Pros
*Important context: Impact is part of the public interest network (TPIN). So if you want a full picture of what working for them is like, make sure to look up US PIRG, Environment America, Fair Share, Fund for the Public Interest, and The Public Interest Network on Glassdoor, and google them as well.* In theory, Impact is a wonderful program, geared towards providing entry-level organizers, mostly right out of college, the skills they need to be effective organizers and advocates on a number of issues. 1. The people. You will most likely make lifelong friends if you work here for a year or two. 2. Most of the issues you work on are important (climate change, big money in politics) 3. More varied responsibility and experience than you will get in many other entry level jobs (lobbying, media, fundraising, writing, research, staff management, etc.) 4. A lot of former staff are able to move on to bigger and better things, either in organizing, electoral politics, or government work. You'll find Impact, TPIN, and PIRG alumni everywhere doing impressive things.
Cons
1. Pay: $25-26k is insufficient to cover the cost of living in most locations where they hire staff. TPIN is so committed to keeping the pay of it's staff as low as possible, that in 2015-16 they publicly opposed an Obama administration rule that would have extended overtime pay to tens of millions of Americans, including most of their own employees. They issued a press release condemning the rule, much to the chagrin of hundreds of their employees who were looking forward to either a raise or a cap on their hours. The low pay is a result of ideology, not necessity, as they have tens of millions of dollars in the bank, scattered across dozens of organizations, and routinely make $1-5 million expenditures on everything from super PAC contributions to buying bookstores in Aspen. 2. Turnover: By the end of your first year, 50-70% of your fellow Impact organizers will have quit. This pattern repeats every year for every program in TPIN that hires substantial numbers of entry-level staff. The organization is fine with this, and insists that the problem either lies with millenials, or can be fixed with some slight adjustments to the program. They will tell you that folks who leave because they can’t afford to live on $26,000 a year “just weren’t the right fit”. 3. Senior Management: TPIN is run by one person- Doug Phelps, and people who adhere to his political philosophy lead all of the organizations in the network. Most senior management have never worked anywhere outside of the network. The majority of organizational boards are made up entirely of TPIN staff, who all either report to Phelps directly or report to someone who does. This lack of new blood and outside perspective means that the people in charge, by definition, are the most accepting of the way things are, because they’ve worked in TPIN for decades. This leads to circular, insular thinking, which makes change nearly impossible. 4. Culture & Values: The culture is insular, secretive, and stale. They expect you to work long hours at low pay without any complaint. They expect you to hit ambitious, quantitative goals that are handed down without regard for the context of where you are based or what’s going on in your campaign. They expect you to adhere to their very particular philosophy, which they call either “public interest” or “post-scarcity”. If they get the feeling you care too much about racial or economic justice, or any other framework for explaining societal problems in the US, you will be marked as a “bad cultural fit.” This policing of people’s personal politics is highly ironic, as they spend a lot of time condemning the left and progressives for “political correctness” and being too obsessed with ideological purity. 5. Work/life balance: During the summers, you’ll be expected to work 6-7 days and 70-80 hours each week. You’ll also work fairly long hours during the rest of the year, but that will pale in comparison to the 9 AM-11 PM shifts that you will regularly pull during the summer. This makes things like doing laundry, getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and shopping for groceries extremely difficult, let alone true work-life balance like exercise, relationships outside of work, and time set aside for mental well being. Generally, the organization prefers people who are not interested in work-life balance. 6. Lack of diversity: The organization is 90%+ white. They see nothing wrong with this, and will argue that they’re doing everything they can and it’s just too hard to figure out how to recruit more people of color. Although they insist they’re doing all they can, they are unable to point to any concrete steps they have taken or will take, despite being an organization that insists on concrete goals and strategy from their staff. They will tell you that they “hire the best people,” without a hint of irony, because they’re unaware that’s the excuse that’s always been used to prevent hiring policies to promote diversity. 7. Refusal to change: No matter how many people quit, how many people voice the same concerns, or how much negative press they get, upper management will not accept that there are fundamental flaws in their model. This is because part of getting to the level of upper management entails being fully bought in to the worldview, model, pay and benefits, and policies of the network. It’s unfortunate that an organization that provides a large chunk of the talented people who go on to work in the progressive community mistreats its employees to such a degree, and is incapable of seeing the error of its ways.