Network For Good Staff Profile: Orrin Webb
In only 13 months with Network for Good, Orrin Webb has changed the direction of multiple nonprofits. His approach involves high-quality conversations with executive directors, development directors, and board members about their organization, mission, and cause; their day-to-day fundraising process, and their overall donor experience to better understand their challenges and what they need to go from point A to point B.
“Nonprofits attract the best in our society because they see beyond the economic gain. They want to truly solve or tackle a social problem.”
Q&A with Orrin Webb, Sales Operations Manager
What is your experience with nonprofits organizations?
I joined Pi Lambda Phi, the first nonsectarian fraternity in the country, in college and worked for the organization for three and a half years after graduation, building leadership organizations across the country. It was a highly fulfilling experience. What stuck out to me was that nonprofit workers get paid in moments. There’s a fulfilling nature of working at a nonprofit. In my leadership positions with the fraternity, I was able to understand the importance of fundraising and the day-to-day struggles of managing the different pillars of a nonprofit. Pilam believes in eliminating prejudice. It’s an inherently progressive organization that is ahead of time. We have a tradition of progress.
What attracts you to nonprofits?
Purpose before profit. Any organization that’s seeking to fulfill its purpose is primarily noble. When we use that purpose throughout the entire organization, then the organization is more likely to maintain high-quality people.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy when I’m able to have a meaningful conversation with a nonprofit. Any sort of expense in a nonprofit’s case is a leap of faith. When a leader decides that it’s time to take that leap, and then they soar, that is very fulfilling for me. I had an experience with the executive director of a horse rescue organization in December who said that if they continued on the path they were on, they were going to have to shut down after 20+ years. I said, “No you’re not.” She invested in our program, and she’s not only survived but thrived. She’s raised $40,000 since signing up with us. It just proves that when you have the tools you need to help you achieve what you want to do, and experts and guidance to help you navigate the fundraising landscape, it’s possible to do more good.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
I enjoy reading and nature. I like to hike the Billy Goat Trail on the Potomac River. That’s a real Zen spot. I also run a small business, Enmocean, offering trainings on how to build your EQ, or emotional intelligence. The goal is to build a more empathetic society where people lead with curiosity rather than judgement and build higher quality relationships.
Being at a small nonprofit, I was able to get executive-level and management-level experience. I was building organizations from scratch and coaching and melding people together to build an organization out of nothing. I started to notice how vital relations are in the workplace. We’re social creatures. But only exec level and management level people get emotional intelligence training and not your everyday person.
Last January I created a framework for how it can be delivered. If you’ve ever wondered why someone hears something completely different from what you said or why someone’s presence or vibe irks you while someone else lifts you up, more often than not it has to do with the way a person communicates, and that boils down to personality and ties into our emotions. I see it all the time—in organizations, families, friendships, all relationships. Right now, I’m doing one-on-one trainings, but I plan on turning it into a course.
Lightning Round
Dream vacation? Kauai, Hawaii. Being in a beach house and swimming with turtles.
Most recent book read? EQ Applied by Justin Bariso
Last movie seen in movie theater? Avengers Endgame
Theme song? “I Can” by Nas
Favorite color? Purple. Colors are personality related. Purple is a blend of red and blue. When I think about purple I think about unity and peace. There’s strength in unity and there’s power in understanding and empathy.
