Pros
The American Heart Association has a great mission that is much needed throughout the country and world to lower the incidence of heart disease and stroke. Working for the American Heart Association provides individuals an opportunity to pursue a career path that offers great growth potential. The volunteers and staff are dedicated to the mission and variety of work that's being done to save lives. Additionally, most of the tools and resources needed to accomplish the work of the American Heart Association are provided to the staff and volunteers. While there are two distinct "sides" of the Association - fundraising and health strategies - they mostly integrate and work well together.
Cons
One of the greatest challenges working in the American Heart Association is maintaining a good work-life balance. The organization as a whole believes in this value but quite often has a difficult time living up to that standard, especially on the fundraising side. Also, as of late the Health Strategies division has begun to experience challenges maintaining this work-life balance due to increased demands "to be more things to more people and community partners." This coupled with a significant reduction in staff across the country is beginning to put undue strain on the remaining employees and many volunteers. Refocusing of priorities is greatly needed to maintain the viability of the workforce and volunteer infrastructure within the American Heart Association.