Allison Jones

"Integrity is very important to me..."

I really love nonprofits. I’d worked in three nonprofits since 2001, but I’d been with my previous employer for 14 years and was ready for a change. I was once thinking of hiring YPTC when a staff member left — and I wound up working for them instead!

Right after I started as an Associate, my stepdad passed, I was having trouble adjusting to the new job after being a director of finance and operations, and I had a difficult client. It was a perfect storm at a difficult time in my life and very overwhelming. I didn’t think I could do the job and represent YPTC well and do my clients justice. I asked if they could dial me down to a lower-paying Staff Accountant position. I was nervous and afraid that they’d fire me, and I’m grateful that they allowed me to do it. They were very empathetic, understanding and compassionate toward me, which a lot of companies are not. It was a blessing.

YPTC is a really excellent company. Their values align with mine and that wasn’t the case before. I love the company’s culture. In my annual review, for example, they were more encouraging than pointing out what I did wrong. That was a pleasant change from previous performance reviews.

Integrity is very important to me. They have an excellent reputation. I like the way they’re willing to let go of a client that’s not operating ethically, and they support us if we see something in a client that’s not okay. They’re very open to feedback. They’re transparent about what they’re doing and why.

I like the flexibility. I’ve been working from home for years so I’m used to that, and it’s a type of autonomy. They empower you to take care of your clients. They invest a lot in technology and training and in professional development. They try to build community. If I have questions all the Associates are patient with me. It’s a team effort. There’s a lot of encouragement and support.

There’s so much opportunity here to get involved in different things; you don’t have to do the same thing forever. And they’re growing, which is exciting, too. It will allow me to grow with them. I’m learning something new and growing every day. I might consider moving up to an Associate’s position in the future.