A Path to Charity

By Mikayla Coyier

Michael Smoot, a dedicated board member of Path Home, is deeply committed to ensuring that the organization's staff are well-compensated for their vital work in ending family homelessness. Inspired by Dan Pallotta's TED Talk, "The way we think about charity is dead wrong”, Smoot advocates for competitive salaries for nonprofit employees. Pallotta's message challenges the current norms in the nonprofit sector and suggests organizations adopt business-like strategies to drive growth and innovation. This resonates with Path Home's mission, as they recognize the crucial role that fair compensation plays in attracting and retaining top talent, ultimately allowing them to better serve families in need.

At Path Home, Smoot and his colleagues are committed to embracing Pallotta's vision for reshaping public perceptions and support for charitable organizations. Pallotta highlights the unequal differences between expectations placed on for-profit businesses and those placed on nonprofits. Businesses are encouraged to invest in growth and innovation while nonprofits are often criticized for similar spendings. Smoot and the Path Home team recognize this double standard and are committed to challenging it by ensuring that the organization has the resources needed to thrive and make a meaningful impact in the community.

Using Pallotta's TED Talk as a guiding principle, Smoot and the Path Home leadership emphasize the importance of innovation and investment in nonprofit operations. They understand that in order to effectively address the complex issue of family homelessness, Path Home must be willing to invest in marketing, talent acquisition, and infrastructure. By benchmarking staff salaries against industry standards and striving to maintain a competitive position, Path Home empowers its employees to deliver the highest quality services to families in need. This approach aligns with Pallotta's vision of enabling nonprofits to operate more like businesses to increase their social impact.

Path Home's commitment to Pallotta's principles is evident in its holistic approach to addressing family homelessness. Through immediate shelter, rapid re-housing, and long-term stability initiatives, Path Home provides comprehensive support to families in crisis. By prioritizing fair compensation for employees and involving innovative strategies, Path Home aims to not only alleviate the immediate challenges of homelessness but also create sustainable solutions that empower families to build brighter futures.

To learn more about Path Home, click here.

To hear songs from Path Home's Lullaby Project, click here.