This fall, the Columbia University School of Professional Studies Career Design Lab welcomed a diverse panel of nonprofit professionals to discuss the intricacies of the nonprofit industry and engage with event attendees. The panel welcomed Grace Ugalde-Wolpert, Ciara Murphy, Nicole Widdersheim, and program alumni Catalina Parker and Katherine Sarci-Tucker.
The event, moderated by Jessie Lee, a lecturer in the M.S. in Nonprofit Management program, included insights from a range of educational and professional experiences. From fostering relationships between neighborhoods and police departments to supporting arts and culture scholarship in marginalized groups, all of the panelists have had long careers in the nonprofit sector, uplifting individuals and communities.
“My course explores what it means to serve the public. You have to go deeper into defining what the public you’re serving is, because each organization and each program can be very different once you go down the layers of details,” Lee said.
Panelists also discussed their various professional pivots and breaks for academia—showcasing the wide range of potential careers in the nonprofit world. Their stories showed how people from different educational backgrounds were able to apply their passion for nonprofit work to many different topics.
Widdersheim, for example, worked at a public health nonprofit that closely collaborated with the U.S. government and then transitioned to working within the government itself. Despite these organizational changes, she maintained her passion for mission-driven work.
Similarly, Ugalde-Wolpert moved from her senior corporate role to an entry-level position in the nonprofit field. However, she adjusted to this change and continued to foster her relationships using her strong communication skills—an integral aspect of nonprofit work.
After this shift, Ugalde-Wolpert advanced within her nonprofit organization, illustrating the importance of internal growth.
Conversely, Parker highlighted a different phenomenon: the concept of a career ceiling. Despite progressing through multiple organizations, she eventually encountered limits to advancement, leading to her pivot to consulting—a path she had not initially considered.
“In today’s market, instead of being a generalist, it’s better to niche down and pick one area of specialization; that way, you’re easy to remember, and your skills are more marketable,” Parker said. “But the thing is, you can’t be the best at everything. So it is important to pick one or two areas so that you can become known as the consultant for those areas.”
Nonprofits strive to uplift the communities they serve, which sometimes results in setting seemingly impossible goals. Murphy emphasized the importance of having the “right evaluative apparatus” to measure progress and ensure missions are fulfilled effectively. She highlighted the need for everyone within the organization, at all levels, to clearly understand the mission, as a shared collective goal is critical to achieving meaningful impact.
Sarci-Tucker touched on the blending of quantitative and qualitative aspects for creating convincing, emotional narratives backed by concrete data.
“A lot of people have the misconception that development kind of exists in a vacuum and that we do the work ourselves and nobody else is involved,” Sarci-Tucker said. “In order for an organization to really thrive, everybody has to be part of this culture of philanthropy.”
Because of the human-centered nature of nonprofit work, it is easy to become deeply immersed in a mission—an experience that many panelists resonate with—to the point where the passionate work becomes all-consuming. The panelists discussed the importance of personal well-being to maintaining longevity in this dynamic sector.
For more illuminating discussions with leaders in the nonprofit space, explore the M.S. in Nonprofit Management program’s upcoming events.
About the Program
Columbia University’s M.S. in Nonprofit Management prepares graduates for leadership roles within mission-driven organizations in a wide variety of contexts, including global and community nonprofits, foundations, education, healthcare, the arts, or as fundraising and development experts.
The fall 2025 application priority deadline for the M.S. in Nonprofit Management program is February 15. The final deadline is June 1. Learn more about the program here.
