Q&A: Tammy Tibbetts and She's the First

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Tammy Tibbetts, 24, is the founder of She’s the First, a call to action to promote the importance of educating girls who live in developing countries and would otherwise not have the opportunity to go to school. The organization brings together smaller, local educational non-profits in a directory of schools and sponsorship programs, making it easy to donate online. According to its website, She's The First inspires girls to "break barriers" and realize their dreams through its mission of promoting global education.
 
But this isn't Tibbetts' only line of work. She also maintains a day job at Hearst Digital Media (and catches up on She's the First via her trusty Blackberry during her commute!). 
 
What spurred your interest in nonprofit work?
During my senior year at The College of New Jersey, I worked on a journalism assignment on the MacDella Cooper Foundation (MCF). I reported on the work MacDella and her foundation did in Liberia with abandoned kids and orphans of civil war. It was the first time that I saw the power of storytelling aligned with international issues that often seem so far away. In New York City, we can’t picture what it’s like — that’s why digital storytelling is so important. It helps us get to know the life of a child in a very personal way through the media. So my particular association in college unlocked the door to a new world of digital media and entertainment, which intersected with a great cause, and it all came together with She’s the First.
 
Tell us a little more about She’s the First. What was the driving force behind its creation?
It was a collaboration of subconscious influences. I came up with the name in the shower one day, but the idea percolated with my leadership experience at MacDella Cooper Foundation and the launch of Donate My Dress through Hearst. These organizations had essentially the same structures as She’s the First — bringing smaller nonprofits together.
 
There is so much power in putting small organizations that share similar causes under the same umbrella. Then they just need to be marketed in a savvy way to appeal to young people. I wanted to replicate the way information is spread across the web virally with spreading the message about girls’ education. I was also motivated by a PSA [Public Service Announcement] for TheGirlEffect.org. The “girl effect” refers to the “powerful social and economic chance brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate in their society.” [The PSA] helped me to couple the idea of pushing girls’ education with a clear call to action. I wanted girls to bring their friends together to sponsor a girl’s education in Tanzania. Small contributions can add up to something great.
 
It took me nine months from naming and conceptualizing She’s the First to launching it on November 1, 2009. I thought, this is like having a child! The organization felt like a baby when it was first born. But after a few months, I realized it wasn’t a piece of me — instead, I was a piece of it. She’s the First grew beyond my personal network; there were women who follow it on Twitter who I didn’t know, and even now, most of its supporters are friends of friends. It took on a life of its own.
 
You make your success sound so easy. What are some of the struggles you’ve faced?
She’s the First isn’t an organization in which you sit in on meetings or pay dues. It’s meant for others to bring it to life wherever they are — at home, in high school, or on a college campus. But that means that right now, the greatest challenge is coming up with a sustainable business model. As we grow, we need a budget for marketing materials, videos, and web redesign. You can only ask for free favors so much, so we’re looking for corporate sponsorship. We’re hoping to develop a bracelet with a jewelry designer so that part of the bracelet’s cost goes toward operational development costs. It would be a business deal to support our budget and support girls’ educations — benefiting brands’ goals and our goals. Right now, all the money we raise is going directly to the girls.
 
How do you balance your day job at Hearst with She’s the First?
You can accomplish a lot with a Blackberry! Communication is constantly at my fingertips. I draft emails on the subway and then send them when I’m above ground. I spend a lot of time on weekends working on She’s the First, and I reserve two weeknights as well. Plus, it’s not only me running everything. Other leaders include Christen Brandt, the director of She's the First; three summer interns; and a ton of volunteers. 
 
Why is Gen. Y so valuable to nonprofits?
I love nonprofit work because studies show that giving back gives more pleasure than receiving. The cliché is true! Our generation is so opinionated and driven to accomplish anything. The New York Times Magazine recently ran an article about how we’re more resilient than our parents’ generation. We need to capitalize on that ability to do great for the world — globally, not just locally.
 
What advice would you give young professionals who are interested in working in the nonprofit sector?
To pursue nonprofit work, just get started. Try out a ton of different causes. If you find it fulfilling to help kids in the local Boys & Girls Clubs, that’s just as valid as helping pets in an animal shelter. The main thing is: It shouldn’t feel like work. A great tip is looking within your family for a cause that is personally meaningful to you, such as a family member’s illness. Look at the active nonprofit organizations on Facebook and Twitter and try out their personalities. You should get involved with a nonprofit that is progressive, not afraid of using digital and is social media savvy. Think about your own talents, and apply them to nonprofits; for example, if you like to write, interview a nonprofit leader and give them publicity.
 
What about YPs who are worried about a steady source of income?
A lot of business practices apply to the nonprofit world, like fundraising, effective design and marketing. That said, you should pursue the academic subjects you’re interested in. It may be best to get a full-time job in corporate when you’re young within an industry you excel in. Then, once you establish yourself, apply your skills to nonprofit leadership. It’s a two-way street: You’ll be presented with opportunities in the nonprofit sector that you wouldn’t have in a junior position in the corporate world. Learning from the people above you in the corporate world can be helpful in the nonprofit sector. That said, it’s not all about money — it’s about giving time and talent.
 
Where do you see yourself in 10 or 20 years?
I love to travel the world and visit schools in the She’s the First network, such as Nepal and India.* If I could, I would travel my whole life to see the work they do, using digital media to tell their stories and facilitate a cultural exchange between girls around the world to build mentorships. I’d like to create more equality in education systems worldwide so girls can have the means to break barriers and become "firsts."
 
What is the most enjoyable aspect of your involvement in the nonprofit sector?
Hands down, the emails from the students abroad, like Elizabeth David in Tanzania, who will be sponsored by She’s the First. I recently received a note from her, telling me about her day-to-day routine (she wakes up at 5 a.m.) and that she’s so happy to be working with She’s the First. It’s equally as rewarding to hear feedback from the young women in college about what it means for them to give back. I know what She’s the First means to me, but seeing a unified response is the most rewarding.
 
And the hardest aspect of your work?
Wanting to change something on our website, but not knowing the coding or how to use a certain program. Another challenging aspect is coming up with complex ideas that need specialized skills. The key is building teams of people who have skills that I don’t — I provide a vision, and they pull it off. It’s impossible for one person to have all the skills.
 
What lesson have you learned that you would pass on to other YPs?
That lesson would have to be the value of teamwork. It’s all about collaboration on ideas. Instead of a hierarchy of positions where one person is the most important, it’s better to foster a culture of leadership where everyone communicates together in a dynamic, viral way. For example, sharing their successes through various social media networks. You can’t underestimate the online community and what it is capable of achieving offline. How that community resonates to the global community does make a difference.
 
Want to read about other young professionals who are making a difference? Check out YPNation’s story on Shannon Varney, who, after being laid off, started an organization to help homeless veterans.
 
*Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the She's the First network has schools in Baton Rouge, La.