Pros
Dedicated team, and many highly competent staff -- but it broke my heart to see how frustrated they were: Suggestions were put forward a numerous meetings and other venues, but very few taken to heart.
Cons
--Incredibly top-heavy. An awful lot of "vice presidents"! Their lofty positions led to their making a number of unilateral decisions which led to confusion, frustration, etc. --People with long tenure in ARC (and who are skilled in brown-nosing) are looked upon more favorably than those who are competent, who are often looked down upon for not "towing the line". --Strategic plans seem to be rolled out every year with little input from technical staff integrated into plan (but lots of input from "the favorites"...). They are presented with much fanfare, and then abandoned (justifiably!)....awaiting next year's similar cycle. -- ARC has been tainted with recent NPR/ProPublica investigations of Hurricane Sandy mismanagement. Senor management's response has been completely defensive, they don't seem to take action on the lessons learned. --A significant number of competent staff have resigned in disgust (the hemorrhaging continues, from what I've heard). And many of those who haven't are actively searching for another job. Those who have succeeded are ecstatic with their new employer, realizing that they lost valuable learning opportunities while with ARC. --I've heard that ARC is going through major financial issues: There was lots of staff interest in donor diversification, and how we could reach out and assist in those efforts. Senior management wasn't interested...they knew best. And now the effects are being felt. Advice to those starting out in your career: Don't work here, unless you're interested in observing how a non-profit SHOULDN'T function. (however, this might make for an interesting masters thesis!). Advice to those in mid-career: Go elsewhere. You'll just end up being frustrated. Advice for senior-level job seekers who thrive on making significant changes in the way floundering NGOs function: Go for it, but you'll have plenty of forces working against you... So sad for an organization as visible and with the potential as the American Red Cross...