Pros
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc. (SERCAP) is a 501(C)3 Nonprofit Organization based in Roanoke, VA with a mission to improve the quality of life for low-income individuals by promoting affordable water and wastewater facilities, community development, environmental health, and economic self-sufficiency, in the agency's seven state service region of MD, DE, VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL. I began at SERCAP in January of 2010 and it has truly developed into a Career with Purpose. Working at SERCAP has provide me with opportunities to make a difference for low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals and rural communities, while simultaneously providing me with the resources and opportunity to develop myself into a high level nonprofit professional. During my tenure at SERCAP I have received professional development training, professional career coaching, a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and two promotions, illustrating that the organization recognizes and rewards high quality work. Additionally, SERCAP gives staff the opportunity to have a level of control and flexibility in designing a work-flow and schedule that works best for them. SERCAP's leadership genuinely want the Agency itself and its employees to be successful. Staff Meetings frequently kick-off by recognizing the hard work of staff and celebrating wins. Also, the majority of the staff are dedicated to serving the agency's clients and communities by providing the best service possible. Personally, its the best organization that I have ever worked for. My Direct Supervisors are and have been kind, compassionate individuals who have always helped me work through any challenges or difficulties, rather than making me feel bad about making mistakes. They have also given me the freedom to be creative and try new project ideas to see if they would be successful. Its a joy to work for an employer that values your input and allows you to experiment, even knowing that some project ideas and experiments will fail. Also, the agency provides unprecedented benefits for a nonprofit organization, including: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, and Vision Insurance paid at 100% for the employee (no premiums for staff to pay if they select employee only insurance); Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Personal Leave; 401K Contribution up to 8.5% (if employee matches as little as 2%), and more. It is the only place I have ever worked that hasn't made me feel guilty about taking my earned leave time. The flexible work environment, dedicated mission, and excellent benefits make SERCAP an great choice for anyone with a strong work ethic looking to build a career with purpose.
Cons
Like with any nonprofit, you may find yourself with too much to do and not enough time. SERCAP receives multiple Federal, State, Local, and Private Foundation Grants with hard and fast deadlines for achieving Program Deliverables, submitting Reports, and submitting Renewal Applications. This frequently means that staff are working hard to accomplish all the grant requirements while providing excellent service to clients and communities. Additionally, depending on one's specific position, there may be a significant amount of travel involved, which can be challenging. However, overall I think the benefits far outweigh the challenges.