Org now closed - Program Manager SEEDS Community Resolution Center Employee Review

As an employee of a conflict transformation organization I have pretty high expectations of how my place of employment engages conflict and disagreement. This is one of the only places that I have ever worked where what the organization says it's about is what it's actually about in the lived experience of its employees. We disagree, we make blunders, we hurt feelings and cause offense, and we work through it, we have difficult, intentional, caring conversations and we learn together to build understanding through dialogue. Sometimes it's really hard, but I have always felt held and supported. I have also really appreciated the ability the organization has demonstrated to grow and develop into a better employer and take the learnings of past mis-steps and leverage them into better employment practices - specifically around issues of equity. I am deeply encouraged that organizations like this exist - it owns its imperfections and strives incredibly hard to improve. Additionally - on a very basic level SEEDS is a supportive employer, extending great care and concern for the well-being of its employees, who, from my experience are encouraged to show up as their full and real selves.

Like many small non-profits, the salaries are low in comparison to the cost of Bay Area living.

SEEDS is truly compassionate in the work that they do and the well-being of their employees. All of the staff and volunteers are very serious about the work and are committed to the mission and services that they provide. With such a small number of staff, it is remarkable to see the amount of people SEEDS can serve from week-to-week. SEEDS is a leader in its field, focused on inclusivity, equity and trauma-informed responses. This approach to conflict transformation impacts not only the service but the organizational culture. As someone with difficult life experiences, I feel very comfortable to be myself and safe to share my concerns. Compared to many Bay-Area non-profits, I think that SEEDS has fairly adequate compensation and benefits. The organization also is willing to be flexible around life circumstances.

As with any non-profit, I think it is easy to become entrenched in the work and to neglect work-life balance. At SEEDS I think it is just important to keep those boundaries, which are very often respected by the fellow employees.