Remote flexibility is the only thing keeping people here - Director Jobs for the Future Employee Review

Compensation is not competitive full stop (which is why so many people have side gigs). Base pay lags the market even for nonprofits, there are no bonuses, and annual raises barely keep up with cost of living. It’s hard to justify staying long-term on pay alone. Career growth is also very limited. Upward mobility is challenging, if not impossible in many cases. Very few promotions are available each year, and internal movement across teams is difficult. If you’re looking to grow or advance, you’ll likely need to look outside the organization since there is no coaching, feedback, L&D programs, or stretch roles. More concerning is the overall direction of the organization. The business model feels dated, and there’s a real struggle to bring in new work. The rationale that leadership has given is that "the macro-economic environment under Trump has been tough" but many other non-profits in this space are doing just fine so I think it's more about how JFF has been slow to adapt their products and services and operate differently. There have been multiple rounds of layoffs (RIFs) across 2025 and likely in 2026, with roles continuing to be eliminated as the company struggles to bring in business. Where things have really broken down is in what followed the RIFs. The re-orgs post-RIF have felt poorly thought through and inconsistently executed, with unclear roles, shifting priorities, and little sense of how the pieces fit together. On top of that, external messaging to clients/partners/employers hasn’t kept pace with internal changes, which creates confusion and makes it harder to build trust or win new work. Culturally, the environment has taken a hit. With so much instability, people are on edge there’s noticeable disengagement, frustration, and at times outright rudeness. It’s not the collaborative, mission-driven culture it aspires to be.