Pros
Great organizational culture that fosters professional and personal growth ($2000 in PD funds per year!). Employees are true to the organization's mission, and it's hard to find such a passionate, talented, and dedicated group of individuals elsewhere. There are a million inspiring moments that push employees to excel and keep the morale and employee retention high. The employee demographic is very diverse and represents the communities that the Year Up program serve, which is great for creating an inclusive environment for students, but also contributes to a continuously rich dialogue among staff as multiple perspectives and backgrounds work together to expand and develop the program further. Though the work can be overwhelming or stressful at times, time is definitely carved out for staff to enjoy social events, team-building, athletic/hobby clubs, etc. The importance of work-life balance is recognized and emphasized by managers and the operations (HR) team.
Cons
It's definitely hectic and stressful at times. Colleagues and managers are supportive and respectful of work-life balance, but it's hard to honor this commitment since all staff are constantly balancing multiple competing priorities. Typical of non-profit environments, though!