About | Prosperity Initiative

Prosperity Initiative raises awareness about the challenges faced by youth-serving nonprofit workers and shares effective solutions to address these issues

At Prosperity Initiative, we believe commitment to a cause should not come at a personal cost

About the youth-serving workforce in San Francisco:

80%

identify as people of color

52%

not earning a living wage

40%

work additional jobs to make ends meet

Heart work is a term often used to describe nonprofit work, emphasizing the emotional and compassionate nature of the job. It reflects the dedication and passion individuals bring to their roles, driven by a deep sense of purpose and care. However, this commitment is frequently coupled with the expectation that nonprofit workers should accept less—whether in wages, benefits, or work-life balance—than their counterparts in the private and public sectors.There is a prevailing narrative that nonprofit workers must sacrifice their financial security, emotional well-being, career growth, and personal time, simply because they chose “heart work.”

‍At the Prosperity Initiative, we reject this notion. We believe that commitment to a cause should not come at a personal cost.

Our values

Changing the Narrative

There is a prevailing narrative that nonprofit workers must sacrifice their financial security, emotional well-being, career growth, and personal time, simply because they chose “heart work. We reject this notion and believe that commitment to a cause should not come at a personal cost.

Dignified Wages

While the youth-serving field works to lift young people out of poverty, many of its workers are facing financial hardships themselves. We are committed to breaking this cycle by ensuring that those who dedicate their lives to this work are compensated with dignified wages and provided with the economic stability they deserve.

Equity

We are committed to ending pay inequities based on demographics in the youth-serving nonprofit sector. Our vision is to lead the way in creating a field where compensation is dignified and equitable no matter someone's identity.

Community Roots

We believe that people who are born in San Francisco should have the opportunity to stay in their city if they choose. No one should be forced out due to financial pressures, and we are committed to ensuring that our workforce can afford to remain in the communities they serve.

Lived Experience as Expertise

We honor the value of lived experience, recognizing that cultural backgrounds, community knowledge, and personal histories are powerful forms of expertise. We believe these should be respected and compensated in the same way as formal education and professional credentials.

Our Approach

Building Worker Power

We educate, organize, and support youth-serving nonprofit professionals to build collective voice and power — keeping workers informed, connected, and uplifted in the decisions that shape their work and communities.

Aligning Across Sectors

We build understanding and alignment across nonprofits, government, and philanthropy through direct engagement, education, and convenings — creating the conditions for coordinated action and shared solutions.

Shifting the Narrative

We work to shift how nonprofit work and workers are seen, valued, and understood — elevating the skills, expertise, and lived experience that nonprofit staff bring, and changing the narratives that have historically undervalued this workforce.