#86: Redefining volunteering, effective charity, and scaling impact
A Q&A with non-profit CEO and startup operator Nick Charinos
Hello!
It’s Q&A time this week, and we’re meeting Nick Charinos.
Nick is the CEO of 180 Degrees Consulting, the world’s largest student-driven consultancy for non-profits and social enterprises. It has 8000+ student volunteers operating in 170+ branches across 34 countries, largely self-organising with the support of a small global team. It’s a smart model: ambitious students get to build skills and do good by working on impactful projects; non-profits can access consultancy services for a fraction of the usual cost. To date, their total estimated amount of services is at $100m.
Everyone at 180 Degrees Consulting is a volunteer, including Nick. On top of his 180 CEO role, Nick has a full-time job in the go-to-market team at Sana, a fast-paced tech company which also happens to be where I work. As you can imagine, we’ve had a lot to talk about.
Nick is one of the most collected and steadfast people I’ve met. He has strong views about the tech and non-profit worlds—shaped by years of hands-on experience and a first-class degree in economics—and he doesn’t shy away from them in this Q&A.
I’m eager to hear what you think.
You have a broader definition of volunteering than most. Tell us about it.
I see volunteering as the practice of people willingly offering their time, skills, and services to:
Learn and grow skills they would have otherwise not developed as much in their full-time work;
Meet new, smart, and interesting individuals;
All while supporting a cause or organisation they are deeply passionate about.
The unexpected aspects of this definition are “grow skills they would have otherwise not developed as much” and “meet new smart and interesting individuals.” I believe that framing volunteering as both a personal ‘selfish’ venture of self-improvement as well as a venture to support a cause you are passionate about helps you be more motivated, productive, and engaged in your work.
You once told me that the non-profit world has become wrongly locked into the belief that “any volunteering time is good” and “anything greater than zero is good.” Why do you think this is problematic?
It is problematic because it:
Produces no demonstrable impact on society.
Implies that our time is not valuable.
Suggests that results and impact do not matter to the sector.
Overvalues input at the expense of output and outcome.
It creates a world where I can volunteer five or 10 hours a week to a charity, produce no zero demonstrable impact, and still give myself a pat on the back for "donating my time." The for-profit world wouldn't tolerate this behaviour; why should the non-profit sector?
People shouldn't be able to get away with feeling accomplished through the sheer benevolent nature of volunteering alone. And non-profits shouldn't feel obliged to tolerate mediocre support, either.
Ultimately, this is about how we value our time, the output of that time, and the opportunity costs that come with deciding how to spend our time.
You also think the non-profit world needs to stop thinking it shouldn’t make money. Why is that?
I'm a firm believer in the concept of ‘effective charity’—inspired by effective altruism—meaning that to achieve the charity's goal of reaching its mission and helping serve its social cause, raising money internally is one of the avenues toward achieving its set objective.
Historically, charities have considered free/pro bono/nonrevenue-generating initiatives as the core means of achieving their missions. Charitable purpose seemed to imply that everything was provided for free.
But the world has moved on. Raising money doesn't mean you're not achieving your goal or that you're compromising on your organisation's integrity. Rather, the opposite. Generating revenue allows you to scale your impact because you have greater means to offer more new services and products to more people in your communities.
'Method trumps money' is a phrase that's stuck with me for a long time. Many charities providing their services free of charge do not recognise the additional social impact they would have otherwise achieved had they considered partially monetising their services. I highly recommend watching the TED talk from the founder of 180 DC on this topic.
A good example from 180 DC is our 2017 decision to ask non-profits to pay a small nominal fee for our consulting services. Not only has it increased the level of engagement and responsiveness, it's also increased the likelihood of non-profits implementing our strategic recommendations because they have a greater stake in the success of their projects.
How have your experiences in the tech industry shaped your approach to leading 180 DC and vice versa?
The tech industry has taught me the benefits of running agile, decentralised organisations. Instead of strict ways of working, focus on building flexible, adaptable teams that can respond easily to evolving priorities. Reduce the gap between the executive leadership and junior staff so everyone feels empowered to contribute. At 180 DC, I've focused on instilling a belief that we're all in this together. We can share information widely and be transparent with how we make decisions and set priorities.
Tech companies also tend to have a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. At the startups I've worked in, employees genuinely like spending time together. And they show up every day because they enjoy what they do. It creates a positive working environment.
The non-profit sector has taught me about the importance of intrinsic motivation. Everyone at 180 DC is a volunteer: we're time-constrained, and we face constant challenges. At the end of the day, it's easy to walk away. So I like to ask myself why I'm doing what I'm doing—on a monthly, sometimes even weekly, basis. This question has helped me stay focused and productive in both my tech and non-profit roles.
What do you wish the tech sector understood better about the non-profit sector and vice versa?
Building on my earlier points, the tech industry wrongly assumes that the non-profit sector is all about doing free work or hiring volunteers. (This may have something to do with the way tech companies run their CSR initiatives.) I wish more people in the tech industry understood that non-profits can be run like tech companies are run—as organisations that generate revenue, hire and retain top talent, and pursue ambitious missions. This is not to say that the only effective way to run an organisation is like a tech company. I believe a greater awareness of possible similarities between our sectors would break down the barrier for tech companies to suppport charities further.
On the flip side, I wish more non-profits understood how valuable technology can be for optimising operations. With most volunteering time going towards front-line services rather than internal administration, there's an operational gap that technology can fill; yet many non-profit leaders sideline technology investment over other, more immediate priorities.
How can the tech and non-profit sectors come closer together?
Enabling the non-profit sector through technology adoption and upskilling is the crucial piece of the puzzle, in my opinion. Non-profits stand to gain so much from forward-thinking technology solutions that can unlock efficiencies, save volunteer time, and help them focus on what matters the most: social impact.
This can take the form of providing their technology solutions at discounted rates, allowing their employees to volunteer their time and expertise to upskill the leadership of non-profits, as well as share more widely relevant resources that can support non-profits in their digital transformation journeys.
Which three books or other media have impacted you most and why?
Plato’s The Republic helped me understand how to think analytically and break down a complex thesis into its discernable parts.
William MacAskill’s Doing Good Better gave me a deeper understanding of the concept of ‘effective charities’ and how to do the 'most good' as you can by leveraging your time wisely.
Christopher Hitchens’ Letters to a Young Contrarian taught me how to leverage wit in written and verbal communication and challenge long-standing beliefs.
More questions for Nick? Find him on LinkedIn or email nicolas@harinos.com
Thanks so much for reading,
Lauren
PS I’ve loved reading all your responses to the last post on being above/below the line—seems like the framework really resonated. If you start using it, please let me know how you get on.