Network For Good Staff Profile: Lenny Wrigley
From an internship at an LGBTQ nonprofit to his time on staff at an animal rescue organization, and now with Network for Good, Lenny Wrigley has lived the day-to-day of nonprofits for the past six years. In his role as customer success specialist, Lenny serves as a guide for many nonprofits as they join the Network for Good family.
“Nonprofits are what makes the world go ‘round. They’re how we get change in the world. There are a lot of people who are scared of change, even in nonprofits, but change is a good thing. That’s what nonprofits are trying to accomplish. At Network for Good, I get to be part of that process of change with a wide range of nonprofits, from animal rights to religious rights to gender identity and sexual orientation rights. It’s a full spectrum. It feels good to help. Change and challenge is what we need in the world.”
Q&A with Lenny Wrigley, Customer Success Specialist
What do you do at Network for Good?
I work with nonprofits during their first 90 days with Network for Good, getting them up and running smoothly in the system and teaching them the tools and best practices.
I currently work with about 100 nonprofits. I love directing and coaching them and seeing their growth. I enjoy sharing different issues other nonprofits have had and how to get ahead of the problem with our software. I’m a very proactive person, so I like teaching them how to avoid certain habits.
What is your experience with nonprofit organizations?
I interned for a semester with the Family Equality Council on their communications team, helping with their website, writing blog posts, and contacting their members to participate in different articles and activities.
After that, I worked at the Humane Rescue Alliance, interviewing people who needed to surrender their dogs, discussing their different options, and providing resources. With a job like that—when you’re dealing with the life and death of an animal—when it’s rewarding, it can bring you to tears. At the same time, when it’s not rewarding it has the exact same result. I have a lot of respect for anyone who works at a rescue organization.
What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?
I’m in school right now, studying behavioral science and religion, and then I start seminary school in June, so that keeps me very busy. I love to read books. I recently read UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality, which looks at the different scriptures that have been used against the LGBTQ community and how they’ve been taken so out of context that they’re not the same scriptures that they were thousands of years ago.
I’m also a fan of hopelessly romantic stories like Me Before You and Nicholas Sparks’ books; self-help and positive psychology books; and the Harry Potter series. This past Christmas I read Becoming by Michelle Obama. I love to be in a library or book store and just read books all day and not have to worry about anything else. I wasn’t like that as a kid. I wouldn’t pick up a book as a kid.
Lightning Round
Dream vacation? Israel
Most recent book read? Torn by Justin Lee
Last movie seen in movie theater? The Best of Enemies
Your theme song? Anything by Taylor Swift!
Favorite color? Purple
