Sarah Grycko-Oprzedek is the President and CEO of United Way of Will County, an organization that champions the self-sufficiency, health, safety, and education of the residents in Will County. She’s been a loyal servant leader of the United Way for 17 years, beginning her career as a Community Relations Manager and progressing up the ladder into senior leadership. Before United Way, Sarah worked in Human Resources and Employee Relations at Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions. Through her HR experience, education in psychology and social work, and commitment to making a difference, Sarah found her passion within corporate social responsibility and community relations to benefit the greater good.
A career in the nonprofit sector can be a rewarding experience, as it allows one to impact communities in need positively. However, leaders of philanthropic organizations face many challenges daily.
Sarah Grycko-Oprzedek, a seasoned fundraising professional, explains that nonprofits face an unfortunate phenomenon known as "David versus Goliath." Under this pretense, legislation threatens charitable businesses with lawsuits to return illegally donated funds, also known as clawback donations. Another challenge leaders grapple with is employee churn caused by lack of funding. This results in ineffective disbursement of duties, inundating staff with heavier workloads. As a result, maintaining a healthy work-life balance becomes arduous, as leaders and staff members exceed the standard 40-hour work week, sometimes clocking 50-60-hour work weeks.
In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast with Paul Feith, Sarah Grycko-Oprzedek, President and CEO of United Way of Will County, discusses the challenges leaders face every day. Sarah talks about clawback donations, employment challenges within the nonprofit sector, and the complexities of achieving a work-life balance.
