Meet DoSomething.org’s Head of Fun [Q&A]

DoSomething.org is all about empowering young people to be the leaders of social change. With over 3.9 million members and thousands of grassroots campaigns under its belt, the all-encompassing nonprofit knows how to make the world a better place while also having fun. This is where Katie Radford comes in – she is the head of fun. Yes, that is her real title – she takes care of the organization’s HR needs while also running its internship programs.
In this week’s spirited 10 Good Questions, get to know the youthful and inspiring nonprofit that is encouraging teens and young adults alike to roll up their sleeves and make a difference. 

1. What is your organization’s mission? 

DoSomething.org makes the world suck less. One of the largest global orgs for young people and social change, our 3.9 million members tackle campaigns that impact every cause, from poverty to violence to the environment to literally everything else. Any cause, anytime, anywhere. *mic drop*

2. What makes you guys different from the rest? 

We place a super high importance on both authenticity and fighting for the user- so much so this phrase is actually painted on our wall. We don’t do things because we think they are cool; we do them because they are important to our members. 

Young people campaigning for net neutrality. 

3. Offices or open work space? 

Open office – with scooters, a disco ball, carnival-style popcorn machine, and a giant gong that we use to celebrate wins. Our office space is so important to us, that we decided a whole chapter to it in our book, The XYZ Factor. 

4. What three words describe your organization? 

Fast-paced (one word?). Quirky. Fun. 

5. What inspires you? 

Seeing my ridiculously smart co-workers every day. It’s my job to find these people and help foster a culture that keeps them excited and engaged, so when I see them really shining, it keeps me going. 

Zoie started her own recycling drive campaign for clothes through DoSomething. 

6. What is the best part about your job? 

I spend so much of my time figuring out how to build and support diverse, effective teams, which has so many interesting and rewarding challenges to it. There is no such thing as a boring day!

7. Does your team eat lunch together? 

Absolutely. We aren’t allowed to eat at our desks (both a cleanliness and social policy), so we typically all gather in the kitchen to eat both at lunchtime and throughout the day. 

8. Facebook or Twitter? 

Personally, Twitter (Follow me! @DoSomethingJobs). As an org, we see high engagement on Facebook. 

Teens across the US collected and donated 723, 188 pairs of jeans for homeless youth. 

9. What do you want Goodnet users to know about your organization? 

If you have a cause that you care about, DoSomething.org has a campaign for you. We have over 230 campaigns live on our site that have a huge variety of impact on all types of cause spaces. On our main page, there is a finder where you can sort campaigns by cause, time, and type, so you can find something super specific to your interests. 

10. How can people get involved? 

There are so many ways! If you are interested in participating in a campaign or finding a campaign that is right for you, you can do so right on our homepage: www.DoSomething.org. If you are interested in learning more about our culture, definitely check out DoSomething.org’s book The XYZ Factor. For details on our job opportunities, you can go to www.dosomething.org/jobs or follow me on Twitter @DoSomethingJobs.