Common Future Reviews

2.7

29% would recommend to a friend

(8 total reviews)

52% positive business outlook

Reviews by job title

8 reviews
1.0
19 May 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are some hard-working, brilliant people at this organization who care deeply about building a more equitable world. Benefits like a 4-day work week and salaries you don't often find in the nonprofit space are also nice.

Cons

This is an organization that always feels like it's reinventing itself, and figuring things out, yet never arriving at any conclusions. It's also an organization whose leadership, when faced with its faults, gets defensive and places blame rather than listen to staff and learn, which makes Common Future a classic example of a toxic workplace. Leadership operates in an opaque and top-down manner, announcing new initiatives, projects, and organizational direction with a distinct 'get on board, or get out of our way' kind of attitude. Most disappointing is that for a racial justice organization, Common Future's leadership is under the impression that there is no work to be done when it comes to DEI, even in the face of data that indicates it is an organization that is unwelcoming to Black staff. It misconstrues appealing benefits for an appealing workplace.

5.0
29 June 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Majority POC - Stellar benefits and work-life-balance is always prioritized -Staff willing to experiment and push the envelope against the nonprofit industrial complex - Opinions, and diverse viewpoints welcome - Original thinking and a builder mindset is encouraged and rewarded - Appropriate budget is available for work to be done There's a lot of intentionality around systems, ways of working, and even equity. The organization is truly building a ship and flying it. While many things may not be perfect, there is always genuine intentionality from leadership around decisions, actions, policies, and systems. Furthermore, this is probably the only workplace I've seen in 10+ years that wants to go deep both internally and externally and isn't just interested in superficial conversations and solutions. This is the real hard work and Common Futurists aren't afraid of it.

Cons

- Always in emergence — the organization has reincarnated it self every year for the last six years. Where's the clarity on the work to be done? Programmatic throughlines? Points of view? - Through recent mergers and acquisitions and a rebrand from BALLE to Common Future, there are four cultures coming together. Building a cohesive, uniform Common Future culture has been hard across geographies, lived experiences, demographics, etc. Going from <20 staff to more than 40+ in the last 2+ is hard. Growing while also refining your identity, institutionalizing processes, and building cohesive culture is not for the faint of heart. To truly succeed the organization must crystalize how it will deliver on its goals and objectives, who is responsible, how long it will take, and make distinct statements on what it's for/against, what it will be/do and what it won't.

5.0
21 May 2023

Best place I've ever worked

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It saddens me to read other reviews on Glassdoor from a handful of employees with negative experiences. I've never worked anywhere else that cares as much about its employees and provides such supportive benefits (four-day work week, excellent health coverage, great salaries, etc.). There is also a large focus on equity across the organization (hiring, performance evaluations, and more investments introduced this year). The reality of working at Common Future is that it is a place that strives to do great things: reimagine our economic system, close the wealth gap, and shift power and capital to BIPOC communities that have been excluded. This work has never been done and is largely experimental. Many people that do not thrive here are not comfortable operating in ambiguity. If you like working somewhere that moves fast and embraces change to move forward an ambitious strategy, this could be a place for you. The organization has also evolved greatly, moving from a tiny/scrappy organization to a 40+ person nonprofit. This evolution comes with a modest level of hierarchy that is necessary for an organization of this size (not everyone likes this). In my experience, leadership has taken great lengths to listen to employees, be transparent, and make changes when necessary. I don't think staff always recognize the work that takes place behind the scenes or that (in my experience) most workplaces do not operate with this responsiveness. I don't intend to respond to every point written here, though I believe they are largely untrue. Personally, this organization has been an incredible stepping stone for my growth and leadership and I'm proud of the work we've done. This organization is not for everyone (is anywhere?) but if you want to work with kind, innovative, smart people, I'd recommend Common Future.

Cons

A tendency to intellectualize the work and strive for perfection at the expense of doing things

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Glassdoor has 9 Common Future reviews submitted anonymously by Common Future employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Common Future is right for you.