in general. I’m definitely less reserved with meeting people and becoming more comfortable with networking now than when I started attending events and volunteering in Little Rock. I think it’s really important to be comfortable with networking because it can be so much more than just making connections for the next big job or resource gathering.
If could describe YNPNdc in one word, what would it be?
Necessary.
What’s the most important life lesson you’ve learned?
To stop and breathe. I overthink and over analyze sometimes and telling myself to just stop and breathe has helped me manage high stress projects or think twice before sending a “per my last email” email or anything else that benefits from slowing down a second.
What brought you to the non-profit world?
I always loved volunteering as a kid and then as a high-schooler. I volunteered for local organizations and College Campus groups in undergraduate and when I looked at graduate programs I was naturally drawn to the concurrent programs I ended up graduating with (Masters of Nonprofit Management and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management).
What’s your favorite thing about your job?
It’s a tie between helping our grant and scholarship applicants vs. donor analysis.
If you could grab coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is a true role model and a phenomenal woman. She has spent her entire life fighting for the rights of others and working harder than others to be able to do so. I would love to speak with her about how she is able to keep fighting the good fight every single day, even when hope feels like a distant thing.
Where do you go to be inspired?
Any place outdoors.
What’s your favorite TedTalk?
‘Forget the Pecking Order at Work‘
What is your go-to for non-profit news?
LinkedIn and Email Newsletters. I spend a decent amount of time following and subscribing to nonprofits, nonprofit rockstars, and nonprofit related news outlets.
What causes do you care about most?
Nonprofit Advancement, Women’s Rights, LGBTQA Rights, Animal Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, Poverty Initiatives, Diversity & Inclusion