Be Small, Think Less, Just Smile - Anonymous employee One Degree Employee Review

One Degree’s primary metric for community impact is page views, which are conveniently misrepresented as people served. The CEO’s pay has gone from $138,994 in 2020 to $265,513 in 2022 - this is public 990 salary data required to be reported to the IRS by every 501(c)(3). During that time period, he oversaw the loss of major funders and clients and entered into a merger with minimal due diligence. The merger was a spectacular failure and led to multiple rounds of layoffs and the loss of more clients and funders. The staff who were not laid off now manage the work of 2 - 3 previous employees. COLA has not been raised since 2021 and the lowest paid staff are eligible for public benefits. One Degree is an insular, turbulent nonprofit that operates as an ego vehicle and money grab for the CEO. The incompetence I witnessed was breathtaking. I can’t count how many haphazard business model pivots were announced, only to silently fizzle within weeks. Work that would easily be completed in a month or two at a functioning organization meandered for more than a year. The sole operating principal I could discern was that the CEO believes he invented this field and is deeply deserving of more attention and money. Ignore the job description. The assignment at One Degree is to be small, think less, just smile. If you can deliver consistent flattery and dull compliance to the CEO, you’ll do well.